Review: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming WaterForce

by Parm Mann on 25 November 2015, 12:35

Tags: Gigabyte (TPE:2376), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qacwif

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Conclusion

...the card is primed for 4K gaming and for those predisposed to tweaking, the guarantee of a cherry-picked GPU is a major attraction.

Six months after launch, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 980 Ti remains the number one choice for enthusiasts seeking maximum gaming performance from a single GPU. If that sounds like you, the question that remains is which GTX 980 Ti should you go for?

There's no shortage of choice, but if scintillating speed and unique aesthetics are both key requirements, Gigabyte's GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming WaterForce should be high on your list of options.

Offering something a little different to the norm, Gigabyte's custom card employs a full-coverage liquid cooler that delivers excellent cooling performance coupled with admirably low noise levels. It's an eye-catching design that stands out from the crowd, and though we'd have preferred more flexible tubing and a full-metal shroud, these minor niggles shouldn't detract from what is ultimately one of the finest GTX 980 Tis available.

Factory overclocked on both core and memory, the card is primed for 4K gaming and for those predisposed to tweaking, the guarantee of a cherry-picked GPU is a major attraction.

If there's a catch, it's that Gigabyte's powerhouse has arguably arrived a little late in the game. Enthusiasts may now have one eye on next-generation Pascal, due in 2016, but if you need a benchmark-busting GPU and you need it now, the GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming WaterForce is a tantalising prospect.

The Good
 
The Bad
Massive overclocking potential
Way faster than reference
Well suited to ultra-high-res gaming
Full-coverage copper base
Runs very cool and quiet
Good choice of outputs
 
Top cover plasticky in parts



Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming WaterForce

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The Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming WaterForce graphics card is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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HEXUS Forums :: 11 Comments

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WAIT for FURY X with Crimson update ….980ti will go under-water
lumireleon
WAIT for FURY X with Crimson update ….980ti will go under-water

What do you mean by wait exactly? Fury X with crimson drivers is already here.

It is a shame that Hexus is comparing graphics cards with different drivers though (eg different 980ti cards are on different drivers) as it makes comparisons a bit hard, however I don't think it would significantly affect the results and I think Hexus have largely avoided making any statistically dubious claims.
be interested to see a comparison between this and the MSI 980Ti “Seahawk”
Cool!
It would be nice to be able to see this card against the Fury X with current drivers as from what I can work out the Fury X in the graphs was testing with the old Catalyst 15.15 Beta drivers.