MSI previously teased its GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z graphics card but now the full details have been published on its website. Lightning cards sit at the pinnacle of the air cooled range available from MSI and thus this GTX 1080 Ti is expected to be a top performer with greater tweaking flexibility for gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts. Standout features of this particular 11GB GDDR5X card include the TriFrozr cooler, with TORX 2.0 fans, heatpipes supported by MSI's heatsink and backplate, a sizable Mystic Light RGB shroud, three OC performance profiles, the usual military class components, and a trio of 8-pin power connectors.
This card is bristling with the best of MSI's cooling technology. As mentioned above, there are three TORX 2.0 fans in the TriFrozr cooler design. These are supported by several 8mm heatpipes connected to the heatsink and to the backplate. The main heatsink utilises a nickel plated copper base and a mass of aluminium fins. In addition MSI has equipped a "massive metal memory and MOSFET heatsink" with additional pins and fins to keep the rest of your card cool under strain.
Overclockers and enthusiasts will welcome the triple modes offering Boost Clock / Base Clock / Memory Frequency of 1721MHz / 1607MHz / 11124MHz (Lightning Mode), 1695MHz / 1582MHz / 11124MHz (Gaming Mode), or 1582MHz / 1480MHz / 11016MHz (Silent Mode). Additionally there is a DIP switch for enabling LN2 mode. MSI boasts that those interested will be able to squeeze even more performance out of this card with its 'Enhanced Power Design' utilising 14 DrMOS power phases and digital PWM control. Multiple temperature monitors and MSI's Afterburner overclocking software help you maximise your performance with minimal stability risks.
RGB lighting is evident along the card's top surface and the edges of the backplate. RGB Mystic Light colours and effects can by synchronised with other compatible components.
Ports provided are; DisplayPort x 2 (Version 1.4), HDMI x 2 (Version 2.0b), and DL-DVI-D. This fairly sizeable card measures 320 x 140 x 61mm and weighs over 1.7Kg. MSI says the GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z consumes 250W and recommends your system pack a 750W+ PSU to connect the 3x 8-pin power connectors to.
Pricing and availability have yet to be revealed at the time of writing.
