Review: msi gtx 980ti gaming 6g

With the launch of the long-awaited 980Ti, a cut-out version of the chip that gives life to the Titan X, the custom models of many assemblers arrive, and the one from MSI was immediate, the specifications are not surprising for those already familiar with this monster. high-end, it has 6Gb of RAM and an overclock of more than 200mhz (a total of 1279mhz in boost) compared to the reference model are its strengths to reach our teams. To all this adds a refrigeration system that stops when the equipment is at rest to minimize noise, and customizable LEDs. Let's see all that this card can offer in our review.

We thank the MSI team for the transfer of the graphics card for analysis:

Technical characteristics

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS MSI GTX 980TI GAMING 6G
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
Connectors	2 x 8-pin PCIE
Core frequency	1279 MHz / 1178 MHz (OC Mode) 1228 MHz / 1140 MHz (Gaming Mode) 1076 MHz / 1000 MHz (Silent Mode)
Memory type	GDDR5
Memory size	6144 MB
Memory speed (mhz)	7010/7096 (OC Mode)
DirectX	version 12
BUS memory	384 Bits
BUS card	PCI-E 3.0 x16.
CUDA	Yes.
I / O	DVI 1 connectors (dual-link DVI-I) Maximum resolution: 2048 × 1536 @ 60 Hz. HDMI 1 connectors (version 1.4a) Maximum resolution: 4096 × 2160 @ 24 Hz DisplayPort 3 (version 1.2) Maximum resolution: 4096 × 2160 @ 60 Hz
Dimensions	277 x 140 x 40 mm
Warranty	2 years.

MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6G

The chart is presented in a box that shares the same shape and color as the rest of its chart series, regardless of range. We can say that it is appreciated that for once the gaming aesthetic comes in a product that is naturally oriented towards that end.

On the back we see the other features, highlights the heatsink that stops when it is not needed and the gaming app to control the LEDs.

Detail of the included accessories, power adapter, DVI to VGA adapter for those who still have old screens, drivers cd that we should not use if we can download the latest from the manufacturer, instruction manual and advertising of the lightning series.

The design is aggressive in red and black, very much in line with the normal GTX 980. Large, 980Ti photograph. Down smaller, the 980.

Detail of the back of the graphic, with an aluminum backplate that oozes quality and increases the rigidity of the set. Nice detail of the silk-screened dragon:

As with its younger sister, the graph has 3 frequency settings:

1279 MHz / 1178 MHz (OC Mode) + RAM at 7096mhz (effective) 1228 MHz / 1140 MHz (Gaming Mode) 1076 MHz / 1000 MHz (Silent Mode)

The rest of its features are expected for any 980Ti, with 6 GB of GDDR5 RAM, a 384-bit memory bus, a memory speed of 7010 Mhz (effective), 4 Way SLI support and a consumption of 262W. at full load (one more pinch compared to the reference model, in exchange for overclocking).

The main heatsink consists of aluminum heatpipes with aluminum fins, with two fans on the set. Again, we miss the aluminum that was present in the Twin Frozr heatsinks of the high ranges in previous series, to repeat with the plastic. It's also not a problem that affects the usability of the graphics too much, but it was a nice addition to a premium product.

Like many other assemblers, this graphic takes advantage of the low TDP at rest of the GM200 to introduce a hybrid control system, which in the case of MSI is called Zero Frozr, which completely stops the fan while the graphic has no load or has very little For example on the desktop or playing a movie, and starts it when necessary. It is a very quiet graphic, which is only heard in the heaviest games or passing benchmarks such as 3DMark. We note that in very light old games in resources such as League of Legends, if our box has enough internal ventilation, the graphics will not need to turn on the fans.

The power is provided by two 8-pin pciexpress connectors, unlike the reference model in which nvidia has opted for 6 + 8. The change is evident, for example, in the control of the TDP, since in the reference model we can only raise it by 10% and in this graph we can reach 20%, although we also increase consumption.

Detail of the rear connections, an impressive quantity and variety, with 3 Displayport 1.2 connectors, an HDMI 1.4a, and a DVI-I with the possibility of connecting to VGA via adapter:

Test bench and performance tests

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel i7 [email protected]
Base plate:	Asus Rampage V Extreme
Memory:	DDR4 Ripjaws4 4x4gb 2666MT / S CL15
Heatsink	RL Custom, EK Supremacy EVO
HDD	Samsung 850 EVO 1Tb
Graphic card	MSI GTX 980Ti GAMING 6G + GIGABYTE GTX980Ti in tests for SLI
Power supply	Antec High Current Pro 850W

We will use the benchmarks of 3 games to evaluate the performance of this high-end graph. Although we will compare it with several models, the most interesting is its rival, the AMD Fury X, which we will also analyze shortly. We will limit ourselves to the overclock adjustment that it brings from the factory, quite generous in the GPU, although in our sample we have also found a good margin in RAM. Since the frequencies are already high, the remaining margin on the GPU is quite small, unless we are very lucky with our chip.

The performance in 3DMark is excellent, passing 23, 000 points in SLI and showing a scaling of more than 50% in performance. In monogpu mode it also stands out, standing out from the result of the Fury X already with the series profile, and with more than 2000 points of advantage with the overclock profile.

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The Metro: Last Light results are equally good, dropping a value above 60fps at all times and finally reaching an average of 82. We must say that this is a very demanding test with filters at a level much higher than usual. The advantage over the Fury X is small but it is still there. Again, multiGPU scaling is quite good, a point in favor of nvidia with the recent model.

Another test that gives the advantage to our 980Ti, with performances that cry out for more resolution, especially with the SLI, which reaches 260fps. As impressive as the number is the scaling, since we are at values of 80%, which leave the graphics engine of the game and the drivers in a very good place. You can also see that it is a game that has been on the market for a long time. With the Maxwell architecture and a chip as powerful as this, it seems that TressFX is not particularly favorable to AMD.

Final words and conclusion

This graphic is without a doubt the rival to beat in the enthusiastic range. It completely eclipses the Titan X, a model with a very high price premium to gain only 12Gb of RAM in a model that is already quite loose, and in this case maintaining the power in double precision, unlike what happened with Kepler and the 780Ti / Titan.

It is a powerful, silent graphics, in fact it does not generate noise at rest, and with a factory overclock that scratches a good pinch to the reference model.

The price is high, but no custom 980Ti falls below these values, so we wouldn't say it's an expensive model. It is a graphic that may be sufficient for 4K by lowering settings, although most users with this resolution will want to opt for the SLI.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ OVERCLOCK CONSIDERABLE IN THE CHIP GRAPHIC, ESPECIALLY IN THE OC PROFILE	- WARRANTY SEAL THAT PREVENTS WE CAN CHANGE THE THERMAL PASTE OR INSTALL A BLOCK WITHOUT LOSING IT
+ ZERO FROZR TECHNOLOGY, FANS STOP WHEN THE GPU HAS NO CHARGE	- PRICE, ALTHOUGH SIMILAR TO OTHER 980TI MODELS
+ VERY STRONG DESIGN, WITH BACKPLATE AND CONFIGURABLE LED
+ VERY SILENT EVEN LOADING
+ VERY GOOD PERFORMANCE, EVEN AT RESOLUTIONS ABOVE 1080P