At over half a grand for a graphics card : I think I'll be happy to miss out.

Ive heard the founders edition throttles, so I think I would prefer the non-reference cards

1. These 'Founders Edition' cards are an early adopter tax. In the past, they cost less than nearly all non-reference designs. They are limited by insufficient cooling and power supply. Nvidia decided they could charge £90 over RRP because they are so dominant in the market. This is an extreme example of price gouging, and should not be rewarded.
2. Nvidia's launches follow a formula. The x80 card (780, 980, 1080) Is always released first. They can charge a great deal because it is marginally faster than anything else on the market. Shortly after, the x70 is released, and we see it has will be 85% of the performance, at 60% of the cost. Then it's another couple of months before the x80ti card is released, which is 40% faster than the original x80, for 15% more cost. The x80 then receives a price cut.
The 1070 will be released on June 15. Reviews will arrive tomorrow - I've already read one, and indeed, the 1080 is only slightly (15%) faster. It's more than fast enough for very high frame rates at 1440p in AAA games. The specifications for the 1080ti have also leaked, and unlike the 1080, it looks as though it may be the first card to crack 60fps at 4k. The RRP has already been set at ~20% over this 1080 card.
3. Are you getting the message? EARLY ADOPTER TAX.
For anyone interested in slightly cheaper offerings, AMD are announcing details of the 'Polaris' launch in the next couple of days. These cards should be significantly cheaper than the 1070, and not far behind in AAA 1440p gaming. Indeed, AMD has a massive major price-power advantage in DX12 games, such as Hitman, and the forthcoming Battlefield One.
The real reason to wait for AMD is that they support the Vesa Adaptive Sync / Freesync standard monitors, whereas Nvidia gouge another £200+ out of you for a gsync capable monitor. There is little difference in practice between the two standards. What is Adaptive Sync/Freesync/GSync? It's where the graphics card and monitor alter the refresh rate of the screen on the fly. If you've ever tried gaming without standard Vsync enabled, you'll know that when your frame rate rises beyond the refresh rate, you get tearing. If you enable Vsync, then if the frame rate dips, you get stuttering. Vesa Adaptive/Freesync/Gsync minimize both problems. It can transform your gaming experience. Gsync may be a little more capable, but the price is extortionate, choice is limited, and it limits the number of inputs on the monitor... and then you are tied to Nvidia. Freesync/VESA Adaptive Sync started off some way behind, but has improved substantially and now produces excellent results. IBM and others are adopting this standard, and we can expect it to be very common in future devices. Whereas, it's just a matter of time before Nvidia have to adopt the VESA standard to remain competitive. All they have to do is rewrite a driver. All that's stopping them is the desire to maximise GSync royalties before they inevitably cave in.


They can do this, just like they can charge £100 extra for an inferior card, just like they can sell the same people a 1080, then have them upgrade to a 1080ti, because they have briefly achieved market dominance. I'm not saying don't buy their stuff - I'm saying, beware the price gouging, and bear in mind the market will look very different in 3 months time. Check the relative price-performance of these things, and if at all possible, wait a couple of months for this market to settle down.

Or you could get a non-throttling EVGA GTX 1080 SC with the ACX 3.0 cooler for £580 from Ebuyer.
Even if you get the TCB, the 3rd party coolers are well worth the extra money.
They have an estimated delivery date of 30th of June, but I think this is just because they don't know the exact date they will arrive. I reckon it will be long before that.

I just ordered one :sunglasses: .

I'm seeing 10.6% at TCB for Currys (http://www.topcashback.co.uk/currys/) which would make the cashback around £65, not £99. Am I missing something?

Ive heard the founders edition throttles, so I think I would prefer the non-reference cards

Dread to think what the Ti card is going to cost (£850-£1000?) :disappointed:

10.6% here as well
remember cashback is never guaranteed
(although I once go it off Currys even when I returned the item!)

it will be 10.6 for classic members and 11% for plus members.

+ 5% for this bank holiday.

it will be 10.6 for classic members and 11% for plus members.

+ 5% for this bank holiday.
The gtx 980ti was released roughly at the same price. Dont think it will come out too soon though.

A shame they don't have the ASUS Strix, which is supposedly the better card right now.

I'm tempted to try the tcb with the htc vive but I don't trust tcb
I've never had any of my claims approved and tcb is completely unhelpful
Edit : moot point anyway it's only on graphics cards