are XFX and EVGA's 780/790i same?

[WhiteFireDragon]

the two different brands looks physically identical and has the same exact specs. are they the same exact boards but just has a different brand slapped on? which brand is better? here is the link from newegg:

XFX-780i
EVGA-780i

XFX-790i
EVGA-790i

[DMH]

Well EVGA has better support but I believe they are a little more expensive,choose the one with the artbox you like more

[71 (Bryan)]

yes, both are the same , both are reference design and both are made by foxconn, only thing is that evga has better support and you can step up within 3 months, if you want something difrent take a look at the asus striker II extrme

[WhiteFireDragon]

and by better support, does that mean they offer more and better BIOS versions or other driver downloads or does that meant customer service is better? and if they are pretty much the same boards, then can i DL evga's drivers for a XFX mobo?

[[XC] NetburstXE]

Better customer service.

[AngryArtichoke]

They are both designed to Nvidia's reference specs I believe.

Keep in mind that the 780i uses DDR2, while the 790i uses DDR3. Between the brands though, there won't be any difference but support/warranty.

[tet5uo]

You can't usually step-up on EVGA motherboards, though.. the step-up 90 day program is for videa cards... though they have offered special step-up offers on mobos in the past, like the 680 to 790i upgrade offer, or the TR revision 680i to A1 revision...

I have RMA'd via EVGA before and i got my new card back less than a week after I'd sent the old one... and this was international shipping from canada to the US.

[WhiteFireDragon]

how about the BIOS and drivers? are they also identical?

[Planet]

Drivers and bioses are the same.

[WhiteFireDragon]

well then if everything is the same, then $40 difference for the exact same board rebranded is not bad... it's a good savings to go with the cheaper one...

[inCore]

I would still go for the EVGA. It's just nice having the feeling in the back of your head that if something goes wrong, you're not going through hell to get it fixed.