ZeroBANG
i have a additional question:  
according to "TechPower Up" (article)   
"It" [EVGA] "plans to replace the current SC, FTW, and possibly Classified series graphics cards from its product stack, with these new cards."  
 
and:  
"Apparently, the company has redesigned the PCBs of its top-tier GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 cards from the ground up"  
 
 
So, if i keep my GTX1080 FTW, and IF there is not going to be a step up program to replace it (one that is NOT limited by some 3 month after purchase technicality that would screw me over instantly)... will i be able to buy a GTX 1080 FTW 2 in a year or two and operate these 2 "entirely different cards" in SLI ?  
 
Because if the 1080 FTW is discontinued (as the article states) and i can't buy it anymore in a Shop, then that isn't only eating away from the resale value, but also effectively kills the upgrade path via SLI within the next few months?  
...or not?  
 
 
If EVGA would not call this a "2" then that would be less of an issue for me.  
Call it 1080 FTW iCX Edition or whatever. "2" means the "(1)" is outdated / had issues and when i want to sell it in a year or two then everyone will want the version 2.  
It is also bad marketing on EVGA's part, because it just brings back the by now almost forgotten Thermal Pad discussion and any new customer will ask "why is there a 2 on this? was there something wrong with version 1?" and a short google later they will also be informed of the issues and maybe even shy away from a purchase in fear of further problems... and if they find a ton of angry customers of the old card who got left behind that will just cement their decision to not go with EVGA.  
Call it something else, silently phase out the ACX 3.0 and RMA any (actually defective) ACX 3.0 with the iCX version and be done with it, just don't call it "2"... that is just rubbing me in all the wrong ways.  
 
...also my GPU heatsink does indeed sag away from the PCB, the PCB is sitting 100% straight in the slot but the 1080FTW RGB LED logo and the heatsink are sagging away ever so slightly... it looks odd on pictures and technically it increases the gap between PCB and Heatsink which means the supplied thermal pads are possibly still having a gap (look at the last 3 pictures of my Ghetto Pad Mod...).  

Scarlet-Tech

wmmills
I think what EVGA may be trying to convey with that slogan is this: EVGA was founded on and catered to enthusiasts. Most of us, especially years ago, as soon as we get our gcards we take them apart and set them up "properly" and they know that and are ok with it. That's pretty amazing in and of itself! We all use gaming/idle/load gcard profiles setup on enthusiast software which most likely your novice may not even know of. After the last "incident" took off like it did, because the net is great for making mountains out of mole hills, I think it made them look more carefully at there now much larger, more diversified audience and realize that they need to maybe make something that is a little more buttoned up, foolproof and not susceptible to uninformed human error/accident/excitability. They are pretty much telling there more novice customers that we addressed your concerns, have prototyped the cards to reflect that and want to work with you and calm your fears. For a company on there level to listen and react positively with there product for there community is pretty darn amazing. Try to get MSI, ASUS, ASROCK, Biostar etc.... to do anything remotely similar and youll be waiting a long time, if ever to see it. EVGA are well liked by the enthusiast community for a reason and they didn't get there overnight. Believe me, if EVGA did something malicious and wrong id be the first one to organize the lynching, but in this case I didn't see any component, when measured properly, running out of spec even in the worst torture tests. A few caps blew?!?! So what! That's been happening since gcards were first made. It happens. If anything EVGA may need to look at the contracted manufacturing companys plant for component quality control maybe, but really were not seeing any numbers that are all that remarkable and they use high quality components where ever they are needed on the crucial parts of the pcb's at the very least. They def do not appear guilty.... they appear, once again, to be listening and reacting to please a portion of the community. We all benefit from that and its not a bad thing. They did the same thing for the Kingpin cards and the ASIC ratings and they will continue to do it to please there customers, although you certainly cannot please them ALL unfortunately. EVGA will continue to evolve, just like every other tech company, and your product will be left behind much sooner then you think. Its the law of the tech jungle and if you stay you must get used to that.   

Very well said.

bobmitch

Scarlet-Tech

wmmills
I think what EVGA may be trying to convey with that slogan is this: EVGA was founded on and catered to enthusiasts. Most of us, especially years ago, as soon as we get our gcards we take them apart and set them up "properly" and they know that and are ok with it. That's pretty amazing in and of itself! We all use gaming/idle/load gcard profiles setup on enthusiast software which most likely your novice may not even know of. After the last "incident" took off like it did, because the net is great for making mountains out of mole hills, I think it made them look more carefully at there now much larger, more diversified audience and realize that they need to maybe make something that is a little more buttoned up, foolproof and not susceptible to uninformed human error/accident/excitability. They are pretty much telling there more novice customers that we addressed your concerns, have prototyped the cards to reflect that and want to work with you and calm your fears. For a company on there level to listen and react positively with there product for there community is pretty darn amazing. Try to get MSI, ASUS, ASROCK, Biostar etc.... to do anything remotely similar and youll be waiting a long time, if ever to see it. EVGA are well liked by the enthusiast community for a reason and they didn't get there overnight. Believe me, if EVGA did something malicious and wrong id be the first one to organize the lynching, but in this case I didn't see any component, when measured properly, running out of spec even in the worst torture tests. A few caps blew?!?! So what! That's been happening since gcards were first made. It happens. If anything EVGA may need to look at the contracted manufacturing companys plant for component quality control maybe, but really were not seeing any numbers that are all that remarkable and they use high quality components where ever they are needed on the crucial parts of the pcb's at the very least. They def do not appear guilty.... they appear, once again, to be listening and reacting to please a portion of the community. We all benefit from that and its not a bad thing. They did the same thing for the Kingpin cards and the ASIC ratings and they will continue to do it to please there customers, although you certainly cannot please them ALL unfortunately. EVGA will continue to evolve, just like every other tech company, and your product will be left behind much sooner then you think. Its the law of the tech jungle and if you stay you must get used to that.   

Very well said.

+1 on all this.  Plus...remember, that even though the ACX is changing to ICX...doesn't mean capacitors won't blow.  As Gamersnexus reported...the issue with the 1080 FTW wasn't the cooler, it was faulty capacitors.  I have had one card blow on me...years ago...an ATI 9800.  Plugged it in first day...turned on my computer...heard a loud crackle noise...and smelled the most awful smell imaginable.  Sending the card back to ATI for RMA was a real treat, at the time.  Everything had to clear customs into Canada...and then wait for everything to clear returning.  I was out a card for over a month.  EVGA is a pure delight and has been for a long time for me.  They have always been fair and timely as well.  As wmmills said...if EVGA was trying to cover up...many of us would speak out.  I think it is the factory in China who deserves scrutiny for using faulty parts in new cards.  There is no way to know until things happen.

Tzeh-Pesh

bobmitch
Plus...remember, that even though the ACX is changing to ICX...doesn't mean capacitors won't blow.  As Gamersnexus reported...the issue with the 1080 FTW wasn't the cooler, it was faulty capacitors. 

Don't mean to be facetious, am genuinely curious... was there ever anything on whether performance or reliability of capacitors is impacted by temperature? Given the positioning of some of the ones that blew perhaps leading to people thinking it was the VRM in the first place, if you have a bad batch of capacitors can't imagine having them near components transferring high temperatures to the board helping?

NucleusX
http://www.tomshardware.c...cooling-icx,33387.html

LFaWolfI did think about switching to a Cooler Master HAF-XB case so they will sit upright and not sag due to gravity. Something for you to consider.

Heini2

LFaWolfI did think about switching to a Cooler Master HAF-XB case so they will sit upright and not sag due to gravity. Something for you to consider.

 
I've been using a HAF-XB EVO for a few years and EVGA GPU's. Several of the 980 series warped and one 1080 SC did too. It's not gravity causing the problem.

wmmills
wmmills
I think what EVGA may be trying to convey with that slogan is this: EVGA was founded on and catered to enthusiasts. Most of us, especially years ago, as soon as we get our gcards we take them apart and set them up "properly" and they know that and are ok with it. That's pretty amazing in and of itself! We all use gaming/idle/load gcard profiles setup on enthusiast software which most likely your novice may not even know of. After the last "incident" took off like it did, because the net is great for making mountains out of mole hills, I think it made them look more carefully at there now much larger, more diversified audience and realize that they need to maybe make something that is a little more buttoned up, foolproof and not susceptible to uninformed human error/accident/excitability. They are pretty much telling there more novice customers that we addressed your concerns, have prototyped the cards to reflect that and want to work with you and calm your fears. For a company on there level to listen and react positively with there product for there community is pretty darn amazing. Try to get MSI, ASUS, ASROCK, Biostar etc.... to do anything remotely similar and youll be waiting a long time, if ever to see it. EVGA are well liked by the enthusiast community for a reason and they didn't get there overnight. Believe me, if EVGA did something malicious and wrong id be the first one to organize the lynching, but in this case I didn't see any component, when measured properly, running out of spec even in the worst torture tests. A few caps blew?!?! So what! That's been happening since gcards were first made. It happens. If anything EVGA may need to look at the contracted manufacturing companys plant for component quality control maybe, but really were not seeing any numbers that are all that remarkable and they use high quality components where ever they are needed on the crucial parts of the pcb's at the very least. They def do not appear guilty.... they appear, once again, to be listening and reacting to please a portion of the community. We all benefit from that and its not a bad thing. They did the same thing for the Kingpin cards and the ASIC ratings and they will continue to do it to please there customers, although you certainly cannot please them ALL unfortunately. EVGA will continue to evolve, just like every other tech company, and your product will be left behind much sooner then you think. Its the law of the tech jungle and if you stay you must get used to that.   

Scarlet-Tech

dmoheban
Release date anyone??

Nope. Not yet. We all have to wait until evga makes an announcement.

warrior10
Jacob said on his own Facebook or more likely that Link to the Twitter page, that to expect them 'Februarish', something like that word lol. That's he said, not me on that word heheh. Unless EVGA changed their timing which i wouldn't doubt.