There's a comprehensive article by Woosung Koh who spent a lot of time reviewing feedbacks, benchmarks, performance reviews and technical reviews for different GPUs and different brands.
Then he organized them in tiers for each GPU. Tier 1 is the best performance/price coefficient. Big kudos to him for hard work and research.
Full article may be found HERE.
BIOM Tech
Directed By Woosung Koh
Guides & Tutorials
GeForce GTX GPU's
GTX Titan X
Note: Excludes Criteria A & B
Author's Recommendation:
Tier 1
EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB HYBRID
Backplate: Yes / Years Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: EVGA Hybrid
EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB SuperClocked
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1127 Mhz / Cooling: SC Blower
Note: May Face Overheating Issues
Inno3D GeForce GTX Titan X iChill
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: Accelero Hybrid S
ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN X ArcticStorm
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1026 Mhz / Cooling: ArcticStorm Hybrid
Tier 2
Asus GTX TITANX-12GD5
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Zotac GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
MSI NTITAN X 12GD5
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Inno3D GeForce GTX Titan X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
GainWard GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Galax GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Colorful GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Palit GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
GTX 980 Ti
Author's Recommendation:
Spoiler
Tier 1
Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti STRIX OC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU III
Note: Outstanding Quality Components.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti Classified
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1190 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Outstanding Quality Components. Great Core Overclocking.
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti Amp! Extreme
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1253 Mhz / Cooling: Triple 90mm IceStorm
Note: Must Register Product 14 Days After Purchase To Receive An Additional Year Of Warranty. Better VRAM Overclocking Than STRIX OC.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti HYBRID
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1140 Mhz / Cooling: EVGA Hybrid
Note: Hose May Be Shorter Than Expected.
Tier 2
Inno3D GeForce GTX 980 Ti iChill
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Accelero Hybrid S
Note: Takes Up 3 PCI Slots. Excellent Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1190 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti Gaming 6G OC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Note: Excellent Cooling.
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti Amp! Omega
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Triple 90mm IceStorm
Customer's Warning: Takes Up 3 PCI Slots
Tier 3
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti SuperClocked+
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti OC 6GD
Blackplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti Amp!
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1051 Mhz / Cooling: Triple 90mm IceStorm
Inno3D GeForce GTX 980 Ti OC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1038 Mhz / Cooling: HerculeZ X3
GTX 980
Author's Recommendation:
Spoiler
Tier 1
Asus GeForce GTX 980 20th Anniversary Gold Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1317 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU II
Note: Outstanding Component Quality.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 KingPin
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1304Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Outstanding Component Quality.
Galax GeForce GTX 980 Hall Of Fame
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: Triple Force
Note: Excellent Core Overclocking.
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Amp! Extreme
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1291Mhz / Cooling: Triple-fan IceStorm w/ Carbon ExoArmor
Note: Great Core Overclocking.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1291 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Note: Outstanding Overclocking On Core & VRAM
Tier 2
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1253 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Note: Great Overclocking On Core & VRAM. Slightly Louder Than Other Models.
Inno3D GeForce GTX 980 HerculeZ X4
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: X4 Air Boss + A.P.C.S
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 FTW
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
PNY GeForce GTX 980 OC XLR8 Pro
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1228 Mhz / Cooling: XLR8 Pro
Note: Great Core Overclocking.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 SuperClocked
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Asus GeForce GTX 980 ROG MATRIX
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1241 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU II
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4G
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Asus GeForce GTX 980 POSEIDEN
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU H20
Note: Water Cooling Compatible. Slightly More Power Hungry Compared To Other Models.
Tier 3
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 OC 4GD
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1203 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Asus GeForce GTX 980 STRIX
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU II
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 ACX 2.0
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1126 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Amp!
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1165 Mhz / Cooling: Triple Fan Cooler
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4G LE
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
GTX 970
Author's Recommendation:
Tier 1
Galax GeForce GTX 970 Hall Of Fame
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1228 Mhz / Cooling: Triple Force
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW+
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Slightly Better Overclocking Than Amp! Extreme Core, Memory MOSFET Cooling Plate's Are Great Quality.
Zotac GeForce GTX 970 Amp! Extreme
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1203 Mhz / Cooling: Triple-fan IceStorm w/ Carbon ExoArmor
Note: Maximum Overclocking Is As Good Or Better Than The Amp! Extreme Core, This Is Recommended If The Price Of The Amp! Extreme < Amp! Extreme Core
Zotac GeForce GTX 970 Amp! Extreme Core
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1228 Mhz / Cooling: Triple-fan IceStorm w/ Carbon ExoArmor
Note: Maximum Overclock Is Not As Good As Hall Of Fame, Most Likely Because Component's Used Are Not As Excellent As The Hall Of Fame & The PCB Was Not As Top Quality As The Hall Of Fame
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Note: Does Not Overclock As Well As The FTW+, Slightly Louder Than Other Models, However It Is Still Very Quiet.
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1190 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Overclock's GPU Memory Much Better Than FTW, Almost Identical Quality To FTW+. Maximum Boost Clock Is Lower Than FTW.
Tier 2
Galax GeForce GTX 970 EXOC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1164 Mhz / Cooling: Silence Extreme
Note: Slightly Better Gaming Performance Compared To G1 Gaming Before Both Are Overclocked. Great Cooling.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1208 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Note: Excellent Cooling
Tier 3
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SuperClocked
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1165 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Note: Overclock's GPU Memory Much Better Than FTW, Almost Identical Quality To FTW+. Maximum Boost Clock After Overclocked Is Lower Than FTW.
Zotac GeForce GTX 970 Amp! Omega Core
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: Dual-fan IceStorm w/ ExoArmor
Note: Good VRAM Overclocking.
MSI GeForce GTX 970 100 Million Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1140 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Note: Basically MSI Gaming Edition + Backplate + Color Change
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4G
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1140 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Note: Hotter Core Compared To G1 Gaming. Good VRAM Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 OC 4GD
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1149 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Palit GeForce GTX 970 JetStream
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: JetStream
Note: Worse Overclocking Compared To SuperClocked. Build Quality Is Not Good.
Asus GeForce GTX 970 STRIX
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1114 Mhz / Cooling: DirectCU II
Note: Overclocks Slightly Less Than MSI Gaming 4G.
MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GD5T OC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: Armor 2X
Note: Components Are Solid, However Cooling On Everything Except Core Is Not As Good As Gaming 4G.
GTX 960
Author's Recommendation:
Spoiler
Note: Backplate Requirements Do Not Apply.
Tier 1
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 FTW+
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1304 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Great Quality, Great Component Cooling.
Palit GeForce GTX 960 Super Jetstream
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: Super Jetstream
Note: Great Core Overclocking. Great Memory Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Note: Great Core Clock After Overclocking. Great Memory Overclocking.
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Great Quality, Great Component Cooling.
PNY GeForce GTX 960 XLR8 Elite
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1304 Mhz / Cooling: Elite Dual Fan
Asus GeForce GTX 960 STRIX OC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1291 Mhz / Cooling: Dual Fan
Note: Great Core Overclocking, Great Memory Overclocking.
MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1241 Mhz / Cooling: TwinFrozr V
Note: Basically MSI Gaming 2G + Backplate.
MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1241 Mhz / Cooling: TwinFrozr V
Note: Great Core Overclocking, Great Memory Overclocking. Before Overclocking Perform Is Slightly Lacking Compared To Other Tier 1's.
AsusGeForce GTX 960 DC2OC Black Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: DirectCU II
Tier 2
Zotac GeForce GTX 960 Amp! Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: Dual Fan
Note: Good Power Efficiency. Poor Memory Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 WF 2GD
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 2X
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 OC 2GD Rev 1.0
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 2X
MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GD5T OC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Armor 2X
Then he organized them in tiers for each GPU. Tier 1 is the best performance/price coefficient. Big kudos to him for hard work and research.
Full article may be found HERE.
BIOM Tech
Directed By Woosung Koh
Guides & Tutorials
GeForce GTX GPU's
GTX Titan X
Note: Excludes Criteria A & B
Author's Recommendation:
Tier 1
EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB HYBRID
Backplate: Yes / Years Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: EVGA Hybrid
EVGA GeForce GTX Titan X 12GB SuperClocked
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1127 Mhz / Cooling: SC Blower
Note: May Face Overheating Issues
Inno3D GeForce GTX Titan X iChill
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: Accelero Hybrid S
ZOTAC GeForce GTX TITAN X ArcticStorm
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1026 Mhz / Cooling: ArcticStorm Hybrid
Tier 2
Asus GTX TITANX-12GD5
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Zotac GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
MSI NTITAN X 12GD5
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Inno3D GeForce GTX Titan X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
GainWard GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Galax GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Colorful GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
Palit GeForce GTX TITAN X
Backplate: Stock / Base Clock: 1000 Mhz / Cooling: Blower
GTX 980 Ti
Author's Recommendation:
Spoiler
Tier 1
Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti STRIX OC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU III
Note: Outstanding Quality Components.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti Classified
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1190 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Outstanding Quality Components. Great Core Overclocking.
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti Amp! Extreme
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1253 Mhz / Cooling: Triple 90mm IceStorm
Note: Must Register Product 14 Days After Purchase To Receive An Additional Year Of Warranty. Better VRAM Overclocking Than STRIX OC.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti HYBRID
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1140 Mhz / Cooling: EVGA Hybrid
Note: Hose May Be Shorter Than Expected.
Tier 2
Inno3D GeForce GTX 980 Ti iChill
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Accelero Hybrid S
Note: Takes Up 3 PCI Slots. Excellent Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1190 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti Gaming 6G OC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Note: Excellent Cooling.
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti Amp! Omega
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Triple 90mm IceStorm
Customer's Warning: Takes Up 3 PCI Slots
Tier 3
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti SuperClocked+
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti OC 6GD
Blackplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Ti Amp!
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1051 Mhz / Cooling: Triple 90mm IceStorm
Inno3D GeForce GTX 980 Ti OC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1038 Mhz / Cooling: HerculeZ X3
GTX 980
Author's Recommendation:
Spoiler
Tier 1
Asus GeForce GTX 980 20th Anniversary Gold Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1317 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU II
Note: Outstanding Component Quality.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 KingPin
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1304Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Outstanding Component Quality.
Galax GeForce GTX 980 Hall Of Fame
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: Triple Force
Note: Excellent Core Overclocking.
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Amp! Extreme
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1291Mhz / Cooling: Triple-fan IceStorm w/ Carbon ExoArmor
Note: Great Core Overclocking.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1291 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Note: Outstanding Overclocking On Core & VRAM
Tier 2
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1253 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Note: Great Overclocking On Core & VRAM. Slightly Louder Than Other Models.
Inno3D GeForce GTX 980 HerculeZ X4
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: X4 Air Boss + A.P.C.S
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 FTW
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
PNY GeForce GTX 980 OC XLR8 Pro
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1228 Mhz / Cooling: XLR8 Pro
Note: Great Core Overclocking.
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 SuperClocked
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Asus GeForce GTX 980 ROG MATRIX
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1241 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU II
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4G
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Asus GeForce GTX 980 POSEIDEN
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU H20
Note: Water Cooling Compatible. Slightly More Power Hungry Compared To Other Models.
Tier 3
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 OC 4GD
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1203 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Asus GeForce GTX 980 STRIX
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Direct CU II
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 ACX 2.0
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1126 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Zotac GeForce GTX 980 Amp!
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1165 Mhz / Cooling: Triple Fan Cooler
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4G LE
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
GTX 970
Author's Recommendation:
Tier 1
Galax GeForce GTX 970 Hall Of Fame
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1228 Mhz / Cooling: Triple Force
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW+
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Slightly Better Overclocking Than Amp! Extreme Core, Memory MOSFET Cooling Plate's Are Great Quality.
Zotac GeForce GTX 970 Amp! Extreme
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1203 Mhz / Cooling: Triple-fan IceStorm w/ Carbon ExoArmor
Note: Maximum Overclocking Is As Good Or Better Than The Amp! Extreme Core, This Is Recommended If The Price Of The Amp! Extreme < Amp! Extreme Core
Zotac GeForce GTX 970 Amp! Extreme Core
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1228 Mhz / Cooling: Triple-fan IceStorm w/ Carbon ExoArmor
Note: Maximum Overclock Is Not As Good As Hall Of Fame, Most Likely Because Component's Used Are Not As Excellent As The Hall Of Fame & The PCB Was Not As Top Quality As The Hall Of Fame
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Note: Does Not Overclock As Well As The FTW+, Slightly Louder Than Other Models, However It Is Still Very Quiet.
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1190 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Overclock's GPU Memory Much Better Than FTW, Almost Identical Quality To FTW+. Maximum Boost Clock Is Lower Than FTW.
Tier 2
Galax GeForce GTX 970 EXOC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1164 Mhz / Cooling: Silence Extreme
Note: Slightly Better Gaming Performance Compared To G1 Gaming Before Both Are Overclocked. Great Cooling.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1208 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Note: Excellent Cooling
Tier 3
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SuperClocked
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1165 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0
Note: Overclock's GPU Memory Much Better Than FTW, Almost Identical Quality To FTW+. Maximum Boost Clock After Overclocked Is Lower Than FTW.
Zotac GeForce GTX 970 Amp! Omega Core
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: Dual-fan IceStorm w/ ExoArmor
Note: Good VRAM Overclocking.
MSI GeForce GTX 970 100 Million Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1140 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Note: Basically MSI Gaming Edition + Backplate + Color Change
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4G
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1140 Mhz / Cooling: Twin Frozr V
Note: Hotter Core Compared To G1 Gaming. Good VRAM Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 OC 4GD
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1149 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Palit GeForce GTX 970 JetStream
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: JetStream
Note: Worse Overclocking Compared To SuperClocked. Build Quality Is Not Good.
Asus GeForce GTX 970 STRIX
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1114 Mhz / Cooling: DirectCU II
Note: Overclocks Slightly Less Than MSI Gaming 4G.
MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GD5T OC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1102 Mhz / Cooling: Armor 2X
Note: Components Are Solid, However Cooling On Everything Except Core Is Not As Good As Gaming 4G.
GTX 960
Author's Recommendation:
Spoiler
Note: Backplate Requirements Do Not Apply.
Tier 1
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 FTW+
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1304 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Great Quality, Great Component Cooling.
Palit GeForce GTX 960 Super Jetstream
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: Super Jetstream
Note: Great Core Overclocking. Great Memory Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 G1 Gaming
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 3X
Note: Great Core Clock After Overclocking. Great Memory Overclocking.
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: ACX 2.0+
Note: Great Quality, Great Component Cooling.
PNY GeForce GTX 960 XLR8 Elite
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1304 Mhz / Cooling: Elite Dual Fan
Asus GeForce GTX 960 STRIX OC
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1291 Mhz / Cooling: Dual Fan
Note: Great Core Overclocking, Great Memory Overclocking.
MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1241 Mhz / Cooling: TwinFrozr V
Note: Basically MSI Gaming 2G + Backplate.
MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1241 Mhz / Cooling: TwinFrozr V
Note: Great Core Overclocking, Great Memory Overclocking. Before Overclocking Perform Is Slightly Lacking Compared To Other Tier 1's.
AsusGeForce GTX 960 DC2OC Black Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1279 Mhz / Cooling: DirectCU II
Tier 2
Zotac GeForce GTX 960 Amp! Edition
Backplate: Yes / Base Clock: 1266 Mhz / Cooling: Dual Fan
Note: Good Power Efficiency. Poor Memory Overclocking.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 WF 2GD
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1152 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 2X
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 OC 2GD Rev 1.0
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1216 Mhz / Cooling: WindForce 2X
MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GD5T OC
Backplate: N/A / Base Clock: 1178 Mhz / Cooling: Armor 2X