RTX 3090 for 3D Rendering: Gigabyte Gaming OC vs. Galax/KFA2 Hall of Fame (HOF)?
Posted by ciulas@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 7 comments
Hi everyone, I’m currently looking to upgrade my workstation for 3D graphics and rendering. I’ve decided on an RTX 3090 because I absolutely need that 24GB of VRAM for heavy scenes. In my local market, the RTX 4090 is still 2.5x to 3x more expensive than a used 3090, which I simply cannot justify at the moment.
I’ve narrowed my choices down to two specific models and would love to hear from anyone who has long-term experience with them:
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Gaming OC Pros: It comes with a 2-year statutory warranty, which gives me some peace of mind. Concerns: I’ve read mixed reviews about thermal pad quality and VRAM temperatures on this specific model.
Galax / KFA2 RTX 3090 Hall of Fame (HOF) Pros: It’s obviously a top-tier enthusiast card with great VRMs and cooling. Concerns: It only comes with a 1-year warranty. Since this card will be running heavy rendering tasks (often for hours), reliability and thermals are my top priorities.
For Gigabyte owners: How are your VRAM temps holding up during rendering? Did you have to replace the thermal pads? For HOF owners: Is the superior build quality worth the risk of a shorter warranty period?
Are there any "red flags" I should know about for either of these cards?
I’d appreciate any insights or advice you can share! Thanks in advance.
joaosump@reddit
Did you go for the Gigabyte one? Also thinking of getting one but vram temps kinda scare me
ciulas@reddit (OP)
Managed to get MSI Rtx 3090 SuprimX at a reasonable price. The temps are kind of average. Vram above 80 degrees but can be lowered by placing a fan on the backplate. If you want lower temps rtx 3090 ti should be a better choice but it's rather hard to find.
IrrelevantTale@reddit
There 3090 is a great at cooling. As long as it does hit 75c plus for hours on end it should be fine. I have a turbo model running a local Ai all day and its temps are fine.
ciulas@reddit (OP)
How's the experience with turbo model? Is it reliable, what are memory temps on that model? I suppose turbo and gaming oc might have similar pcb installed...
IrrelevantTale@reddit
Its very reliable 2 slot card that fits very nicely in my alienware graphics amplifier and the temps are very reliable. Im very sad nvidia stopped making the blower style cards.
SushiBump@reddit
I assume they're both used? I would get the one with a longer warranty. Imo, if you're getting a used high end card like a 3090 and plan to use it for long heavy tasks, then I'd repad and repaste it right away after confirming it works anyways.
ciulas@reddit (OP)
Both cards are already repasted and have thermal pad changed as well. They are refurbished or something.