What products qualify for the Step-Up program?
You can unlock the Step-Up option for any Limited Lifetime Warranty or most 3 Year Warranty products as long as it meets the conditions listed below. Once the Step-Up option is unlocked, you will have 90 days from the original purchase date for your product to start the upgrade process through the EVGA website. Once the Step-up process is started you will receive a confirmation email.

• Register your Limited Lifetime Warranty product purchased new from an authorized reseller within 90 days of your original purchase date.
• Register your qualifying 3 Year Warranty product purchased new from an authorized reseller within 14 days of your original purchase date.
  • If you should happen to miss your 14 day registration window on your qualifying 3 Year Warranty product then you may also purchase an extended warranty within 90 days of your original purchase date to enable the Step-Up option.
  • Don't worry, your Extended Warranty and Advanced RMA (EAR) purchases now transfers to your new Step-Up product!
• The EVGA Step-Up program is currently only available to residents of the United States, Canada, and EU Countries.

 
Link to page quoted:    http://www.evga.com/support/stepup/

So, I just found out about the ASIC value… What is it and does it change? Mine is 59.2% (right now? GPU-Z 0.8.1)… Thoughts? Advice?

levifig
So, I just found out about the ASIC value… What is it and does it change? Mine is 59.2% (right now? GPU-Z 0.8.1)… Thoughts? Advice?

 
It won't spontaneously get higher, it will stay 59.2% .  The only thing this should have an effect on if the GPU Boost feature, that boosts it beyond stock or specified clocks.  
 
The lower the ASIC Quality, the better it is for extreme cooling, but doesn't help out on air cooling.  In the past, it seemed more of a number to give reason to complain, but lately, the higher the Asic, the higher GPU Boost 2.0 will push the card part the stock specified boost clocks.

Sadly they make that bad price . Now i need RMA for my card ( it can't make the base clock ).
Its my first EVGA card but im disappointent with it. Its a technical fail .

Aah NVM I can't do a step up. Was probably to late with registering my product on the website. Owned it for more than 14 days before I did so.

sahafiec

Dondar
Is there a huge diffrence?
I've only got my 970 FTW for 2 months. And I bought a backplate for it. Putting my total price at €430 including shippings.
So now I'm wondering....Would it actualy be an upgrade to step up to the FTW+ or should I just say with my FTW?

it is an upgrade technically but it may not be for you financially.
 
FTW+ has a better cooler, 6 phase power, vrm and ram cooling front plate, higher power target and comes with a backplate.
 
to upgrade from FTW to FTW+ over EVGA EU costs you 34€ not including shipping and local taxes.
to make it short, it is an upgrade technically but it does not deserve the price tag by any means.

Thanks!
I just noticed I registered my FTW to late so I'm not eligible for the set-up!
But after reading your opinion about it, it think that the extra cost of buying the backplate and getting a new unit shipped is more than it's worth to me ^^
Could have almost bought a 980 with all the money I would have paid extra!
 
Still thinking of getting the FTW+ to run in SLI with my normal FTW :p

Scarlet-Tech

levifig
So, I just found out about the ASIC value… What is it and does it change? Mine is 59.2% (right now? GPU-Z 0.8.1)… Thoughts? Advice?

It won't spontaneously get higher, it will stay 59.2% .  The only thing this should have an effect on if the GPU Boost feature, that boosts it beyond stock or specified clocks.  
 
The lower the ASIC Quality, the better it is for extreme cooling, but doesn't help out on air cooling.  In the past, it seemed more of a number to give reason to complain, but lately, the higher the Asic, the higher GPU Boost 2.0 will push the card part the stock specified boost clocks.

sahafiec
well, the higher the better generally. it affects the boost clock for sure.
also it affects more or less the voltage you need for OC'ing the card maybe even the clocks it will be capable of.
 
here is a useful thread with FTW ASIC quality and boost clocks, just as an idea:
http://forums.evga.com/GT...t-Clocks-m2261389.aspx
 
59.2% is really not impressive, my FTW has 76.5% and I never saw a FTW below 60%.
to make it short: it's not a deal breaker but it could be a limiting factor in some aspects.

Soooo… in the silica lottery, I drew the short stick, aye? :(

Dang it, I just got the FTW.  Amazon doesn't show the FTW+.

Has anyone else been in the step up queue to an FTW+ for a week or more now? Mines still on step one. I'm guessing EVGA just received a lot of step-up requests to the FTW+.

Premise
Has anyone else been in the step up queue to an FTW+ for a week or more now? Mines still on step one. I'm guessing EVGA just received a lot of step-up requests to the FTW+.

Been in the Step up since it was allowed to go to the FTW+........It will be awhile.....

Aberration79
Just read up on the step-up.  At least I won't have to send my original card in first.  So I will be able to use to until the FTW+ arrives.

UGH, dang you Amazon.  I would have just gotten the FTW+.  I should have tried to look elsewhere I guess, but I used my airline miles for these Amazon gift cards LOL.

You need to read up on it again......Highlighted some items
 
How does the EVGA Step-Up process work?
There are several steps to the Step-Up program. Because we require that you send your original product to EVGA first, we have instituted a process that makes sure you have the least amount of downtime possible. Once you have gotten through the queue, approval and payment phases, you can send your product in to EVGA and once we receive it we will turn it around as quickly as possible. Shipping both directions will be your responsibility.

Stepping through the Step-Up

1. Register your valid product within 90 days from your original purchase
   1. If your qualifying product has a 3 year warranty purchased on or after 3/1/2013 and registered within 14 days of the invoice date by the original owner from an authorized reseller, then you will receive the option to step-up for the first 90 days of ownership.
   2. If your qualifying product has a 3 year warranty purchased on or after 1/1/11 and registered after 14 days of the original purchase date you must also purchase an extended warranty in order to be qualified for the step-up program.
2. Upload a copy of your invoice
3. Request to start your Step-Up within 90 days of your original purchase from your product detail page
   1. Navigate to My Products under Member Home
   2. Click on View Details of the product
   3. If your product qualifies, you will see the option to start your Step-Up
4. Wait in queue until approval - this step can last from a few days to many weeks depending on demand
5. EVGA will review your request and you will be approved if you have met the terms and conditions
6. You will have 7 days to pay for the difference between the two products, plus return shipping and applicable taxes, after you have been approved
7. You will be instructed to send your product in and you will have 14 business days to do so after your payment is verified
8. When EVGA receives your product, we will return your new in box upgrade
9. EVGA will automatically register your product so you will receive the full warranty on your Step-Up (as of 1/1/11)
   • Any product auto-registered will have its Extended Warranty transferred automatically.
10. You will receive your product shipped via the shipping option you chose and paid for - game on!

You will receive detailed emails at every step to instruct what must be done to continue. All Step-Up requests must go through this exact process, you may not purchase the new product and send your original product back for a refund afterward.
 
 
Link to Step up:  http://www.evga.com/support/stepup/

howdy2u2
Step up stuff

Dang it!  Well I guess I got 90 days.  I suppose I can wait for the demand to die down.  But then again you don't have to ship while you wait in the queue.  I travel a lot for work, so I won't mind missing the card honestly.

Send it back and buy it from newegg. There is that much of a difference. 
 

Aberration79
Dang it, I just got the FTW.  Amazon doesn't show the FTW+.

Since I'd feel bad replacing the 2 week old FTW my mom got me, I think I am going to buy a seperate 970 ftw+ to SLI, but then my OCD tells me that theyre not the same card... great... lol.

Yammyb3
Since I'd feel bad replacing the 2 week old FTW my mom got me, I think I am going to buy a seperate 970 ftw+ to SLI, but then my OCD tells me that theyre not the same card... great... lol.

FYI the 'old' cards (anything that isn't the new 3975 SSC or the 3978 FTW+) can not SLI with the new 3975 SSC or the 3978 FTW+. http://forums.evga.com/FT...-Chris-B-m2283661.aspx