[section_title title=”Introduction”]Introduction
Brand: ASUS
Model: GTX 980 Strix OC 4GB (STRIX-GTX980-DC2OC-4GD5
RRP: £479.98 (At time of review)
ASUS have been a regular feature here at Play3r over the past 12 months and are undoubtedly one of the largest and most popular component brands that have ever existed. Couple this with the fact they are the 5th largest global PC vendor then you have some clear cut evidence to back up such claims. Now what makes ASUS products so popular? Well one reason is of course their ROG (Republic of Gamers) brand which has gone from motherboards to graphics cards and even front panel devices; let’s not forget the magnificent Poseidon. Moving forward to more recent times, ASUS launched their STRIX range of products which combines quality, performance and class; something all gamers desire when wanting to push the boundaries but with a certain quintessential element that other brands have been unable to replicate over the years.
The NVIDIA Maxwell range of GPUs (GTX 970/980) have also found a regular place here at Play3r also so what is going to happen when you combine one of the most successful brands of recent times and the latest GPU range? Well you get the ASUS GTX 980 STRIX OC 4GB graphics card and with its equipped DirectCU II cooler with its semi passive design, it’s bound to make for some very interesting testing indeed. With an out of the box boost of 1279MHz on the core, how will the GTX 980 STRIX OC compare to other Maxwell cards we have tested and is the card itself good value at £479.99? Let’s find out but before we get into the review, take a look at the specifications…
A little bit about the new Maxwell GTX 970/980:
The new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980/970 is powered by the next generation NVIDIA Maxwell Architecture, giving you incredible performance, unmatched power efficiency, and cutting-edge features.
Maxwell is the most advanced GPU architecture ever made, designed to be the engine of next generation gaming. Inspired by light, it was designed to solve some of the most complex lighting and graphics challenges in visual computing. For the first time, gaming GPU’s can dynamically render indirect light using the new VXGI (Voxel Global Illumination technology). Scenes are significantly more lifelike as light interacts more realistically in the game environment.
The GTX 980 is the world’s fastest GPU and the GTX 970 offers the most advanced performance in its class. Each delivers 2x the performance of previous-generation card, bringing new gaming experiences to virtual reality, and ultra resolution 4k displays.
Enable the detail of 4k monitors, on a 1080P display. DSR produces smoother images by rendering a game at a high resolution, then downscaling it to the native resolution of the display using advanced filtering.
GeForce GTX 980 and 970 cards support tear-free, super-fast NVIDIA G-Sync monitor display technology including 4k. Together, these technologies provide the most immersive and competitive gaming experiences possible.
