Once again your gaming experience will be changed. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 video card is powered by the next generation NVIDIA Maxwell architecture, delivering unmatched performance at incredibly low power consumption when compared to previous generation. 2048 CUDA Cores and 4GB GDDR5 memory in 256-bit width work side by side for game redefining performance - you can play today's hottest titles at max resolution on today's highest-definition displays, all at ultra settings.
Performance is just part of the story. The Maxwell architecture is engineered with the new VXGI (Voxel Global Illumination) technology to solve some of the most complex lighting and graphics challenges in visual computing. Scenes are significantly more lifelike as light interacts more realistically in the game environment. Super Resolution technology lets you enjoy the detail and brilliance of 4K gaming even on 1080p displays. The G-Sync technology ensures smooth, tear-free images by synchronizing display frame rate to GPU (require displays that support G-Sync). An array of NVIDIA GTX technologies are also built in, like GPU Boost, NVIDIA 3D Vision, NVIDIA Surround, NVIDIA PhysX, and GeForce Experience. These technologies together provide the most immersive and competitive gaming experience possible.
This MSI card is overclocked to 1178/1279MHz Base/Boost Clock (1126/1216MHz for the reference card), and boasts Military Class 4 Components for unbeatable durability and reliability. An evolved cooling solution featuring two large fans enables efficient and quiet cooling even at high loading level.
Superb CoolingThe Armor 2X thermal design incorporates two large fans and huge heat sink for better heat dissipation, while the Propeller Blade technology produces 20% more airflow and less noise than traditional fan design. Airflow Control technology deflects more airflow to heatpipes and improves airflow efficiency, which achieves the effect of increasing the heatsink area to enhance dissipation efficiency.
Military Class 4 ComponentsCertified to MIL-STD-810G standards, this card is built with Hi-c CAP, Solid CAP, and New SFC components for top stability, durability and quality you can count on in the harshest gaming environments.
Multi-Frame sampled Anti-Aliasing (MFAA)With the launch of Maxwell the Multi-Frame Anti-Aliasing (MFAA) is introduced to the world. This new, Maxwell-exclusive anti-aliasing technique improves edge quality with a minimal performance cost, and helps you enjoy anti-aliased games at ultra high resolutions like 4K.
Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR)Dynamic Super Resolution renders a game at a higher, more detailed resolution and intelligently shrinks the result back down to the resolution of your monitor, giving you 4K-quality graphics on an HD screen.
Voxel Global Illumination (VXGI)Voxel Global Illumination (VXGI) is a stunning advancement, delivering incredibly realistic lighting, shading and reflections to next-generation games and game engines.
NVIDIA G-SYNCNVIDIA G-SYNC is a groundbreaking new display technology that delivers the smoothest and fastest gaming experience ever. G-SYNC's revolutionary performance is achieved by synchronizing display refresh rates to the GPU in your GeForce GTX-powered PC, eliminating screen tearing and minimizing display stutter and input lag. The result: scenes appear instantly, objects look sharper, and gameplay is super smooth, giving you a stunning visual experience and a serious competitive edge.
Pros: Well constructed Performs exactly as I expected White design is a nice stray from the usual red/black MSI color scheme Plays Rainbow Six Siege on ultra settings without breaking a sweat
Cons: Sagging, I had to put in a support pillar as the card had a LOT of sagging on the far end The slots at the back of my case don't line up well with this card, so I can't fully plug in my HDMI cable, but it still works.
Overall Review: After looking at this video card for a while before I purchased it I looked all about the internet for a single review, and found none. I risked buying it without any knowledge on other user's performance with this model, and I can assure any potential buyer that this works very well with whatever you throw at it (with my one week of experience that is, I'll update this review if my opinions ever change though).