999 i was hoping it wolud be 800 hope evga cheaper

Hope for the best, plan for the worst; but if anyone made the decision to get the best, it means they've accepted the costs.  nVidia knows that and why they charge so much for it:  There are enough people willing to spend $1000 and no reason for them to make it cheaper-- except if HD7990 outperform it for cheaper, like what GTX680 did to HD7970.  But since that isn't slated to appear until June, nVidia maintains a monopoly.
 
I figure if someone wants it badly enough, get it; but we're not buying the right to complain about the prices and options, we're trading it in.  We speak with our wallets and the only way any comapny will listen is to not buy their products, then they have to fight for our dollars by dropping prices.  But if we get it anyway, we're telling them the prices aren't a big deal to us.

/drool!
STEP UP HERE I COME! lol jk, I'll just get another GTX 680 SC Tri SLi.  But who know, when Nvidia drivers mature and performance could be "amazing."  The build quality looks freaking awsome.  According to Nvidia, this card is "it's not a graphics card for everyone." So...I don't think majority of the people would buy this card unless money is no object.  But I can assure you  when release date come, all GTX 690 will be OOS within a few minutes.  And people will start new post with (Edited out for language)

Welp.
 
I've put my Signature w/ Backplate up on amazon. Sadly a list price of $600 is necessary to recoup the $550 back after amazon takes its cut. 
 
I'm still not sure if I want to shell out either the ~$100 for the FTW 4G or $400 for the 690. Choices choices. 

Syan48306

Welp.

I've put my Signature w/ Backplate up on amazon. Sadly a list price of $600 is necessary to recoup the $550 back after amazon takes its cut. 

I'm still not sure if I want to shell out either the ~$100 for the FTW 4G or $400 for the 690. Choices choices. 

Wow...so what do you think you will go with?  I have to say, it looks, just based on what Nvidia is saying they really went to town in designing this 690 and it would seem it would take just a little OC to reach the same boost speed of a standard 680.  Then again, the 680 can also reach much higher.
 
I guess, for anyone that wanted to go 4-Way SLI, this might be a better way to go about it.  Cost is the same, but power usage, lower heat and pretty much the same performance would make this a win instead of 4x680 in SLI.    Right now, I am seriously considering getting 1 right now (well on Thursday) and in the future getting another one...I just hope that Nvidia gets drivers up to snuff to improve scaling of SLI.
 
Also intersting was the fact that they put that special chip for the built in SLI which is running at 3.0 spec.   All we need is Evga to put out a high flow bracket and I would say a chrome or black back plate would make this thing really great looking.
 

Syan48306

Man, if this was $850 or under, I'd be all over it but gosh, I didn't plan on actually picking up two GTX 680's. Or at least spending as much as two GTX 680's. 

The real thing that's killing me is the predicted GTX 685 - GK110 coming in at the end of this year. Having almost the same number of transistors, 4GB,  and 25% faster than a 680, priced at ~600-700. 

 
That is if it does come out this year.  I think the fact that they have not released the lower end cards yet, supply issues with the current 680's and now the 690's I really think they will wait for the big boy until next year..of course this depends on what AMD does..if they release a newer high end card, it would force Nvidia to respond.  
 

<-- sitting back and sipping a Margarita enjoying my ( 690 )
 
 

 

Syan48306

LOL what do you have squished in between those two cards? A sound card? 

LOL, the sound card is on the bottom, got to have my MTV!!!!!
 
Temp setup until the / if the FX-8170 is released or we convert to Intel again. I miss the days of PIP displays

And stable at 1275 mhz with noooo heat issues, I agree it aint pretty but it works.
 
 
 
 

so 3x 4gb 680 classifieds vs 2x gtx 690's? Which do yall think would be better for 2560x1600 gaming?

Since the 690 is going to be a reference card would you be able to step up from a 680 reference to a 690?  It seems like it would be something that would be possible being that typically EVGA's step up is reference to reference.
 
 

Syan48306

hawk269

Since the 690 is going to be a reference card would you be able to step up from a 680 reference to a 690?  It seems like it would be something that would be possible being that typically EVGA's step up is reference to reference.

While true, their condition is that the card can't be an ultra rare card that has limited quantities, which probably is exactly what the 690 is. 

Nvidia already stated that this is not a one time deal card that they will be producing the card for well over 1 year.  So it is not a limited edition or a while supplies last thing.  I am suprised that EVGA, Jacob in particular has not started his "Introducing the EVGA 690" thread...

590 all over again. The 590 experience sucked so bad I had to return them. Card "looks cool," but I would never go this dual gpu route ever, ever again.

Syan48306
The real thing that's killing me is the predicted GTX 685 - GK110 coming in at the end of this year. Having almost the same number of transistors, 4GB,  and 25% faster than a 680, priced at ~600-700. 

 
It will be more than $600 to $700.00...
 

yapchagi
I hereby pronounce the death of AMD!

 
Pre-mature announcments much?
 

timbo1130
so 3x 4gb 680 classifieds vs 2x gtx 690's? Which do yall think would be better for 2560x1600 gaming?

 
I would go with the 3-way SLI 680 Classified over the 2-way SLI 690 setup.  One, you will have better scaling and less driver crashes with a 3-way SLI setup.  Two, at the moment, you don't know the limitations and "herp-derps" of the card.  It could be the 590s all over again.  Three, 3-way SLI 680s is cheaper and better performance than 2-way SLI 690s--unless 3rd-party benchmarks say otherwise specifically for 2-way SLI 690s.
 
Either will give you what you want: Play at max digital resolution and have the highest settings for PC games.  The real important question is going to be how much are you willing to invest in the current "flavor of the months," and how will you handle spending less than $2500.00 for 2 690s when you hear, in theory, GK110 685s and 695s are going to be released in 4 to 12 months from now?  You're either going to wait for something better, or get what you can and suffer the feelings of not having the latest and greatest tech in the long run...

I could be wrong but I seriously dont expect a new single gpu flagship to be released for at least a year. I will also say there is always something better coming through the pipes. I figure If I keep waiting for the next big thing 6 to 12 months away i would never upgrade.