[section_title title=Introduction]Introduction
Brand: MSI
Model: GTX 970 Gaming 4G
RRP: £279.95 @Overclockers UK (At time of review)
I’m not even going to entertain one of my normal introductions today as the new “Maxwell” architecture is here! NVIDIA have of course launched their latest range of graphics cards “GTX 970/980” to the world and I have one from MSI here today; the MSI GTX 970 Gaming OC 4GB version to be exact. Now you obviously know who MSI are and I would eat my hat if you haven’t at least heard of NVIDIA; todays review will be as much about the Maxwell as it will be about the card on test but what better starting point then an MSI Gaming card right?
The MSI card features their brand new Twin Frozr V cooler which let’s be honest, the Twin Frozr has been one of the most popular cooler designs since…..ever! The kicker here is the GTX 970 is of course part of their Gaming range which combines the MSI dragon logo and a lovely red aesthetic; kind of like ASUS have done with Republic of Gamers.
So yeah, as I have said the GTX 970 is here on the test bench and it’s time to take a look at the card itself. Have MSI done a stellar job with the latest revision of their Twin Frozr cooler “V or 5”? How does the Maxwell based chip compare to the previous Kepler cards (GTX 780/780Ti) and more importantly, does it compete with the AMD offerings? Let’s take a look, starting with 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 worlds 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.
