RainStryke
If this is the back plate they have... it should fit:
http://www.evga.com/Produ...aspx?pn=100-BP-0972-B9

It shows compatibility with the SSC and older models.

We are talking about the new SSC here right? Where does it show compatibility with part number 04G-P4-3975-KR (new SSC)? The old SSC and FTW are 9.5" cards and these newer ones are 10.1" 

El-Dubya

RainStryke
If this is the back plate they have... it should fit:
http://www.evga.com/Produ...aspx?pn=100-BP-0972-B9

It shows compatibility with the SSC and older models.

We are talking about the new SSC here right? Where does it show compatibility with part number 04G-P4-3975-KR (new SSC)? The old SSC and FTW are 9.5" cards and these newer ones are 10.1" 

 
*EDIT*
Actually... Now looking at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQCtwsvXMQg#t=59s
 
Set the link at 59 seconds where you can see it best. That's definitely a different back plate... Not good... Considering I just bought two for my SSC's.
 
Yep, you are right... Those back plates won't work with the new SSC. Just called EVGA tech support, they don't have any back plates for the new SSC's and at this moment, they don't know if they will offer them.

ManBearPig

aronh17
There's obviously a reason why EVGA is re-releasing these cards then. And since it's their high end released again, I can guarantee you they will clock higher. My FTW is always limited by power and downclocks in a lot of games under it's max boost clock. I've already seen the new SSC pumping out better Firestrike scrores at stock clock than my overclocked FTW. Why? They are not limited by power. Obviously my GPU will hit max boost no problem in a game like Counter Strike, but not in a game like Crysis 3.

Yeah, my FTWs downclock all the time.  I can get my top FTW card to hit 1594 MHz in OC scanner and anything non demanding, but it will never get anywhere near that in any real game.  When I play BF4 it will fluctuate between low 1500's to high 1400's depending on how much is going in the game.  And won't even get to 1500 in Crysis 3 all because it hits the power limit so fast and easily.

If you want to eliminate power target throttling why not mod your bios, you've got 2 of them.

nickheller
I'm hoping the FTW+ comes available to step up to soon, that or if they had another back plate promotion for the new SSC card.

Better put your bets on the FTW+ then. I hate to say it but judging by what RainStryke said above about them not knowing if they'll even offer it, I would be very surprised if this occured. However, EVGA seems to be full of surprises lately.   

My step up from a FTW to SSC has just gone to step 2.

Morphevz
 
As a disappointed owner of 2x FTW where:
- the only FTW thing about them was the price
- the ASIC is weak sauce - 68.1% and 68.8%
- they don't even run at same voltage while SLI'ing
- the core can barely touch the 1500 Mhz barrier and the power limitations even at 110% power, prevents them from staying there 
- the memory can't be clocked anywhere near the 8000 Mhz that most users are comfortably getting on air
- the coil whine is not a lie
 
I too would like to confirm that my pitchfork is raised high after reading the news that a real FTW is now being released and on top of that, cheaper than what I paid for my beta testing FTW versions...
 
My stet up possibilities are due by the end of January, and I would love if, at least, one of the following things could happen:
-  the vanilla GTX 980s drop to the price point that I spent on my FTWs, and I step up to two 980s
- the fabled extra VRAM versions enter the market, and I step up to them
- none of the above materializing, at least, that I'm given the change to step up from these pretend FTWs to the real deal labeled as FTW+
 
One thing is certain: lesson learned; it was the first and the last time I trusted a manufacturer to come forth with an optimized product at launch. No doubt the sweet spot for "new hardware" purchases is 3 months after it's on the market and the pitchfork mob QAed the product for the final performance adjustments.
 
It's really saddening to see EVGA's market approach nowadays. There must have been quite a few internal changes for all these constant odd decisions happening nowadays.
I hereby confirm, that this situations leaves a very fowl taste in this sad panda's face.

I understand where this is coming from -completely -
Because I also was very, very....wait....EXTREMELY disappointed with EVGA.

I first bought 2x GTX 970 SC's, performance was meh... ASIC's quality was double meh... Cooling was a triple meh...

After that I bought 2x GTX 970 FTW's expecting them to be the "very best" in the 970-department which money could buy. Especially considering I owned also 2x GTX 780 FTW's before.
But still, another let down. Cooling was quite a big better, which was a no-brainer given the crap cooling on the plain / SC versions. The cooling on those were really lacking, to say the least. Performance was a little better, but still hardly overclockable and constant throttling, so again, at least for me, a single meh. And the ASIC's quality... well... it was even WORSE than with the 970 SC's!! Well to be honest; one FTW was a little, just a little (less than 1%) better than than my best 970 SC, the other one was around 14% worse than my lower SC. So that was a really quadruple meh for that and for EVGA in general. Also support was a big let down during this time period.

//start-added line

To be honest; the only thing I never experienced was coil whine, on any cards. So dunno about that.

//end-added line

Since I was fedup with EVGA completely at this point, I just sold all my EVGA cards (even the ones in other systems I have) and went for a different brand. For my main gaming PC I went with two Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 970 cards. One of those cards was defective (sorta DOA), so had to return that one (guess I am really not lucky). After getting a replacement and installing both of them, I was quite surprised. Cooling good, overclocking good and ASIC's quality also (very) good: 82.6% and 87.3% (as mentioned in my previous post). They are rock stable at ~1541 mhz, however I don't like Gigabyte as a company. Good stuff, when it works. Was a pain to get the defective card replaced.

Anyways, cutting things short; I am kinda semi-excited on the new FTW+ cards. Might give EVGA a new go, as in a fresh start, but will first wait on user input and reviews on this card, before I jump the bandwagon again. I am now a bit more cautious when it comes to EVGA, given my past (bad) experiences...

Oh well.... Just my 2 Eurocents. :)

//small edit in regard to coil whine

@MvdL79: curious fact: the card I ordered first was a GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 980 G1 GAMING - 4GB, since I've been curious about the brand but always had second thoughts on trying it. But let's just say I couldn't keep thinking if I had done the right choice, since I normally SLI but couldn't spend the money in 2 980s, and cancelled my ordered and decided to return to stick with EVGA giving their top of the line products and good customer service reputation. So, I bought the two GTX 970 thinking I was buying the best 970 models that money could buy, keeping in mind that the Gigabyte version would supply more power to the cards, but trusting EVGA's rep remark that "the card has no used for more power" as mentioned in one of the few reviews done on the FTWs. Speaking of reviews, the lack of them also sounded the alarms in my head. Why isn't EVGA supplying more reviewers with the model? I guess that... You know what you've done if you don't want people to start sniffing around it...
 
@Mr. wolf: that's great to know; that'll be my plan Z by the end of the month, although I would still prefer FTW+, given that's what I thought I was buying when I drilled a hole in my bank account... =)

So why are the FTW's faulty? 

[please delete]

How long untill SCC and FTW+ comes to Scandinavia? Norway spes. 
 
Thank you!

just watch out Amazon.com and the EVGA EU shop, that's the best way.
if you don't need to max out everything in game even 1 GTX 970 could be enough for 1080p.

I understand, the FTW+ SLI would be a good option for you.
I assume Amazon would get the card prior to EVGA EU, so watch Amazon first.
EVGA always ships newegg and Amazon first then it's own online stores. 

Do you guys think the SSC or FTW+ would do well for 1440p IPS? Lots of people are telling me the experience of IPS is too good to pass over TN.

Morphevz

IAmTheNorwegianGamer
Woud you get a single 980, or 970 sli?
 970 sli will cost be about 150$ extra, but worth it on 1080P, 144Hz?
 

If you want to max everything out at 1080p; the single GTX 980 is probably enough investment to achieve that.
 
From experience with my 2x GTX 970 FTW, I can tell you that the default FTW values aren't enough to run Dragon Age Inquisition at 1440p @144Hz (ROG Swift user here). I need to crank up the power limiter, the voltage and raise the clocks a bit to keep the game consistently above the 50fps mark, with it staying between 30 and 75fps depending on the game area and stuff happening on screen. Granted that I'm running a i7 920 @ 4Ghz on a X58 mobo, and this could bottleneck a bit my fps, but still at least in my case, a single GTX 980 would have to make compromises to run 1440p games at a stable framerate.
 
Additionally, you must keep in mind if SLI is worth the headaches, as most games nowadays are released without support for it, and nVidia cares little to nothing about optimizing the drivers and cooperating with the developer to deliver a proper experience to SLI users. For instance... for how long is Dragon Age Inquisition out? The game still displays flickery textures in SLI, together with super absurdly dense fog areas, which are supposed to be a nice atmospheric touch, but are nothing more than a white mantle of whiteness. "Why don't you disable SLI?", you ask. Well, because I like to run my games with max graphical settings and didn't spend money in two cards to only make use of one. Not to mention I would need to tune down graphical options for the game to be playable...
 
Long story short, if I was playing at 1080p, I would definitely stay the hell away from SLI headaches as a gamer.
A single GTX 970 can run most games with few compromises, and a single GTX980 should run them without a sweat with exceptional compromises.
 
In the end, it's your money, your call; but as I said, if I wasn't on a 1440p monitor; I would be regreting not going for a single GTX 980 for 1080p gaming.
 
P.S.: Oh, and... greetings from Flisa. =P
 

Miko Ryukudo
Do you guys think the SSC or FTW+ would do well for 1440p IPS? Lots of people are telling me the experience of IPS is too good to pass over TN.

From what I've seen in Dragon Age Inquisition; it depends on what you want. If you plan on running games at max settings; staying around 60fps with a single GTX 970 may be somewhat challenging.

I see, Thank you.
 
I woud rather pay the 150$ now, they are only ``laying there if you understand^^
 
Its either gonna be 1 watercooled 980, or 2 aircooled 970`s.  I had 780Ti sli for a couple of weeks.had mine 780Ti, which is folding atm, and borrowed my dad`s card, had no problems with Sli issues as i play Bf4, Far cry etc.. Not smaller titles really.
 
Wouldent 970 sli give me a big advantage since i am getting a 144Hz monitor? G-synch though (and 1080P)
 
I woud def. not get another 980. So either single 980, dual 970, you still mean 980 is the best way to go now?
Saves me 150$ which i can use on a block for the 980. Thank you!
 
Hilsen Fra Kr.sand^^
 
 

Morphevz
 
From what I've seen in Dragon Age Inquisition; it depends on what you want. If you plan on running games at max settings; staying around 60fps with a single GTX 970 may be somewhat challenging.

I see. Looks like it will be GM200/210 for me then. I want to stay single if possible. Going to have to spend at least $350 on a GPU to get the mileage out of my new 4790k anyways.