FE chips were never locked. They were held back by inferior (compared to AIB) cooling solution, where boost algorithm would throttle card to stay in allowed power/temp envelope. That’s why AIB cards with superior coolers would just boost higher out of box or allow for higher sustained clocks during overlocks.
You might have a case with specific OC-focused AIB solutions, like Evga that-famous-OCer-Name editions, where I heard chips were actually binned to be superior, but any run of the mill EVGA FTW or Asus Strix - they are not binned, that’s for sure. Just pure silicon lottery.
With brand new cooling for FE 3080, that fancy 2-fan push-pull setup, I doubt it worth waiting for AIB solutions. At least for me it isn’t.
Yup, can I pay someone to let me preorder it before everyone else? please?
I’m familiar with the silly con lottery. I’ve won it multiple times, with a 6700k that could hit 5.1k, and a 8700k that lives at 5.0gHz without breaking a sweat on a great voltage. I was referring to this. FE’s were binned to my memory, and I got one of the better SKU #s iirc.
So this article seems to imply that best chips were binned for FE? And nvidia lets AIB on those for extra fee?
Nvidia looks to be doing the same thing itself. The Founder’s Editions of Nvidia’s RTX graphics cards are all factory overclocked themselves, so will have to be tested by Nvidia for overclocking potential regardless, and the green team is evidently doubling down and applying this same binning across even those GPUs set to be whisked away by AIBs for use in third-party designs – for a fee of course.
Even if it’s true, how’s that bad for having FE card? They seem to imply best binned chips go to FE cards first and foremost.
Not that it matters to me anyway, I’m done with overclocking. Lately just don’t find any joy in it. Pop in a stock part and away to play for that little time I have for myself
Nice. I had bone stock nvidia design GTX 680 (before FE time) that would do 1360Mhz on a core stable for days on stock volts. When best 680 OCes were 1100-1200
FEs has A die and non a die skus. That’s what I was referring to, they may be the best binned oc cards, but
“The green team’s GPUs are sorted into one of two groups before they even leave its warehouses, with GPUs being designated with either an ‘A’ or left blank depending on meeting certain criteria for performance.“
and
Keep reminding me I’m young blood, the first card I ever got my hands on was a second hand 750ti in 2016.
So it appears nvidia does bin their GPUs nowadays, must be a new thing. I haven’t been really following OCing scene for a while now, guess getting old and lazy.
Young blood is awesome keep that OC flag waiving high and proud. For giggles, just went into my old folder to find earliest benchmarks that survive…
EVGA GTX 460 1GB SLI, 10/2010
Old trusty folder lol
It’s been Intel and AMDs business model forever, doesn’t surprise me that NVIDIA is doing it. Lithography has a lot of variability.
Currently some Halo MCC waiting for ODST. I regularly play Destiny 2
Reminder the RTX 3080 is going on sale tomorrow. Bad news for west coast is it seems like it’s 6am PDT/9am EDT. I barely game these days but I want one for 4k TV I’m using as a display.
Playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice right now. One of the best games I have ever played.
I’m still stuck on the occasional Rocket League. Warzone is second, and I recently picked up a cheap copy of NFS: Rivals and also Battlefront II for about $3 each. I’m not sure what it is about Rocket League but that game evokes some good emotions from me. Maybe it’s the ever-changing club infused soundtrack.
Find me on XBOX Live under Massacre Mike if anyone wants to play sometime. Cheshire cat user image 
.
Great time to sell the 2070S…
Sold out in a minute?
I still have my 2080ti; I’m just gonna chill.
@Neoo this is hilarious. I’m posting it in discord.
My 1080 needs to go
Well, the bots bought up all the 3080s within a second of orders opening. Now you’ll see the scalpers selling for $1000+
It’s like the shoe market 
, if there’s money to be made there’s scalpers.
I was way off on the scalp price, $10000+ ,
I feel bad for a buddy of mine. His current rig is falling apart and built a new one around the 3080. At the same time id probably try to make money on the cards too lol