For those curious about the specifics of the FTW+ from EVGA's site:
"http://www.evga.com/Products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=57B6AE9A-4D41-43E4-9C2A-250A540C769D"
 
The GTX 970 FTW+ part number will be 04G-P4-3978-KR
 
Also, this picture shows the new heat-pipe design:
"http://static.evga.com/articles/00892/images/features/shp.png"
 
I just called EVGA customer support asking about stepping up from a GTX 970 FTW (which I purchased just over 2 weeks ago) to the new FTW+ and all I was told is that you can't step up the same GPU... Looking at the step-up website there isn't even a listing for the FTW+ yet and there is no pricing yet, so I sure do hope the person I spoke with was basing his answer on that current info.
 
EVGA MUST offer step-up from a FTW to the FTW+. For heaven's sake the new SSC now outperforms the current FTW model. As a consumer, it's a slap in the face to release a "newer" version of the same product (that is not even that old btw) and tout its improvements when in reality it is just what the original FTW should have been.
 
EVGA, please do the right thing and allow FTW owners to step-up to the ultimate 970 card (FTW+) they thought they were originally buying.

Blanco111
I just learned about this today. Being that the three Evga 970 super clocked gpu's I bought at the end of December, may be eligible for a "step up" has me wondering how this might work.  How would I even find out if evga was, in fact, offering such a deal.  Should I save all the original packaging?  Could I send them back, each of the tree, separately.  That way my computer could always have a gpu to ten on the computer. 

From what I know, each card is eligible for a step-up within 90 days of your purchase date so long as you either registered each within 14 days of their purchase date or paid for an extended warranty on each if not registered. After registering, when you're ready, there is a form to fill out to step-up each and a list of cards to step-up to (as well as the difference in price you will have to pay). Each card can be sent in separately and it would be a good idea to save your packaging, although I suggest really waiting it out until near the end of your step-up time frame to see if anything even better becomes available. Hope this helps and if not, see EVGA's step-up page for more info.  

SpecialForces54
For those curious about the specifics of the FTW+ from EVGA's site:
"http://www.evga.com/Products/Specs/GPU.aspx?pn=57B6AE9A-4D41-43E4-9C2A-250A540C769D"
 
The GTX 970 FTW+ part number will be 04G-P4-3978-KR
 
Also, this picture shows the new heat-pipe design:
"http://static.evga.com/articles/00892/images/features/shp.png"
 
I just called EVGA customer support asking about stepping up from a GTX 970 FTW (which I purchased just over 2 weeks ago) to the new FTW+ and all I was told is that you can't step up the same GPU... Looking at the step-up website there isn't even a listing for the FTW+ yet and there is no pricing yet, so I sure do hope the person I spoke with was basing his answer on that current info.
 
EVGA MUST offer step-up from a FTW to the FTW+. For heaven's sake the new SSC now outperforms the current FTW model. As a consumer, it's a slap in the face to release a "newer" version of the same product (that is not even that old btw) and tout its improvements when in reality it is just what the original FTW should have been.
 
EVGA, please do the right thing and allow FTW owners to step-up to the ultimate 970 card (FTW+) they thought they were originally buying.

100% These are my feelings, EVGA, please offer a step up from the original FTW to the FTW+ (You can charge the difference in price if the FTW+ are $10-20 more) I seriously feel slapped in the face as these + features were what I expected of the original FTW. It would appear that it is unanimous of the original FTW owners that a step up would fix any misunderstandings and amend ties. Loyal customers are getting hurt, but you can still fix it. I felt like I got a sub par product when I opted for the best revision, and now the SSC out performs me.

Can we step up from FTW to SSC?

Danjustynchiong
Can we step up from FTW to SSC?

According to EVGA_JacobF's twitter link on the first page, I believe so. 

They never offered the step-up from the Classified to the Classified K|ngp|n and no one demanded it. People should be happy a company is offering any step up option at all. I understand the ftw+ is what everyone wanted initially, but they definitely aren't required to give it to you just because the new one is better. Please keep that in mind.

Now, if they do offer the step up, I hope it is before time runs out for most of you. I am not against them offering it, I am just against people demanding that any company offer something they don't have to.

I wish that Dodge would have let me step up from a Ram 1500 to a 2500 while taking what I paid for the 1500 off the 2500. I mean, the 2500 is what I wanted, but the 1500 came out first.

Danjustynchiong
Can we step up from FTW to SSC?

I am almost certain you can.  I spoke to EVGA today.  They said I could step up from my old style SSC to the new one.  Since I paid more than the new SSC is listed for I will only need to pay the shipping.  I am holding out for the FTW+ for another 24 days, but this is my contingency plan.

@Scarlet-Tech,
 
I do agree that EVGA doesn't have to do what its customers demand, but from a product line-up standpoint they have introduced a serious problem into their GTX 970 line. In no way should a FTW branded 970 be outperformed by a SSC given the additional money the customer has paid for the card and the obvious marketing that a FTW branded model is supposed to be the most top-end 970 offered. The FTW+ version is now trying to remedy this problem (as well as the other issues with the original FTW, such as insufficient power draw to sustain the advertised boost clock speeds under typical gaming load).
 
Obviously we are going to be irked that EVGA may opt to not allow us current FTW owners (many of which who have not even had the product for 90 days) to pay for their extended warranties and pay for the difference in price for the "new" model. If anything, the step-up program generates MORE revenue for the company, increases brand loyalty, and an overall positive customer attitude.
 
The real kicker in this whole thing is the timeframe with which this is all happening. Given the original FTW model took longer than expected to purchase, many of us held out to buy the best and now there's already a replacement - quite literally a handful of weeks after the initial launch.
 
By the way, thank you very much for your service, Scarlet-Tech... one more year until I'll be an active Aviation officer.

Imagine if you recieved your "Ram 1500" with it being the best Ram available at the time and you had high expectations for it. When you recieved it, it seemed clunky and awkward, the engine made strange noises (coil whine) and it overall had issues (throttling, temp issues on memory, power limit being hit) and then they released the Ram 1500+ which fixed the engine overheating, increased the horsepower on the engine, and other significant improvements all at the same price. Best of all, it released 3 months later, only a month after you purchased your Ram 1500. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Overclocking the FTW 970 has been an atrocious experience for me, especially since it's supposed to be the top card for that purpose. It almost seems as if we were guinea pigs to make the correct 970 FTW, I'm only asking them to make it right by letting us step up to the FIXED FTW which should have been how the original FTW was at launch. Everywhere you browse, everyone will tell you to stay away from EVGA's 970, fun to hear when you bought that card.. They now have a fixed card that's not riddled with issues. It really feels like a slap in the face when early adopters, customers loyal to EVGA, got a subpar product which was supposed to be of the highest class (FTW) now being outperformed by the lower class (new SSC). Price points have not changed much if at all, the time period between releases has been short, this isn't a nvidia Ti thing, this is solely a revision in the manufacturers design that has fixed issues based on customer feedback, sounds like a total recall in the car industry right? If your ram 1500 had issues, and they fixed it UNDER the same name, it sounds like the significant changes they made would call for a recall to be in order. All I want is to be able to step-up my FTW to the FTW+ so that I can have confidence when I purchase my next graphics card from EVGA that I am recieving a reliable product from an amazing company.

While, I do not disagree with your sentiment Megurine, that kind of thing happens in the automotive world all the time.