Trying to get a sense of the availability of 980 Ti Kingpins as I have 2 bad ones and need replacements.
 
I have 2 980 Ti Kingpins (80%+ ASIC) I purchased direct from EVGA just over a year ago. Something has happened to them I can no longer get either Windows or Linux to run in graphical mode.  Most of the time, the box locks up, resets itself, or powers off before the desktop will even come up, but occasionally I can get the GUI/desktop to start up in Linux but the system will lock up, reset, or power off within a minute or so.
 
I've switched PCI-E slots, I've tried running just one of them (with each card), moved slots, nothing works or makes any difference.
 
I have not made any attempts whatsoever to overclock, overvolt, modify, customize, or even use a non-standard BIOS on the cards.  I was 100% satisfied with the stock performance of these cards, and have not even played games on the system for several months.  I spend most of my time in Linux lately.
 
There is nothing wrong with the power supply (Seasonic XP3 1200W Platinum series) or anything else on my system, I have tested the heck out of it.  The first OTHER video card (one of my wife's 2 980 Ti Classified 4998's) I put in the machine works fine and the system has not missed a beat for a month.  So it is definitely the Kingpins.
 
I've spoken to EVGA support and they are willing to do RMA's.   The problem is, they don't seem to have any inventory of the 980 Ti Kingpins and may or may not ever get any more of them.  I paid for 80%+ cards so that is a lot of clams.  The guy I talked to on the phone said they might have to "upgrade" me to 1080 models.
 
Here is the problem:  I basically don't see the 1080's as an upgrade.  It is a new series there is not universal support for at this time (example: my wife says nobody with 1080's is having any luck playing Skyrim).  I know the GM200 GPU my Kingpins and my wife's 4998 Classifieds have work and aside from whatever happened with my cards, have been solid performers without any of the problems we saw with certain other (ahem) series of cards we tried to use last year.  So I don't want to take any chances with something relatively new to the market and to be honest, I'd really rather just get my 980 Ti Kingpins replaced with 980Ti Kingpins.
 
The only 1080 model I see anywhere close to features of my Kingpins (power phases, RGB LED, performance, etc.) is the 1080 Classified, but even these are about $300 apiece cheaper than what I paid for my 980 Ti Kingpins....
 
Any advice from anyone?  Is there a chance I could get a pair of 980Ti Kingpins as replacements if I can wait for them?
 
Thanks,
24junkie

"Posted comment" as I would like to see a decent resolution for you too.

Thanks lebel.  I've spent a little time reading up on the 10 series here this morning.  Not feeling very good about them...
 
We got away from 970's because of all the lockups, black screens, driver has stopped responding but has recovered, and slow memory when you exceed 3.5GB VRAM utilization my wife saw.  It was a special kind of hell getting out from under those that I do not ever wish to repeat again.  Really hope they can just replace my 980Ti Kingpins with 980Ti Kingpins.

1080 ACX 3.0 owner clocking in at 2202/5557MHz rocking Skyrim SE just fine on the latest WHQL drivers in Win10 Pro x64 AE. (83 hours in and level 51 - ORC WARRIOR YEAAAAH!)
 
I did have to set the power management mode from Optimal Power over to the old driver default of Adaptive to keep the game from going black screen every so often on me.
 
 
As to going from a really expensive card to a lower cost card? EVGA doesn't have to price match, just performance match. And unless you were running LN2 constantly, these 1080's are 10 to 30% faster than even a 1600/4000MHz 980 Ti (I know, I had one at 1600 and one at 1500, not SLI). And technically, performance wise (stock to stock) the 1070s are almost an exact match for the 980 Ti - so them offering you 1080s is a pretty frikken awesome deal dude.
 
As to power phases? My card is a 5+1 and is faster than 99.9% of ALL air/watercooled 1080s sitting at 2202/5557MHz. It is 100%, absolutely, completely, and unequivocally a silicon lottery for overclocking Pascal - most 1080s can hit 2050, the low end is 1950 and the high end tends to be 2164. Although watercooling really helps keep Pascal from thermal downclocking because it's sensitive as hell. And even if you do NOT overclock, Pascal is better with GPU Boost 3.0 pushing the cards better, further automatically without any intervention on the end users part.
 
As to lights? Only the Classy, FTW, and new Hybrid 1080s have RGB. Personally, I'd ask for the Hybrids as a replacement. I've got my 1080 under a Kraken X41 AIO and a Kraken G10 bracket and the sucker only hits 39C.
 
You didn't ask for it, but I'll say it anyways - Pascal uses significantly less power than Maxwell. Unless you are using these as space heaters in the winter (folding@home, oh yeah!), it's an all around win for you to get 1080s.

arestavo
1080 ACX 3.0 owner clocking in at 2202/5557MHz rocking Skyrim SE just fine on the latest WHQL drivers in Win10 Pro x64 AE. (83 hours in and level 51 - ORC WARRIOR YEAAAAH!)
 
I did have to set the power management mode from Optimal Power over to the old driver default of Adaptive to keep the game from going black screen every so often on me.
 
 
As to going from a really expensive card to a lower cost card? EVGA doesn't have to price match, just performance match. And unless you were running LN2 constantly, these 1080's are 10 to 30% faster than even a 1600/4000MHz 980 Ti (I know, I had one at 1600 and one at 1500, not SLI). And technically, performance wise (stock to stock) the 1070s are almost an exact match for the 980 Ti - so them offering you 1080s is a pretty frikken awesome deal dude.
 
As to power phases? My card is a 5+1 and is faster than 99.9% of ALL air/watercooled 1080s sitting at 2202/5557MHz. It is 100%, absolutely, completely, and unequivocally a silicon lottery for overclocking Pascal - most 1080s can hit 2050, the low end is 1950 and the high end tends to be 2164. Although watercooling really helps keep Pascal from thermal downclocking because it's sensitive as hell.
 
As to lights? Only the Classy, FTW, and new Hybrid 1080s have RGB. Personally, I'd ask for the Hybrids as a replacement. I've got my 1080 under a Kraken X41 AIO and a Kraken G10 bracket and the sucker only hits 39C.
 
You didn't ask for it, but I'll say it anyways - Pascal uses significantly less power than Maxwell. Unless you are using these as space heaters in the winter (folding@home, oh yeah!), it's an all around win for you to get 1080s.

Don't agree I'm afraid. The kingpins were sold as something special and not as just a 980ti. Pre binned, better asics, better overclocking. So I would be miffed to downgrade to a 1080 as well!

http://www.evga.com/artic...ce-GTX-980-Ti-KINGPIN/

lebel

arestavo
1080 ACX 3.0 owner clocking in at 2202/5557MHz rocking Skyrim SE just fine on the latest WHQL drivers in Win10 Pro x64 AE. (83 hours in and level 51 - ORC WARRIOR YEAAAAH!)
 
I did have to set the power management mode from Optimal Power over to the old driver default of Adaptive to keep the game from going black screen every so often on me.
 
 
As to going from a really expensive card to a lower cost card? EVGA doesn't have to price match, just performance match. And unless you were running LN2 constantly, these 1080's are 10 to 30% faster than even a 1600/4000MHz 980 Ti (I know, I had one at 1600 and one at 1500, not SLI). And technically, performance wise (stock to stock) the 1070s are almost an exact match for the 980 Ti - so them offering you 1080s is a pretty frikken awesome deal dude.
 
As to power phases? My card is a 5+1 and is faster than 99.9% of ALL air/watercooled 1080s sitting at 2202/5557MHz. It is 100%, absolutely, completely, and unequivocally a silicon lottery for overclocking Pascal - most 1080s can hit 2050, the low end is 1950 and the high end tends to be 2164. Although watercooling really helps keep Pascal from thermal downclocking because it's sensitive as hell.
 
As to lights? Only the Classy, FTW, and new Hybrid 1080s have RGB. Personally, I'd ask for the Hybrids as a replacement. I've got my 1080 under a Kraken X41 AIO and a Kraken G10 bracket and the sucker only hits 39C.
 
You didn't ask for it, but I'll say it anyways - Pascal uses significantly less power than Maxwell. Unless you are using these as space heaters in the winter (folding@home, oh yeah!), it's an all around win for you to get 1080s.

Don't agree I'm afraid. The kingpins were sold as something special and not as just a 980ti. Pre binned, better asics, better overclocking. So I would be miffed to downgrade to a 1080 as well!

http://www.evga.com/artic...ce-GTX-980-Ti-KINGPIN/

And I have to disagree with you as well. It's an upgrade of 10 to 30% in performance unless you run LN2 constantly to get >2GHz on the Kingpin.
 
I'd be sad, but (stock) performance is what EVGA uses as a replacement metric if the card isn't available to be replaced with the same card. That would mean getting a 1070, and they are offering 1080s - which they are under no obligation to do so as per: http://www.evga.com/suppo..arranty/graphics-cards/  

• Products sent in for RMA will be repaired and returned or replaced with a thoroughly tested recertified product of equal or greater performance.

 
If the OP asks nicely, I am 99% certain that EVGA will replace them with the high end models - I'd go for the Hybrid, but the Classified is the closest match.

'' I've spoken to EVGA support and they are willing to do RMA's.   The problem is, they don't seem to have any inventory of the 980 Ti Kingpins and may or may not ever get any more of them.  I paid for 80%+ cards so that is a lot of clams.  The guy I talked to on the phone said they might have to "upgrade" me to 1080 models. ''
 
that's for the most part policy  with anyone.      if they cant replace the exact  card  they replace it with  a equal to or ''next'' better model  [I guess that's still a matter of opinion]   did they say what 10 series ?  i'll bet at best is going to be a FE reference card   not like your going to get a 1080 classy or  anything ''top end''  then hope it not a referb too boot  [opinion]   sad part is the ball is 100% in there court   and may come down to you take what they offer or go home with nothing   with a thanks for choosing evga  ..   that's life
 
then if a 1080 hope you get the revised one  with the pads and bios updated  [lol ]

arestavo

lebel

arestavo
1080 ACX 3.0 owner clocking in at 2202/5557MHz rocking Skyrim SE just fine on the latest WHQL drivers in Win10 Pro x64 AE. (83 hours in and level 51 - ORC WARRIOR YEAAAAH!)

I did have to set the power management mode from Optimal Power over to the old driver default of Adaptive to keep the game from going black screen every so often on me.


As to going from a really expensive card to a lower cost card? EVGA doesn't have to price match, just performance match. And unless you were running LN2 constantly, these 1080's are 10 to 30% faster than even a 1600/4000MHz 980 Ti (I know, I had one at 1600 and one at 1500, not SLI). And technically, performance wise (stock to stock) the 1070s are almost an exact match for the 980 Ti - so them offering you 1080s is a pretty frikken awesome deal dude.

As to power phases? My card is a 5+1 and is faster than 99.9% of ALL air/watercooled 1080s sitting at 2202/5557MHz. It is 100%, absolutely, completely, and unequivocally a silicon lottery for overclocking Pascal - most 1080s can hit 2050, the low end is 1950 and the high end tends to be 2164. Although watercooling really helps keep Pascal from thermal downclocking because it's sensitive as hell.

As to lights? Only the Classy, FTW, and new Hybrid 1080s have RGB. Personally, I'd ask for the Hybrids as a replacement. I've got my 1080 under a Kraken X41 AIO and a Kraken G10 bracket and the sucker only hits 39C.

You didn't ask for it, but I'll say it anyways - Pascal uses significantly less power than Maxwell. Unless you are using these as space heaters in the winter (folding@home, oh yeah!), it's an all around win for you to get 1080s.

Don't agree I'm afraid. The kingpins were sold as something special and not as just a 980ti. Pre binned, better asics, better overclocking. So I would be miffed to downgrade to a 1080 as well!

http://www.evga.com/artic...ce-GTX-980-Ti-KINGPIN/

And I have to disagree with you as well. It's an upgrade of 10 to 30% in performance unless you run LN2 constantly to get >2GHz on the Kingpin.
 
I'd be sad, but (stock) performance is what EVGA uses as a replacement metric if the card isn't available to be replaced with the same card. That would mean getting a 1070, and they are offering 1080s - which they are under no obligation to do so as per: http://www.evga.com/suppo..arranty/graphics-cards/  

• Products sent in for RMA will be repaired and returned or replaced with a thoroughly tested recertified product of equal or greater performance.

 
If the OP asks nicely, I am 99% certain that EVGA will replace them with the high end models - I'd go for the Hybrid, but the Classified is the closest match.

We don't have to agree!

Your argument is based on performance only!! And not why people chose a kingpin over a basic 980ti. My argument is on the overall prestigiousness for how the card was marketed and why people chose said card.
An anology of what I would put forward is, my nieghbours son has an old shed of a car that he has souped up. It out performs my new £20,000 sports car, so is his car better?

Whether its written in a EVGA's policy or not doesn't make it right imo. Again this is my opinion and you really don't have to agree.

Thanks for the replies everyone.  Yeesh, I wasn't trying to start an argument though.
 
Will have to see I guess.  My #1 metric at this point is reliability - trouble-free "it just works"  aside from performance of course, and that is why I'd rather get Kingpins back.
 
I'm not interested in the Hybrid's because if I was going to watercool the cards I would get a full-cover block and build my own loop,  We just had to rip out an "all in one" CPU liquid cooler solution from my wife's machine that lasted a year before it went kaput and I am still kicking myself for not just building custom loops for our CPU's in the first place.   At least with a custom loop, when (not if -- WHEN) the pump dies you can just  replace it without having rip the whole thing out and replace it.
 
I agree the Classified is interesting.  No idea what kind of problems anyone might be having with those compared to the non-Classified 1080's, but I also do not know yet whether all 1080's are the same GPU or not.  With the 980-series they were GM204's for most of them which from what we could find researching had some of the same problems as the 970's, -- vs. the 4998's and Kingpin's 980Ti being a GM200.  My wife and ran into the black screen stuff constantly with 970's.  Have never seen that once or any other problems with the 4998 Classified or Kingpins, until my Kingpins went south.  That is the main reason I do not want to get something different, especially after reading up on 10-series  on the forums here this morning.
 
 

BTW I apologize for not replying to the PM's, being new to the forums I can't send/reply to PM's yet.