Jacked-Up: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX Cooling

Performance Summary: The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling is the highest performing single-GPU powered graphics card we have tested to date. Although its GK110 GPU has fewer active CUDA cores and texture units than a GeForce GTX Titan, the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling's higher clocks allowed it to overtake the Titan's performance more often than not. The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling also clearly outpaced the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition. Only the dual-GPU powered (and more expensive) GeForce GTX 690 and Radeon HD 7990 were able to put up higher frame rates than the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling.


The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX Cooling

As we mentioned in the conclusion of our launch article from last week, we really like the GeForce GTX 780. It's pricey, no doubt about it, but for $350 less than a GeForce GTX Titan, you can have a card that's almost as fast and offers virtually the same feature set to gamers. The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling, however, takes everything good about the GeForce GTX 780 and enhances it with a custom cooler that not only performs very well, but is quiet and looks great too. Although we can't say for certain without some long-terms testing, the dual-ball bearing fans used on the ACX cooler should also last longer than models with sleeve bearings too. The EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling is also nicely overclockable and includes some fun stuff in its accessory bundle. Perhaps best of all, the additional performance offered by the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling only marginally increases its price. This card can be had for $659--only $10 more than a reference model. We have yet to review any other custom GeForce GTX 780 cards from NVIDIA's other key AIB partners, but as it stands today, the EVGA GeForce GTX 780 SC with ACX cooling is the card we'd buy if we had the funds for a high-end GPU at this price point.

  • Extreme Performance
  • Quiet Cooling
  • Overclockable
  • Expensive
  • No GeForce GTX LED

Marco Chiappetta

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com

Related content