No stock yet but here is the price and some more details http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=04G-P4-2989-KR
 

"Two available 6-pin PCI-E power connectors" ?

Smokey the Bear

canerseker
"Two available 6-pin PCI-E power connectors" ?

It's the reference card with the block.

Er, no.  It has a much higher base clock, even more then the classified.  Looks sick!

Smokey the Bear

gutcheck

Smokey the Bear

canerseker
"Two available 6-pin PCI-E power connectors" ?

It's the reference card with the block.

Er, no.  It has a much higher base clock, even more then the classified.  Looks sick!

That doesn't make it non-reference, that makes it water-cooling ready.
 
EVGA also makes their own reference PCB now.

Gotcha, but that is a pretty nice OC, and as it is a stock clock you get that guarantee.  I like it. 
 
Jacob will we see a classified HC?

$799!?
 
Definitely not a good deal with this one. The GTX780 HC being $799 made sense since the reference card was $650. But GTX980s are $550. Nope

Do these include a backplate?  Don't see one in the pictures.

Well I was hoping to ditch my 2x SLI 770 Lightning cards that I have EK Blocks on for 2 of these but it appears to me that all it is, is a reference card that has a fancy EVGA EKWB with higher clocks.  
 
If I'm the type that mods my own bios and is comfortable putting my own water blocks on my cards... why would I buy this card over a $550 EVGA GTX 980 and then purchasing the EK Water Block direct? By my math that's roughly $699 if I'm willing to do it myself.
 
I'm thinking the only reason I would buy this card is for convenience. I'm hoping there is something more EVGA can add to this post that makes this card stand out and be worth the extra $100. I'm hoping it's something more than the cost to get a EK waterblock that says EVGA on it.
 
I know this isn't a Hydro Copper Classified card but is there anything that I'm missing?
 
Seeking to understand here, not trying to bash. I'm genuinely curious.

LiMiTeD_DiAvOlO
So confused right now. In terms of performance...

980CLS < 980HC?
OR
980CLS (W/HC) > 980HC?

I know its all theoretical right now given mass benchmarking has yet to happen but speaking theoretically, does the 980CLS with a hydro copper block have greater potential? Or no?

The Classified will get you a binned chip (high graded from the rest of the stock for better overclocking) and a larger power center to feed it. It's hands-down the more capable card. That being said, to take advantage of those things you need to drop the ACX Cooler and get fancy. 
 
If you just take the cards out of the box and hook them up, the HC tops the Classy.

Thanks Batman for the explanation, kind of what I was figuring (currently own 680 classified). But I just never understood this price markup. I though it would come out evenly or only a tad more expensive for a pre-assembled 980HC. Based on the fact that you are not getting a fan cooler.

Basically buying parts separately and assembling them yourself will get you,

Same WB minus the LED logo $127
Better card - classified $699

Lets call it $860 for tax idk, but still you get a better deal. I was just hoping you guys would save me a few bucks and keep the fan cooler im never going to use. *sigh*

Unless its some brand new exclusive technology that makes it worth 259, but i doubt EK made 2 new kinds of blocks in such short time. If the cost is because of something like the leds than just cut those out and let everyonr save some money. I think its a mistake to sell a similiar waterblock for twice the price.

Since the Classified version is not listed on the EK compatibility list, do we have any chance you can tell us if its possible to fit the waterblock from EK onto the Classified card design?!

You can NOT put this block on the classified lol. Look closer at the pics, the classified is a huge card.

Does this Hydro Copper come with an unlocked BIOS so that we're not fettered by the same thermal limits set for the air-cooled cards?

shan2
Does this Hydro Copper come with an unlocked BIOS so that we're not fettered by the same thermal limits set for the air-cooled cards?

You would still be limited with max thermap limits. WC is just reducing your temperature not allowing for inceased max temperature.

shan2
That's not what I'm talking about.  I want to be able to increase the voltage, current, and clockspeed which is currently limited by Nvidia to levels suitable for air-cooled reference cards.
 
PC Perspective was having trouble stressing the GPU enough with EVGA's waterblock so that the GPU temperature did not exceed 45 deg C.  I don't mind paying $800 for an EVGA volt-modded GTX 980 Hydro Copper.  I'm not going to pay $800 for a reference GTX 980 with an EK water block slapped on it if it can't take advantage of the water cooling.

+1
 
Then GeForce GTX overclocked EVGA Classified 980  => 2168GHz       o_O
 

 
sources: nvworld.ru/news/tags/разгон/