Hi Guys,
 
I've recently decided to treat myself to a new monitor and after much deliberation have settled on a Dell 1440p / 144Hz / G-Sync item.  I considered 4K but am not convinced the support for it is really there yet - I know things are improved with Windows 10 but to my eyes the resolution jump from 1440p wasn't worth the performance penalty. 
 
Anyway, the reason for the thread is I'm after some advice as to what I need to drive this monitor.  Clearly I want to be above 60Hz where possible, although the addition of G-Sync will hopefully keep things smooth even if it drops below that mark.  I currently have the Asus VG248QE, so have gotten a bit spolit with the luxury of high refresh rates!
 
Right now I am running a single 780 Classified (non-ti).  I have another sitting in a box under the computer, but I removed it from the system as I felt it was simply not needed and wanted to preserve the life of the card.  1440p will definitely challenge even the SLI set-up, though, so it is set to make its big return to active duty soon!  Does anyone currently run a ROG Swift or similar with 780 SLI - I'd love to hear you thoughts on the performance. 
 
My question is whether I should consider a 980ti.  Another reason I removed the 780 was that the heat / noise from the cards in SLI was a little high for my liking.  I have a Corsair Air 540 case with lots of Scythe Gentle Typhoons etc - so it's not for lack of ventilation - it just seems that these non-reference coolers aren't the best idea in SLI.  However from my understanding a single 980ti would give me roughly the same performance as 780 SLI - right?  FWIW I was running the Classy's at around 1200MHz in SLI to keep the heat down, whereas I'd be able to OC the 980ti to a comfortable limit.
 
The next question is that if I do go for a 980ti, which should I opt for?  I've seen the Hybrid (which is what motivated me to ask this question) and it looks amazing.  However, I'm aware that other air-cooled options (such as a FTW or Classified) are both faster and cheaper.  With that said, the Hybrid seems like the perfect card for SLI - although I don't really understand water-cooling too well.  Does it still leak heat into the case or does the combination of a AIO GPU cooler and reference style blower mean that there really isn't an appreciable difference in terms of case temp whether you're running one or two cards?
 
The third option is to stick with what I have and wait for Pascal.  I guess that is the most sensible option, but I'd like to get some advice on it in case I find some good deals on EVGA 980tis come Black Friday / Cyber Monday!  Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer their thoughts.

I would suggest a 980ti SLI to give you your 144fps dream.

EDIT: Hybrid coolers have a closed loop system so you just install it and forget (no leaks etc). The heat loss to the case from the cards would be minimal compared to the ACX cards. Plus they suck air out which gives you better air flow, so they may even lower your overall case temp.

AdrianIscariot
Thanks guys.  I'm definitely leaning more towards the 980ti Hybrid, as while the immediate performance isn't really going to be any different from the 780s it will be quieter.  Then later, when I can get a second for SLI, I should be good to go for another couple of years even at 1440p!  Plus the Hybrid will really come into its own in SLI as it seems that adding a second card won't really impact noise too much.
 
Another quick question, though - how would it be best to mount the fans for the Hybrids?  I was thinking about putting one on the front of the case - there are 3 fans there currently and I figured swapping the middle one for the Hybrid cooler would be okay.  I guess the other could go at the back, in place of the usual 'out' fan?
 

Don't lean, don't think, just buy the Hybrid(s) . It's the best GPU I've ever owned. Runs like a dream and stays very cool under load. I have a reference 980 Ti SC and bought the Hybrid kit and backplate separately for it. My 24/7 setting is 1415mhz which is very comfortable. Prior to installing the Hybrid kit my load temp was 82 degrees. With the Hybrid cooler my load temps have never exceeded 55 degrees. I can also break the 1500mhz mark with custom bios and a very small bit of extra voltage and still not exceed 60 degrees. Forget about that with reference cooling and even ACX will get very loud.
 
As for mounting, I have mine set up as exhaust at the top of my case. Setting yours up as intake at the front will work just fine, just make sure you have decent enough cooling to get that warm air out of your case.
 
**Edit: to answer your question about SLI 780's vs single 980 Ti, for what it's worth, my 3dmark11 overall performance score was 20,255 with an i7 3770K (4.4ghz) and SLI 780 Ti's (either 1228 or 1241mhz). Graphics score was 29,720. With an i7 6700K (4.6ghz) and single 980 Ti (1416mhz) my performance score is 20,573. Graphics score 26,482. Very similar in that benchmark.