Palit GTX 780 Ti JetStream OC Review (1600p, Ultra HD 4K)

As we noted on launch day, Nvidia have reclaimed the top performance spot with their new GTX780 Ti. It has knocked the AMD R9 290X into second place. The performance of the GTX780 Ti at both 1600p and Ultra HD 4K resolutions is simply fantastic, especially when factoring in the low noise emissions and modest heat output.

It was only a matter of time before Nvidia and AMD partners released custom solutions of the GTX780 Ti and R9 290/X respectively. Nvidia partners are first to market and the Palit GTX780 Ti JetStream is without question the fastest single GPU we have tested to date, without exception.

Unlike AMD, Nvidia can make a very respectable reference cooler and I rate their GTX780 Ti solution highly. The JetStream cooler however takes things into a new completely new ballpark, outperforming the reference cooler by a remarkable 15c under gaming load.

Gaming load in our environment was only 64c, putting The triple fan JetStream right up at the top of the chart, alongside the latest class leading TriX cooler featured on the Sapphire R9 280X Toxic Edition.

If you are fortunate enough to own one of the newest Ultra HD 4K monitors such as the £3,000 ASUS PQ321QE 31.5 inch 4K monitor which we added into our labs this month then the Palit GTX780 Ti JetStream is one of the best choices you could make.

Our testing highlighted today that it is noticeably faster than even the reference GTX780 Ti. In ‘real world' terms at Ultra HD 4k this can sometimes mean that the minimum frame rate is increased from below 30, to above 30. It sounds minor, but this can translate into a much smoother gaming experience.

Another strong point of the Palit GTX780 Ti JetStream is the overclocking headroom available on both the GK110 core and GDDR5 memory. In conjunction with the horribly named (but excellent) Thunder Master software we were able to push the core speed from 980mhz to a staggering 1,144mhz. Even the SK Hynix GDDR5 memory exhibited plenty of headroom, overclocking from 1,750mhz to 1,914mhz.

Palit have overhauled this card to ensure maximum performance – even the shift from 6+8pin power connector to 8+8 pin is a good indication that the card is able to draw a lot of power from the +12V rails when needed. The 8 Phase PWM system delivers another 30% current capacity which ensures the card can deliver if you want to manually overclock it further.

The only downside with the new GTX780 Ti is the cost. It may be faster than the R9 290X, but the pricing reflects that. The GTX780 Ti is currently selling for between £530 and £560 online. We would imagine this Palit GTX780 Ti JetStream will be closer to £600 inc vat when availability is announced. If you want one of the fastest cards that money can buy then we don't think you can get any better.

Some people may balk at the asking price but the GTX Titan has sold very well into the gaming sector, even though it was predominately designed with a focus for CUDA developers, researchers and scientists. If you look at the cost of the GTX Titan just to play the latest Direct X 11 games, then the GTX780 Ti could be considered a bargain.

If you are able to budget £3,000 for a Ultra HD 4K panel, then we wouldn't imagine another £600 for the Palit GTX780 Ti JetStream would be an issue.

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Pros:

• Fastest Single GPU card we have ever tested.
• Amazing cooler performance – 15c better than reference cooler.
• 980mhz out of the box.
• no core downclocking under load.
• 1,140mhz was possible with the supplied software.
• Significantly quicker than the AMD R9 290X.
• Looks great.

Cons:

• Expensive.

Kitguru says: If you want to build an Ultra HD 4K system, then the Palit GTX780 Ti JetStream should be your number one choice.

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