Screw you EVGA! One pissed off ex-costumer. Refused shipping

My Asus GTX 780Ti Direct II CU was my first-ever non-EVGA video card. I'm not an engineer so I don't know what to think about this topic except that probably I'll buy an Asus again when they come out with a GTX 980Ti. It seems to me that if the temperature of the GPU are very good (I don't know that they are), then from an operational stand point EVGA's design is OK. BUT, it really does look like they cheaped-out, opting for something "adequate" when"excellent" could be had for little more additional cost. That really bothers me.

Shame about the cooler, but at the end of the day this is simply an nVidia reference design PCB

baring the line up on the cooler these are the same reference design used by everyone.

It will be interesting to see the higher end non reference cards when they start appearing in numbers

Just so you guys know, there's no real "reference" 970.

I think there is small reference PCB used by Palit/Gainward and Zotac in their cheapest series. EVGA is using nearly reference PCB but slightly longer. All parts used on both PCB are about the same. The same small PCB has been posted on couple of sites with leaks about GTX970 performance.
EVGA is using exactly the same PCB for GTX970 as they had for GTX760.

Reference GTX760 on the same PCB as GTX970.:
http://videocardz.com/52259/galaxy-geforce-gtx-970-gc-pictured

Long PCB
http://www.overclock.net/t/1514085/official-nvidia-gtx-970-owners-club/140#post_22882997
GTX760 had even 1 phase more

If you look at the GTX760 photo then you will see there was the same issue with cooler before GTX970 and somehow noone was complaining ( or we haven't seen it as much as now ). On the other hand they could fix it long time ago.

eVGA has always been an average product with good support.
Now they have the Classified line so they do offer a top shelf card.
everything else TBH there better solutions at the price point typically.

I am hopeful they will do right by their customers as many are loyal to them for one reason or another.