MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4GB Review

[section_title title=Conclusion]Conclusion

So not only has this been about MSI’s latest cooling technology but it’s also been about Maxwell performance and potential and oh boy, isn’t it just a joy to behold?  So what are the scores on the doors with the new MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card?  It has an impressive 4GB of VRAM and a brand new cooler but is it too good to be true?

I don’t care if this comment invokes backlash but AMD really have to reply quickly as not only has the GTX 970 arrived but it literally trounces it at around the same price point; expect AMD price drops to continue over the upcoming months (at time of review of course).  Looking at overall performance figures, it sits comfortably above the AMD R9 290 graphics card and even competes with the NVIDIA GTX 780Ti which is astonishing.  With a much lower CUDA core count than the 780Ti, Maxwell certainly gives you better core performance over the Kepler architecture.  Of course people have been waiting for the 22nm process and although this particular card is still on 28nm, there are clearly still some improvements to be had.

Notable highlights in performance include the overclocking performance; a 23% overclock on the core is impressive in its own right (using the maximum boost figure achieved of 1537MHz) but when compared to the actual performance increase in Battlefield 4 at Ultra, this equates to 15%.  That is still impressive and hopefully as Maxwell drivers are matured, this should of course improve gains.

This review isn’t only about the new technology on offer of course, but the new cooler is a thing of beauty.  MSI really have outdone themselves this time with the Twin Frozr V and when you couldn’t imagine them improving it, they smash it right out of the park!  Not only does the cooler run cooler than their previous version, but it’s quieter too due to the hybrid cooling technology that has been implemented.  Couple this with MSI’s independent fan control and you have the ability to control each of the 2 fans however you want.  Of course for the review we left it at automatic and it did a bloody good job on its own; without any tinkering with me.  Another interesting fact is the coolers fans only spin up when the card hits over 50c, in my testing it was more around 51-52c but that is irrelevant as when just browsing the net, the card is completely silent; such awesomeness.

Aesthetically speaking the Twin Frozr V is pretty aggressive in terms of looks but if you are a huge fan of red and black, then this should certainly tickle your fancy as in my opinion, this is their best looking version of the Twin Frozr cooler yet.  Add in the slim factor and SLI is never going to be a problem; you also have a little gap between them for better and improved airflow; this equates to better cooling performance.  One thing I would have liked to have seen is a back plate; most of the other manufacturers including ZOTAC, ASUS, Gigabyte and EVGA include them so it is a little disappointing but in terms of performance, it makes little difference; if at all.

Now this is where it gets interesting, the price.  The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card can be had for as little as £279.95 at Overclockers UK which I consider to be a stonking bargain; I might even purchase 2 in the near future as they represent incredible value for money.  When you compare the price to AMDs R9 290 and of course the performance, the GTX 970 is a clear winner without any doubt whatsoever and when you consider an improvement over GTX 780 performance which until this past month had been priced at around £330-380, you get much more for your money.

Maybe NVIDIA has turned a corner in offering great performance and great value combined; something AMD has had the edge for since the 5xxx series.  Only they can answer that but if I were to sum up the MSI GTX 970 up in a few words, it would go like this.  Stonking value, amazing performance, superb cooler in the way of the Twin Frozr V and more importantly, I love it so I am happy to give this particular card our gold award.  I challenge you to find better performance for the price; while running as cool, drawing as little power as it does and offering Maxwell DSR technology.