I recently upgraded my monitor to 4K and now I'm looking for a GPU to replace my aging 560 Ti. I decided on the 970 since the 980 only performs 10-20% better but costs almost double.
* Use cases are a lot of desktop work at 4K, some gaming at 1080p 120Hz, and maybe a few CUDA/GPGPU apps. The last part is what I think might be most stressful on the card since it could be running more or less full load for hours or days. Little or no overclocking.
* How helpful are more phases as far as long term reliability go? What about digital vs. analog VRM controllers? I plan to keep using it in my main machine for a few years just like the 560 Ti before it, plus I reuse old cards in older machines. In other words, I hold onto GPUs (and computer hardware in general) until they can no longer serve a useful purpose.
* Are the multi fan coolers really that much better than the reference design style coolers? I do know that the multi fan designs generally put a lot of heat into the case, but the machine I'm putting it in has excellent ventilation.
* I would prefer a card with physical dimensions no bigger than about 10" x 5". More than that and I might have to relocate some other parts in order for it to fit.