Identifying reference design GTX 980s

[mizteranderson]

I bought a couple GTX 980s from amazon a few weeks ago and they are clearly the reference design cards. This week I ordered what I thought were the same thing and when I got them there are some differences. For example they don't have the glowing GeForce on the side. However, they do look fairly similar overall. Trying to decide if I should send them back. Anyone know if the cards I got are just cosmetically different or if they are not reference at all? Thanks!

[mastercracker]

The one on the picture is a reference card.

[mizteranderson]

That's good news. Thanks!

[epixoip]

Uhh, no it isn't. The one in the picture is an OEM design card based on the GTX 750 PCB. It has a centrifugal blower like a reference design card, but it is most definitely an OEM design card.

The reference design card looks exactly like this:



If the card does not look EXACTLY like that, then it is not reference design!

[mastercracker]

Then I am baffled too because from what I understood from your posts is that the centrifugal blower was the most reliable visual clue that it was a reference design.

[epixoip]

Historically that has been the simplest means of distinguishing most reference design cards. But this is not always true. Some reference design cards have axial fans (e.g., HD 7990) and, like above, some OEM design cards have centrifugal fans.

The most reliable way to tell if a card is reference design or not is to go to amd.com or nvidia.com and look at their official product photos. For the GTX 980, http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-...uct-images

If the card in question does not look precisely like that, then it is not the GTX 980 that Nvidia designed. It is a card designed by an OEM that happens to be using the same chip.

[mastercracker]

The most reliable way to tell if a card is reference design or not is to go to amd.com or nvidia.com and look at their official product photos.

Thanks for the precision.