When comparing GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 Windforce OC vs ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 ROG STRIX, the Slant community recommends ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 ROG STRIX for most people. In the question“What are the best GTX 1070 cards?” ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 ROG STRIX is ranked 5th while GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 Windforce OC is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 ROG STRIX is:
The Strix cooler Asus uses performs extremely well. Under light loads, the [maximum temperature measured](http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/asus_geforce_gtx_1070_strix_gaming_review,9.html) was 37 degrees Celsius. This is actually a bit on the higher side, but the cooler's fans don't turn on until the temperature reaches 60° C. This temperature threshold can be adjusted in the software if you wish. The cooler really shows its worth when looking at results under full load. The GTX 1070 ROG Strix achieves a [maximum temperature](http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/asus_geforce_gtx_1070_strix_gaming_review,9.html) of only 65 degrees Celsius, a very impressive feat. For comparison: a GTX 1070 Founders Edition heats up to 76 degrees Celsius, and the next coolest GTX 1070 is the Palit Premium edition which measures in at 70 degrees Celsius. Better temperatures not only result in increased lifespan of the graphics card, but it also ensures throttling doesn't occur. Throttling is the process where the graphics card clocks itself down in order to remain cool, effectively sacrificing performance. The GTX 1070 is generally pretty good when it comes to avoiding throttling, but great cooling systems reduce the changes of throttling even more.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Inexpensive
The Windforce OC version of the GTX 1070 is fairly inexpensive at the available price of $379.99, especially compared to the reference Founders Edition which retails at $450.
Pro Quiet operation with no coil whine
While there isn't any easily accessible data to back it up, many users have been reporting that there is no annoying coil whine, and that the card stays very quiet even when under a full load.
Pro 3 year warranty
Gigabyte offers a 3 year warranty, which means buyers can rest easy if this GTX 1070 ever malfunctions.
Pro RGB lighting allows custom looks for your graphics card
There are RGB lights on this GTX 1070, which helps it look premium and really helps complete your computer build (at least if you have a window on the side of your rig). There are 2 of these LEDs which provide decent accent lighting without being too distracting.
Pro Best cooling system of any GTX 1070
The Strix cooler Asus uses performs extremely well. Under light loads, the maximum temperature measured was 37 degrees Celsius. This is actually a bit on the higher side, but the cooler's fans don't turn on until the temperature reaches 60° C. This temperature threshold can be adjusted in the software if you wish. The cooler really shows its worth when looking at results under full load. The GTX 1070 ROG Strix achieves a maximum temperature of only 65 degrees Celsius, a very impressive feat. For comparison: a GTX 1070 Founders Edition heats up to 76 degrees Celsius, and the next coolest GTX 1070 is the Palit Premium edition which measures in at 70 degrees Celsius.
Better temperatures not only result in increased lifespan of the graphics card, but it also ensures throttling doesn't occur. Throttling is the process where the graphics card clocks itself down in order to remain cool, effectively sacrificing performance. The GTX 1070 is generally pretty good when it comes to avoiding throttling, but great cooling systems reduce the changes of throttling even more.
Pro Ability to add two extra PWM fans
On the back of the STRIX card, there are two available PWM-connectors. If you attach additional fans to the back of the graphics card, they will regulate speed via PWM in addition to the STRIX cooler itself. This is a unique feature among GTX 1070 cards, which can help cool down the graphics card to prevent overheating or throttling (which could - in theory at least - allow for more overclocking).
Pro Easy to overclock
This GPU is easily overclockable to over 2GHz through Asus software.
Pro Features adjustable RGB lightning
The exterior of the ASUS GeForce GTX 1070 ROG STRIX features some RGB lights and you can adjust the color of these lights via the included software package. This allows you to customize the look of the graphics card, which can be useful if your setup is built with a specific color scheme in mind.
Pro Very quiet operation
When they don't need to, the fans on the Asus GTX 1070 ROG STRIX won't spin at all and are thus completely inaudible: the card remains passive below 60 degrees Celsius. Under full load, a maximum sound production of 39 decibels (A) was measured. A reference GTX 1070 Founders Edition card also performs very well in this aspect however with 40 dBA, which means the difference isn't quite as extensive as with other GPU's.
Cons
Con Plastic covering feels cheap
The GTX 1070 Windforce OC has some metal components in it, but the casing is plastic which makes it feel fairly cheap.
Con Factory overclock isn't noticeable in practice
Although GIGABYTE has increased the base clock speed of the GPU by 3% from 1506 to 1556 MHz and a boost clock from 1683 to 1746 MHz (+ 4%), these higher clock speeds only result in a negligible performance increases in gaming situations. Compared to the Founders edition, the GTX 1070 Windforce OC doesn't offer much extra in terms of performance.
Con Factory overclock isn't noticeable in practice
Although ASUS has increased the base clock speed of the GPU by 1.66% from 1506 to 1531 MHz, this higher clock speed only results in a negligible performance increases in gaming situations. Other GTX 1070 chips have higher clocks, which allow for better performance.
Con Only 2 DisplayPorts
To be more VR-friendly, Asus removed one of the DisplayPorts in favor of an additional HDMI port (both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive require 2 HDMI ports).