What Does FTW Mean in a GPU? The Thorough Guide 2021

What is FTW in a GPU is a frequent query among the people who come by the EVGA’s FTW GPUs. FTW refers to “for the win”. But, what does it mean? And are FTW GPUs really worth it? Let’s find out.

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• What is an SSD GPU?
• FTW vs FTW+ and FTW vs SSC
• Reviews on the FTW GPUs

Excited? Let’s dive in.

What Does FTW Mean in a GPU?

FTW stands for “for the win”, a phrase that is used to define something that truly satisfies particular needs at a certain time, and won’t require any upgrades in the near future.

When it comes to FTW in a GPU, similarly, an FTW GPU will be the one that is enough for graphics-intensive operations (like hardcore gaming, 4k video editing, Autocad designing, etc) and won’t require to upgrade in the upcoming months or even years.

In other words, an FTW GPU will be the performance-packed GPU of its time and a satisfactory option for your graphics requirements.

But when it comes to the difference between a normal GPU and an FTW GPU, the FTW term is used with the FTW GPUs that come from EVGA. This term indicates that these GPUs come with a better performance compared to the normal GPUs.

Are you new to the GPU world and don’t know how you can install a new GPU? Learn this with our detailed guide on how to install a new graphics card on your computer.

What is an SSC Graphics Card?

SSC stands for super-super-clocked. And as you guessed, an SSC GPU is one that is ultra-clocked for gaming. This group of GPUs comes from EVGA and comes factory overclocked for intensive graphics operations.

Similarly, when it comes to SC GPUs, they’re a step below SSC GPUs and SC stands for super-clocked rather than super-super-clocked.

However, a point worth noting down is that the SSC GPUs are the ones below FTW. So, below is the hierarchy we’ve concluded:

• FTW (for the win) GPUs
• SSC (super-super-clocked) GPUs
• SC (super-clocked) GPUs

That said, there’s another point worth clearing up:

FTW or FTW+: What’s the Better Option?

As you already know, FTW refers to “for the win”. Now, the difference between simple FTW and FTW+ is that the FTW+ is an even better form of GPU. This sort of graphics card will not only be the top choice currently but won’t require upgrade or replacement for years.

FTX, on the other hand, is also an amazing series of graphics cards but not as effective as the FTW+ GPUs. Got the picture, right?

What is the Difference Between FTW & SSC

FTW stands for “for the win“ while SSC means super-super-overclocked. As mentioned before, a super-super-overclocked GPU is the one that comes overclocked from the manufacturer itself. While an FTW GPU, on the other hand, is a normal GPU that doesn’t come overclocked.

Now, what is overclocking?

Well, overclocking refers to manually increasing the GPU boost clock which results in higher performance for gaming and other graphics workloads. For this purpose, more power is supplied to the GPU for faster graphical calculations.

Want to learn more about overclocking the GPU? Learn with our definitive guide on how to overclock your laptop GPU.

Reviews for the FTW Variant Graphics Cards

Here I review some of the best FTW edition GPUs on the market.

EVGA GTX 1070 FTW

Thanks to EVGA for improving the GTX 1070 from Nvidia and turning it into a complete gaming beast: an FTW edition GPU.

While the most powerful GPUs like GTX 3090 come with a current price of around $2500 and are not that affordable, choosing a less powerful version can be a better option, as long as it is available.

However, speaking of the GTX 1070 FTW, it’s a significantly cheaper pick but still comes with satisfactory performance. Though it isn’t the FTW currently, it still gets the job done efficiently.

If you compare it with the higher GPUs like GTX 1080, the pricing is much cheaper, it’s expected to be between $500 and $600. And if you compare its performance with the lower GTX GPU i.e. GTX 1060, the speed offered is much higher. This comparison clarifies that GTX 1070 FTW offers great value for your money.

Another significant addition EVGA made into GTX 1070 is making the cooling system more efficient with a pair of 8+8 power connectors and 10 power phases for the GPU. Further aiding the cooling system’s versatility is the quad-heat pipe cooler which proves efficient performance with maintained heat.

With this kind of enhanced features, the FTW version of GTX 1070 becomes a great deal of comfort. But, the point to note down is, this version is not the FTW of the time and may not deliver satisfactory performance in the latest AAA titles. However, it still works well for mid-end graphics workloads.

Unable to find out why your GPU temperature keeps going high? Learn all about that with our detailed guide on how to reduce GPU temperature.

FTW GTX 1080

The FTW GTX 1080 is the successor to the GTX 1070 and brings forth a significantly faster performance. Though not as popular as the previous version, GTX 1080 still offers better internals as well as a more appealing design.

The GPU packs a variety of enhanced features like the Fast Sync and a better approach to Nvidia SLI. Plus, you get improved display and video capabilities as well as enhanced processing in VR.

What the GPU is primarily defined for, however, is efficient VR gaming. In fact, GTX 1070 is 150 perfect faster than GTX 980 for VR applications. For a detailed comparison, I’ve crafted a table:

EVGA RTX 2080 FTW3 Ultra Hybrid Gaming

The EVGA RTX 2080 FTW3 is an amazing Hybrid series GPU that is built on a custom PCB and integrated with a powerful liquid cooler for the GPU. Due to this enhanced look, you’ll notice that this version is taller than the standard version and it might require a 120 mm fan for proper installation.

Speaking of the enhanced cooling, the GPU temperature doesn’t rise more than 53C even under load. Even if it does, the liquid cooling system makes sure there’s nothing to worry about. If we look into the noise levels, the GPU is pretty quiet with the cooling design enhanced.

Are you unable to find out how many case fans to install to keep the internal hardware cool? Learn this with our definitive guide on how many case fans do I need.

When it comes to the overclock, the FTW GPU is just 30MHz factory overclocked and delivers faster performance compared to the Founders Edition card. For a price of $809.99 MSRP, it’s a great choice for gamers and creative professionals who desperately need a powerful GPU.

Specifications

• Boost Clock: 1845 MHz
• Memory Clock: 15500 MHz Effective
• CUDA Cores: 3072
• Bus Type: PCIe 3.0
• Memory Detail: 8192MB GDDR6
• Memory Interface: 256 Bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 496 GB/s
• LED Logo: RGB

Enhanced Key Features

• Hybrid “All-in-One” Watercooler
• Adjustable RGB LED
• All-Metal Backplate, Pre-Installed
• Real-Time Ray Tracing
• Built for EVGA Precision X1

Don’t know what the GPU power limit is? Understand GPU power limit with our definitive round up on what is GPU power limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here I answer the most-searched queries on the subject of what does FTW means in a GPU.

What is the difference between FTW and XC?

Both FTW and XC are EVGA’s special GPU lines. The FTW refers to high-end GPUs that come with better performance than the normal version of the same GPU and are future-proof too. XC, on the other hand, stands for the extreme clock and represents the GPUs that come clocked from the company itself.

Are RTX graphics cards better than GTX?

The RTX series from Nvidia is a successor to the GTX series and the cards of the RTX series are more power-packed, coming with higher boost clock performance and core speeds. Similarly, they also include advanced graphics features like ray-tracing and Nvidia DLSS which the GTX series doesn’t.

What is SSC GPU?

SSC is a series of graphics cards from EVGA and stands for super-super-clocked. In simple words, the GPUs of this series come clocked from the company itself, to offer higher performance. However, you might have to manage better cooling to maintain temperature levels.

What do SC and SSC mean?

SC in a GPU refers to super-clocked GPU while SSC is a better version known as super-super-clocked. As the name shows, SSC GPUs are more powerful compared to SC. However, both mean that the GPUs have been turned into an overclocked version by the manufacturer itself.

Concluding Thoughts

Gamers often get confused when they come across the FTW term. But there’s nothing to be frustrated about, FTW refers to “for the win”, basically a GPU that is not only satisfactory for the current needs of graphics operations but also won’t require an upgrade in the near future.

In other words, an FTW GPU is a power-packed edition and designed to offer better performance than the average version. That said, I hope this guide helped you determine what FTW means in the GPU. So, what type of GPU will you look out for? Let me know!