EVGA occassionally makes products for Best Buy that are diffrient from their other products, despite even being the same model. I know they did this with a GTX 970 model, and I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again.

Basically, you need to return the card and buy it from Newegg/Amazon because Best Buy is selling something else.

this is from my "crappy" Best Buy 970 SSC
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/9226879

kseanfitz
Purchased an EVGA Geforce GTX 950 SSC from Best Buy in the official EVGA 950 SSC packaging and found that Best Buy replaced the SSC with a much lessor version, I think its the SC version. only six pin power not eight, no bios switch (that one-third of the PCB is missing) only one bios chip. they just hacked the SC bios/firmware with a slight bump to the base/boost clocks of the SSC. I won't be buying anything Best Buy anymore and maybe not EVGA either. Selling points for me were good bang for the buck in a current GPU and the DUAL bios. Not the low end game promo. Best buy's attitude seems to be, We already got your money so buzz-off. In other words EVGA's problem. I think obvious Bait-and-switch is more than just "EVGA's problem"  unless EVGA fully endorses such practices by contract from ALL it's "partners".

Despite what was posted here, if it was an EVGA SSC model, that is what you should have in the box. Is this what you ordered? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/evga-nvidia-geforce-gtx-950-ssc-acx-2-0-graphic-card-multi/1313355726.p?id=mp1313355726&skuId=1313355726  I'd contact EVGA on the phone. They are open 24/7. They should be able to verify your GPU by part and serial number. Best Buy specific models have different part numbers from the standard EVGA models.

I have referred this thread to EVGA

> we do differentiate these products with a different part number to try and avoid confusion
 
I'm sorry, but the whole point of packaging these lesser products in SSC wording is exactly to create confusion and to dupe consumers. I'm not surprised that Best Buy would engage is such practices but it makes me sad that EVGA would participate in this scheme. Its unethical.

+1 Scarlet-Tech. "SSC" stands for "Super Super Clocked". It always has. Nothing new. The SSC model is the model clocked higher than the Super Clocked model ("SC"). "SSC" is not blueprint or spec sheet identifier. SSC just means that the product has the same clock speeds as all the other SSC cards. Differences in products are common throughout their manufacturing cycle. Even "vanilla" cards sometimes change the memory manufacturer or power phases or voltage controller chip. The part number has always been the most important thing to consider when comparing the specifications related to the exact properties of each individual card or family of cards.

For example, I had a "vanilla" GTX 285 which was quite a bit inferior to the other "vanilla" GTX 285 in terms of memory and voltage regulation. Both products were made by NVIDIA and looked virtually the same to an untrained eye but had different part numbers. Both were GTX 285 model cards. Should I have complained or should I have researched better?

But, EVGA, in the future, maybe you could add some more brand labels to make things less confusing. I don't think EVGA is doing anything wrong, but I think they could do their customers a better service by creating more differentiation. If the card were called a GTX 970 BBE ("best buy edition"), there would be no confusion. People are confusing GTX 970s online with GTX 970s in Best Buy for a reason.

The SSC does cause a bit of confusion. But I'm not sure it would really be EVGA's fault as its just a clock related title.

Hopefully you can get refund and go buy what you are looking for..

You can trade up and get the real card. I think Best Buy would give you a Best Buy version though. But I guess you might be able to check more carefully this time.

 Use Newegg, good customer support , good prices and fast shipping.
I have a best buy store 2 blocks from me and don't go there anymore.

Best Buy sucks. Remember not to return too many products, they will deny you from returning after so many. This is why you have to provide an ID for all returns now. 

Maybe you guys just have bad luck. My card is fine...

it's really worth a good investigation prior buying a graphics card.
especially at EVGA as they have much more different models than other brands.
I would only buy a model that I can clearly identify on EVGA's website, just to be sure.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to go on a limb here, but are you all really proposing that EVGA and BestBuy are both out to screw you when you're stepping up or getting a better card, or the fact they are "purposely" marking bestbuy's version with different model #s to "distinguish" them to exemplify bad cards? Or what about they are "purposely" pulling the weakest card off the shelf of the step-up to "purposely" screw you in your step-up. That's some pretty heavy dope there. Or, do I have that off a bit? That's what it sounds like...
 
Can you prove any of it? Might take a lot of investigation, maybe even a lawyer, but you have to have backing evidence. I will say it would make one heck of a court case. Has anyone taken a bestbuy version SSC and compared it to EVGA's version and did actual benchmarks at the same time with the same tech of the computer? I really doubt EVGA would do that. I mean come on, the actual truth is it's so they can "distinguish" from BestBuy's model and EVGA's model, period. I bought BestBuy's SSC (2 of them) before I stepped up. had zero problems with them. Either way, this is looking like a made up conspiracy that I don't think is true, and this should be dismissed. Maybe I should kick myself for looking at a thread that was already on page 5, oh well. Don't get me wrong, BestBuy is screwed up in every way, and I have my ways to screw them over just as bad as they do to us (Need a hint and want to buy a laptop from bestbuy? Tell the associate you want that laptop and you want to "buy their 3 year warranty" with it. They won't hesitate for a second to get you that laptop, and as soon as they bring the laptop up to the register, tell the guy you changed your mind and you don't want the warranty. If you tell him up front you don't want the warranty, well then he never had the laptop in stock for you either. Just a tip for you) Anyway, that doesn't mean their models are worse quality than EVGA's cards.
 
Bestbuy carries EVGA for a reason, they know EVGA is good. And they honor EVGA warranties. That much I know. Unless they changed that...?
 
EDIT : I mean bestbuy could be worse, they could toss EVGA and start stacking gigabyte or MSI, not that I have anything against those 2 other companies.

DeathAngel74
@chrisdglong
The old best buy "ssc" 3979-kb is the same card as the 2974-KR(970 SC). The new Fallout 4 SSC is a true SSC, same as the 3975-KR(970 SSC ACX 2.0+). I got it for $315, technically I got the card for free since I exchanged the old card for the new one. Plus I got a free game....

EVGATech_ChrisB
Hi,
 
I am sorry for any confusion as I can confirm that we do have multiple products sold at different stores and we do differentiate these products with a different part number to try and avoid confusion.  
 
I can confirm that the Best Buy model 02G-P4-2959-KB is labeled as a SSC card due to its set factory overclock.  The model 02G-P4-2957-KR is also a SSC model due to its factory overclock which is the same as the 02G-P4-2959-KB model, but while these cards do offer the same performance they are not the same design as they do have a different PCB layout and Power Phase setup.  
 
If there is ever any questions on a product features prior to a purchase then we are here to assist. 1-888-881-3842 option 1 or by email at Support@EVGA.com. 
 

Not only is the Best Buy version different, and arguably lower quality, they also avoid price matches with companies that sell cards for cheaper. This is because of the model number. 

EVGA_JacobF

DeathAngel74
 
So is this this Best Buy's version of the SSC 2.0+ 3975-KR??? Same specs as far as I could see...
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/9246241

Yup