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Nvidia have been selling GTX970 and GTX980 cards by the truckload since the very successful launch earlier this month. We have already reviewed a handful of GTX970 partner cards and today we supplement our findings by analysing the latest Asus GTX980 Strix OC. This card features a hefty cooling system and hybrid fan configuration to lower noise emissions as far as possible.
Regular KitGuru readers will already be aware of the new Asus Strix range of graphics cards. Kitguru has, so far, reviewed the R9 285 Strix, GTX750ti Strix and GTX970 Strix OC. The GTX980 Strix OC we review today is fitted with a modified cooler and ships in a reasonable state of overclock to further enhance gaming performance.
The Maxwell architecture has been designed to deliver twice the performance per watt of previous generation Geforce hardware. It sounds easy enough on paper to achieve, but the real world challenges for Nvidia have been complex.
| GPU | GeForce GTX 680 (Kepler) | GeForce GTX 980 (Maxwell) | Geforce GTX 970 (Maxwell) |
| Streaming Multiprocessors | 8 | 16 | 13 |
| CUDA Cores | 1536 | 2048 | 1664 |
| Base Clock | 1006 mhz | 1126 mhz | 1050 mhz |
| GPU Boost Clock | 1058 mhz | 1216 mhz | 1178 mhz |
| Total Video memory | 2GB | 4GB | 4GB |
| Texel fill-rate | 129 Gigatexels/Sec | 144.1 Gigatexels/Sec | 109.2 Gigatexels/Sec |
| Memory Clock | 6000 mhz | 7000 mhz | 7000 mhz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/sec | 224 GB/sec | 224 GB/s |
| ROPs | 32 | 64 | 64 |
| Manufacturing Process | 28nm | 28nm | 28nm |
| TDP | 195 watts | 165 watts | 145 watts |
The new GM204 GPU is very efficient. The Maxwell SM has been rebalanced so that the CUDA cores are fully utilised more often. Doing so saves power and enhances overall performance. The L2 cache size in the GM204 is 2MB, or four times larger than the GK104. The addition of extra cache means that fewer requests to the GPU memory are needed – again reducing power consumption and pushing more performance.
The Geforce GTX 980 is equipped with 7Gbps memory. Those of you with higher resolution monitors, or running in a multi screen configuration will also be pleased to hear that there is 4GB of GDDR5 memory on the card, not 3GB – this memory will push 224 GB/s sec. Nvidia have added a new compression engine to reduce the demand on DRAM bandwidth.
The Asus GTX780 Strix OC has received a core clock enhancement to 1,178mhz, from 1,126mhz on the reference design. The GDDR5 memory remains untouched, running at 1,753mhz.
The Strix robotic OWL artwork is both menacing and slightly corny at the same time. No images of the card on the front of the box, just a list of key selling points such as ‘OC' and ‘4GB' – indicating the card is overclocked and ships with 4GB of memory.
The back of the box lists many details on the cooling system and software supplied – alongside a diagram of the video output panel.
The bundle includes a power converter cable, software disc and literature on setting up the graphics card. Asus also supply several colours of sticker which can be applied to the cooler by the user. They include a little graphic to explain where they go.
The Asus GTX980 Strix is a heavy card, with two large fans in the center. They include a backplate on the black PCB. It all looks great, and quite understated to the eye.
The GTX980 Strix is SLi capable, and it takes power from an 8 pin and a 6 pin connector.
The Asus Strix range of graphics cards seem to follow an ethos of ‘less is more' – when it comes to stickers and labeling on the card. This is a good thing. There are several really thick heatpipes protruding from various parts of the card – we look at this closer when we disassemble it.
ASUS have three DisplayPort connectors available on the I/O backplate, alongside an HDMI 2.0 capable connector. This HDMI port will handle 4K resolutions at up to 60hz. There is also a dual link DVI connector on the top row. Up to four of these output connectors can be used simultaneously.
The Asus GTX980 Strix utilises a direct touch cooling system. 5 thick heatpipes run in both directions into several aluminum heatsink racks on either side. These heatpipes are coated for appearance, but left naked at the base. Asus are using high grade Samsung GDDR5 memory.
The GTX980 is built on the 28nm process. It has 2,048 Cuda Cores, 64 ROP's and 128 Texture units. The 4GB of Samsung GDDR5 is clocked at 1,753mhz (7Gbps effective) and is connected via a 256bit memory interface. The core clock speed has been increased by ASUS to 1,178mhz with a boost speed set at 1,279mhz.
On this page we present some high resolution images of the product taken with a Fuji XT1 and a Sigma SD1 camera. These will take much longer to open due to the dimensions, especially on slower connections. If you use these pictures on another site or publication, please credit Kitguru.net as the owner/source.
For the review today we are using the Nvidia Forceware 344.07 and AMD Catalyst 14.7 beta drivers.
We are using one of our brand new test rigs supplied by DINOPC and built to our specifications. If you want to read more about this, or are interested in buying the same Kitguru Test Rig, check out our article with links on this page. We are using an Asus PB287Q 4k and Apple 30 inch Cinema HD monitor for this review today.
Comparison cards:
Asus GTX780 Ti Direct CU II OC (954mhz core / 1750 mhz memory)
Nvidia GTX980 Reference (1126 mhz core / 1753mhz memory)
Sapphire R9 290X Tri-X OC (1040 mhz core / 1300 mhz memory)
Palit GTX970 Jetstream OC (1152mhz core / 1753 mhz memory)
MSI GTX970 Gaming 4G (1140 mhz core / 1753 mhz memory)
Palit GTX780 6GB (902 mhz core / 1502mhz memory)
Asus GTX970 StriX OC (1114 mhz core / 1753 mhz memory)
Asus R9 290 Direct CU II OC (1000 mhz core / 1260 mhz memory)
Software:
Windows 7 Enterprise 64 bit
Unigine Heaven Benchmark
Unigine Valley Benchmark
3DMark Vantage
3DMark 11
3DMark
Fraps Professional
Steam Client
FurMark
Games:
Grid AutoSport
Tomb Raider
Metro Last Light Redux
Thief 2014
All the latest BIOS updates and drivers are used during testing. We perform generally under real world conditions, meaning KitGuru tests games across five closely matched runs and then average out the results to get an accurate median figure. If we use scripted benchmarks, they are mentioned on the relevant page.
Game descriptions edited with courtesy from Wikipedia.Futuremark released 3DMark Vantage, on April 28, 2008. It is a benchmark based upon DirectX 10, and therefore will only run under Windows Vista (Service Pack 1 is stated as a requirement) and Windows 7. This is the first edition where the feature-restricted, free of charge version could not be used any number of times. 1280×1024 resolution was used with performance settings.
The Asus GTX980 Strix OC scores exceptional well, taking top position in our single GPU chart, with 51,787 points.
3DMark 11 is designed for testing DirectX 11 hardware running on Windows 7 and Windows Vista the benchmark includes six all new benchmark tests that make extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading. After running the tests 3DMark gives your system a score with larger numbers indicating better performance. Trusted by gamers worldwide to give accurate and unbiased results, 3DMark 11 is the best way to test DirectX 11 under game-like loads. If you want to learn more about this benchmark, or to buy it yourself, head over to this page.
Another good showing from the Asus GTX980 Strix OC, hitting top position in the chart with a GPU score of 18,419 points.
3DMark is an essential tool used by millions of gamers, hundreds of hardware review sites and many of the world’s leading manufacturers to measure PC gaming performance.
Futuremark say “Use it to test your PC’s limits and measure the impact of overclocking and tweaking your system. Search our massive results database and see how your PC compares or just admire the graphics and wonder why all PC games don’t look this good.
To get more out of your PC, put 3DMark in your PC.”
The latest Direct X 11 benchmark from Futuremark is a good indication of a cards prowess with the latest game engines. The Asus GTX980 Strix OC claims top position, with a whopping score of 13,372 points.
Unigine provides an interesting way to test hardware. It can be easily adapted to various projects due to its elaborated software design and flexible toolset. A lot of their customers claim that they have never seen such extremely-effective code, which is so easy to understand.
Heaven Benchmark is a DirectX 11 GPU benchmark based on advanced Unigine engine from Unigine Corp. It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. Interactive mode provides emerging experience of exploring the intricate world of steampunk. Efficient and well-architected framework makes Unigine highly scalable:
- Multiple API (DirectX 9 / DirectX 10 / DirectX 11 / OpenGL) render
- Cross-platform: MS Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7) / Linux
- Full support of 32bit and 64bit systems
- Multicore CPU support
- Little / big endian support (ready for game consoles)
- Powerful C++ API
- Comprehensive performance profiling system
- Flexible XML-based data structures
We set Quality to ‘High', Tessellation to ‘Normal' and resolution to 1600p.
Nvidia hardware scores well in this tessellation heavy benchmark. The Asus GTX980 Strix OC takes the top position, averaging 64.3 frames per second.Valley Benchmark is a new GPU stress-testing tool from the developers of the very popular and highly acclaimed Heaven Benchmark. The forest-covered valley surrounded by vast mountains amazes with its scale from a bird’s-eye view and is extremely detailed down to every leaf and flower petal. This non-synthetic benchmark powered by the state-of-the art UNIGINE Engine showcases a comprehensive set of cutting-edge graphics technologies with a dynamic environment and fully interactive modes available to the end user.
We toggle quality to HIGH, and resolution to 1600p.
No performance concerns at 1600p – the Asus GTX980 Strix OC takes top position, averaging 80.3 frames per second.Grid Autosport (styled as GRID Autosport) is a racing video game by Codemasters and is the sequel to 2008′s Race Driver: Grid and 2013′s Grid 2. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on June 24, 2014. (Wikipedia).
On this page we test at 1080p and 1600p using the ‘Ultra' image quality profile with 8x MSAA.
The Asus GTX980 Strix OC has plenty of power to handle this game engine at both 1080p and 1600p resolutions.Grid Autosport (styled as GRID Autosport) is a racing video game by Codemasters and is the sequel to 2008′s Race Driver: Grid and 2013′s Grid 2. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on June 24, 2014. (Wikipedia). 
We test at Ultra HD 4k with 8MSAA. The Ultra Profile is selected for maximum image quality. 
If you want to game at 4K resolution then the Asus GTX980 Strix OC delivers enough power to hold the game engine at close to 50 frames per second at all times. If you demand a constant 60fps+ then a drop in the anti aliasing settings would help increase this further.Thief is set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Victorian, gothic, and steampunk aesthetics. Garrett, a master thief who has been away from his hometown for a long time, returns to it, a place known only as The City, and finds it ruled with an iron grip by a tyrant called The Baron. While The City is ravaged by a plague, the rich continue to live in isolation and good fortune while the poor are forming numerous mobs against the authorities, Garrett intends to use the volatile situation to his favor. (Wikipedia).
We test with the ‘very high' image quality preset at 1080p and 1600p.
Thief is difficult to power at high image quality settings, but the Asus GTX980 Strix OC can deal with the engine at both 1080p and 1600p.Thief is set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Victorian, gothic, and steampunk aesthetics. Garrett, a master thief who has been away from his hometown for a long time, returns to it, a place known only as The City, and finds it ruled with an iron grip by a tyrant called The Baron. While The City is ravaged by a plague, the rich continue to live in isolation and good fortune while the poor are forming numerous mobs against the authorities, Garrett intends to use the volatile situation to his favor. (Wikipedia).
We test at the ‘very high' preset for maximum image quality. Resolution is set to 4k for this particular test.
At 4k this game brings almost the hardware to sub 20 frame rates. The GTX980 Strix OC manages to hold a 25+ frame rate at all times.Tomb Raider received much acclaim from critics, who praised the graphics, the gameplay and Camilla Luddington’s performance as Lara with many critics agreeing that the game is a solid and much needed reboot of the franchise. Much criticism went to the addition of the multiplayer which many felt was unnecessary. Tomb Raider went on to sell one million copies in forty-eight hours of its release, and has sold 3.4 million copies worldwide so far. (Wikipedia).
We test with the ‘ultimate' image quality profile at 1080p and 1600p.
Excellent performance and fully playable at both 1080p and 1600p resolutions – with the image quality maxed. Tomb Raider received much acclaim from critics, who praised the graphics, the gameplay and Camilla Luddington’s performance as Lara with many critics agreeing that the game is a solid and much needed reboot of the franchise. Much criticism went to the addition of the multiplayer which many felt was unnecessary. Tomb Raider went on to sell one million copies in forty-eight hours of its release, and has sold 3.4 million copies worldwide so far. (Wikipedia).
We test at Ultra HD 4k resolution with the ‘Ultra' image profile enabled. Single GPU solutions find the ‘Ultimate' image quality preset too difficult to power properly.
At Ultra HD 4k resolution, the Asus GTX980 Strix OC scores well, holding a 42 frame rate average rate.On May 22, 2014, a Redux version of Metro Last Light was announced. It was released on August 26, 2014 in North America and August 29, 2014 in Europe for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Redux adds all the DLC and graphical improvements. A compilation package, titled Metro Redux, was released at the same time which includes Last Light and 2033. (Wikipedia). We test with following settings: Quality-Very High, SSAA-off, Texture Filtering-16x, Motion Blur-Normal, Tessellation-Normal, Advanced Physx-On.
The engine runs well on the Asus GTX980 Strix OC, holding top position in the graph at both 1080p and 1600p.On May 22, 2014, a Redux version of Metro Last Light was announced. It was released on August 26, 2014 in North America and August 29, 2014 in Europe for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Redux adds all the DLC and graphical improvements. A compilation package, titled Metro Redux, was released at the same time which includes Last Light and 2033. (Wikipedia). We test with following settings: Quality-High, SSAA-off, Texture Filtering-16x, Motion Blur-off, Tessellation-Normal, Advanced Physx-off. 
The game runs smooth on the Asus GTX980 Strix OC at 4K, holding above 25fps at all times.The tests were performed in a controlled air conditioned room with temperatures maintained at a constant 23c – a comfortable environment for the majority of people reading this.Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 30 minutes. Load measurements were acquired by playing Crysis Warhead for 30 minutes and measuring the peak temperature. We also have included Furmark results, recording maximum temperatures throughout a 30 minute stress test. All fan settings were left on automatic.
The Asus GTX980 Strix OC has a fantastic cooling system – it holds gaming temperatures around the 60-62c threshold which is 11c cooler than the reference GTX980.We have built a system inside a Lian Li chassis with no case fans and have used a fanless cooler on our CPU. The motherboard is also passively cooled. This gives us a build with almost completely passive cooling and it means we can measure noise of just the graphics card inside the system when we run looped 3dMark tests.
We measure from a distance of around 1 meter from the closed chassis and 4 foot from the ground to mirror a real world situation. Ambient noise in the room measures close to the limits of our sound meter at 28dBa. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on only the video card. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.
KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum
Like its baby brother, the GTX980 Strix OC is a very quiet card – thanks to the excellent cooling system and the cool running Maxwell architecture. The fans start to spin when core temperatures hit 62c, and spin faster when 65c is reached. Under most circumstances the fans will be spinning very slowly – less than 1,000 rpm. If you value low noise emissions then this is the card you should be shortlisting.To test power consumption today we are using a Keithley Integra unit and we measure power consumption from the VGA card inputs, not the system wide drain. We measure results while gaming in Tomb Raider at 4k resolution and the synthetic stress test Furmark – recording both results. 
The Asus GTX980 Strix OC consumes around 160 watts when loaded with Tomb Raider. As we have already detailed with previous reviews, the Maxwell architecture is very efficient.To overclock today we are using the latest V4.0.0 of MSI's Afterburner based on the excellent Rivatuner. 
The reference Nvidia GTX980 exhibited a lot of headroom, but the ASUS GTX980 Strix OC almost hit a boost speed of 1,500mhz! These video cards are clocked high out of the box, but our specific sample had another 17.1% available.
After manually overclocking the Asus GTX980 Strix OC the increase in performance was very noticeable. We almost hit 21,000 points in the graphics test of 3DMark 11 – our highest yet for a single GPU.The Asus Strix range of graphics cards have left a positive impression with us so far. This is the fourth Strix card we have reviewed and it is the most powerful of them all. The Asus GTX980 Strix OC is actually one of the finest video cards we have ever reviewed.
We have said it before, and we will say it again – Nvidia's Maxwell is simply remarkable. The performance per watt ratio sets a new benchmark and Asus are able to capitalize on this cool running architecture by enhancing the cooling system and dropping temperatures significantly.
The fans on the Asus GTX980 Strix OC don't spin most of the time and it is only when tasked with a demanding Direct X 11 game that they will likely spin between 500 rpm and 1,000 rpm. For a flagship, overclocked solution this is as good as we have seen. When watching movies, or playing less intensive games, the fans will disable completely. The trigger point for the fans to activate is between 62c and 65c. A more graphically intensive game such as Tomb Raider will cause the fans to spin up a little, then spin down – holding core temperatures around the 62c point.
While the out of the box performance is fantastic, there is a ton of additional overclocking headroom available via the GM204 core – our Strix review sample almost hit a boost speed of 1,500mhz! At these speeds, the performance was ahead of any other single GPU solution we have tested to date. Our GTX980 reference sample overclocks very well, but the exceptional ASUS cooler on the Strix OC card ensures the Nvidia core can be pushed even further.
Before going to press, we were unable to get confirmed UK retail pricing, but we would expect a premium over the reference card design which is £429.99 inc vat. Taking our best educated guess, we would imagine Asus will bring this to market in the UK for £499.99 inc vat.
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Order from Overclockers UK, for £499.99 HERE.
Pros:
- 160 watts under load.
- three full sized DisplayPort connectors.
- fastest single GPU card we have tested.
- overclocked to a boost speed close to 1,500mhz
- exceptionally quiet.
- fans disable completely below 62c.
- very high build quality, including backplate.
- 4GB of GDDR5 memory.
- 11c cooler than reference GTX980 under load.
Cons:
- the reference GTX980 is excellent and is likely to be £80 less.
- still need two of them for smooth 4k gaming.
Kitguru says: One of the fastest video cards we have tested, hitting a turbo boost speed close to 1,500mhz. Quiet, powerful and with a low power demand.
