• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

MSI Announces Next Generation R7970 Lightning Graphics Card

Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
4,784 (1.01/day)
Location
Still on the East Side
Leading international graphics card and mainboard maker MSI today announced the release of the MSI R7970 Lightning, the new heir to the throne of Lightning graphics cards. Equipped with AMD's 28 nm Radeon HD 7970 GPU, the MSI R7970 Lightning features an all-new Unlocked Digital Power Architecture that incorporates an Unlocked BIOS, Digital PWM Controller, and Enhanced Power Design to boost overclocking potential to new heights and make overclocking easier than ever.

In an industry first, the proprietary "GPU Reactor" power supply module reduces power supply noise and also boosts overclocking stability as well. To keep this beast cool, the MSI R7970 Lightning utilizes the latest Twin Frozr IV Thermal Design equipped with Dust Removal Technology. The dual 10 cm fans with Propeller Blade Technology generate massive airflow for fast heat dissipation while remaining whisper silent. The two form-in-one heat sinks improve cooling for memory and the power supply module as well ensure structural integrity.





The R7970 Lightning uses Military Class III components which have passed rigorous third-party testing to meet MIL-STD-810G standards, guaranteeing the card's stability and reliability under actual use conditions. Moreover, the "3X3 OC Kits" are designed to simplify overclocking, which makes it easier than ever for enthusiasts to fine-tune the performance of their graphics cards. For both professional users and gaming enthusiasts alike, the R7970 Lightning's ability to simultaneously run 6 displays makes it the natural choice!

Unlocked Digital Power Provides Record-Breaking Potential

The R7970 Lightning boasts an all-new Unlocked Digital Power architecture that provides record breaking potential. The key components involved include the Unlocked BIOS, digital PWM chipset, and an improved power supply design. Unlocked BIOS removes CCC overclocking limits, Power Tune limit is increased by 180%, and OCP limits are relaxed to completely unleash the graphics card's overclocking potential. The digital power supply signal provides voltage signals that are more stable and accurate than conventional analog designs, meaning the voltage can be adjusted more quickly and precisely during overclocking. The improved power supply design provides double the power of the reference board and consists of 17 power supply parameters, dual 8-pin power supply connectors, and the Lightning Power Layer (LPL) design. For true overclocking enthusiasts, the R7970 Lightning with Unlocked Digital Power is simply a dream come true!

GPU Reactor for the Ultimate Power Core

The MSI R7970 Lightning implements the innovative "GPU Reactor" power supply module which, when installed on the back of the GPU, increases current volume by 88%, reduces power supply noise by 13%, and improves overall overclocking stability. MSI GPU Reactor is easy to install and has built in safety features that make it easy even for ordinary users to install and remove.

Extreme Cooling Design for Better Cooling and Structural Strength

The MSI R7970 Lightning incorporates the next-generation Twin Frozr IV Thermal Design. The striking design of the new Twin Frozr IV comes from the two large 10 cm PWM fans with Propeller Blade Technology that cool the advanced cooling body of the Twin Frozr IV. Under the aluminum Twin Frozr IV body, you can find a high density fin grid array that provides heat dissipating area that is fed by heat-pipes featuring MSI's SuperPipe technology. MSI has also incorporated its exclusive Dust Removal Technology. Fans are running in reverse for 30 seconds after booting to remove dust from the heat sinks and keep the graphics card's cooling performance running at optimum levels. The R7970 Lightning also boasts two form-in-one heat sinks. One heat sink is located on the front of the graphics card to cool the memory and power supply modules, while the second heat sink on the back of the card helps to protect and reinforce the card structure. This extreme cooling design provides the R7970 Lightning with the best cooling performance and the most reliable structure.

Premium Materials and User-friendly Overclocking Design

MSI has always led the industry thanks to its unyielding commitment to product stability and quality and made sure that the R7970 Lightning was equipped with Military Class III components certified to MIL-STD-810G military standards in seven different categories by a third-party laboratory. Be it tantalum core Hi-c CAP around the graphics card, the CopperMOS cooling design, the form-in-one Golden SSC, or as the card's moisture/rust-proof Dark Solid CAP, all work together to provide the MSI R7970 Lightning with the best possible stability

For overclocking enthusiasts, MSI has developed the 3X3 OC Kits: V-Check Points enable GPU, Memory and VDDCI voltage to be monitored while Triple Overvoltage and Triple Temperature Sensor enable overclockers to quickly fine-tune and track the performance of their graphics card using enthusiasts favorite Afterburner overclocking software. The 4 Mini DisplayPorts and 2 DVI ports on the R7970 Lightning enable AMD Eyefinity technology to drive 6 screen output with just one card, providing just the kind of performance industry professionals and gaming enthusiasts need.

As the new king of graphics cards, the MSI R7970 Lightning features many innovative technologies such as Unlocked Digital Power, GPU Reactor, Twin Frozr IV Thermal Design and 3X3 OC Kits. These technologies demonstrate MSI's use of industry-leading Research & Design to provide customers with an even more perfect user experience and product performance. Learn more about the R7970 Lightning, please visit: http://event.msi.com/vga/lightning/



View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
1,180 (0.20/day)
Location
Australia
Processor Intel i7 4790K
Motherboard Asus Z97 Deluxe
Cooling Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120
Memory Corsair Dominator 1866Mhz 4X4GB
Video Card(s) Asus R290X
Storage Samsung 850 Pro SSD 256GB/Samsung 840 Evo SSD 1TB
Display(s) Samsung S23A950D
Case Corsair 850D
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek
Power Supply Corsair AX850
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Logitech G710+
Software Windows 10 x64
Looks good, not sure about clocks, but I think its a moderate 1000Mhz like the Asus DCUII
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
405 (0.06/day)
Location
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Last edited:
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
1,180 (0.20/day)
Location
Australia
Processor Intel i7 4790K
Motherboard Asus Z97 Deluxe
Cooling Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120
Memory Corsair Dominator 1866Mhz 4X4GB
Video Card(s) Asus R290X
Storage Samsung 850 Pro SSD 256GB/Samsung 840 Evo SSD 1TB
Display(s) Samsung S23A950D
Case Corsair 850D
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek
Power Supply Corsair AX850
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Logitech G710+
Software Windows 10 x64
Joined
Apr 26, 2009
Messages
517 (0.09/day)
Location
You are here.
System Name Prometheus
Processor Intel i7 14700K
Motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX B760-I
Cooling Noctua NH-D12L
Memory Corsair 32GB DDR5-7200
Video Card(s) MSI RTX 4070Ti Ventus 3X OC 12GB
Storage WD Black SN850 1TB
Display(s) DELL U4320Q 4K
Case SSUPD Meshroom D Fossil Gray
Audio Device(s) ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply Corsair SF750 Platinum SFX
Mouse Razer Orochi V2
Keyboard Nuphy Air75 V2 White
Software Windows 11 Pro x64
I'm sorry, but... SINGLE-LINK DVI ports? So no 2560x1440 or 2560x1600 resolution on DVI for this card?

That's a bit of FAIL! right there...
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
1,180 (0.20/day)
Location
Australia
Processor Intel i7 4790K
Motherboard Asus Z97 Deluxe
Cooling Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120
Memory Corsair Dominator 1866Mhz 4X4GB
Video Card(s) Asus R290X
Storage Samsung 850 Pro SSD 256GB/Samsung 840 Evo SSD 1TB
Display(s) Samsung S23A950D
Case Corsair 850D
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek
Power Supply Corsair AX850
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Logitech G710+
Software Windows 10 x64
I'm sorry, but... SINGLE-LINK DVI ports? So no 2560x1440 or 2560x1600 resolution on DVI for this card?

That's a bit of FAIL! right there...

Nope, AT least one of them is dual link.

Edit: It seems there is an error in the specs page, It says 2 single link DVI but further down its says Dual link DVI. Just an error I would say.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
3,296 (0.53/day)
System Name Thakk
Processor i7 6700k @ 4.5Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte G1 Z170N ITX
Cooling H55 AIO
Memory 32GB DDR4 3100 c16
Video Card(s) Zotac RTX3080 Trinity
Storage Corsair Force GT 120GB SSD / Intel 250GB SSD / Samsung Pro 512 SSD / 3TB Seagate SV32
Display(s) Acer Predator X34 100hz IPS Gsync / HTC Vive
Case QBX
Audio Device(s) Realtek ALC1150 > Creative Gigaworks T40 > AKG Q701
Power Supply Corsair SF600
Mouse Logitech G900
Keyboard Ducky Shine TKL MX Blue + Vortex PBT Doubleshots
Software Windows 10 64bit
Benchmark Scores http://www.3dmark.com/fs/12108888
Lookin nice
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
41 (0.01/day)
System Name The Xinator
Processor i5 2500k @ 4.6Ghz
Motherboard ASUS P8Z68-V-PRO
Cooling Phanteks PH-TC14PE
Memory 8GB Corsair Vengeance White LP 1600Mhz 1.35v
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX780 Windforce OC (Rev 2.0)
Storage OCZ Vector 256GB
Display(s) Hazro HZ27WD(V2) 2560x1440
Case Antec 1200 (V1)
Audio Device(s) ASUS Xonar DGX
Power Supply Antec CP-850
Software Windows 7 Pro 64bit
ITS SO BEAUTIFUL

I hope my bank doesn't reject the loan I'm gonna need for this...
 

NHKS

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
596 (0.12/day)
I 'was' RIGHT :D about 1070MHz when I predicted it about 10 days back(my post on Mar 7), during CeBit reveal.. I had attached a GPU-Z screenshot from a German site.. hardly anyone believed me <sigh>.. anyways good overclock on stock 925MHz (& higher than PowerColor LCS model-1050MHz)


Just to reiterate my score for looks .. here it is -> 9/10!!
 
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
41 (0.01/day)
they are both dual link.. at least the connectors are (look at the pins)
 

NHKS

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
596 (0.12/day)
What would make it a 10/10?

10/10 means perfection, which according to me is not having any more room for improvement.. Just to reason at your question, I reduced 1 becos I dont like the GPU reactor core on the PCB.. they could have done it a bit differently if they wanted to use light effects.. again its my personal opinion, just saying becos u asked.. lets not dwell over it again.. thumbs up for the card!
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
405 (0.06/day)
Location
New Taipei City, Taiwan
10/10 means perfection, which according to me is not having any more room for improvement.. Just to reason at your question, I reduced 1 becos I dont like the GPU reactor core on the PCB.. they could have done it a bit differently if they wanted to use light effects.. again its my personal opinion, just saying becos u asked.. lets not dwell over it again.. thumbs up for the card!

Thanks for the feedback!
GPU reactor is optional, if you have no room for it in your case, you can simply remove it.
Honestly it's more a feature for extreme overclockers that really need every MHz out of their card, but it does offer some nice benefits for everyone that has the luxury of fitting it in their case (which is more than 99% of the people out there!)

The "Light effects" themselves don't influence the height of the card though, it's only a power indicator.
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2011
Messages
275 (0.06/day)
Processor 12900K @5.1all Pcore only, 1.23v
Motherboard MSI Edge
Cooling D15 Chromax Black
Memory 32GB 4000 C15
Video Card(s) 4090 Suprim X
Storage Various Samsung M.2s, 860 evo other
Display(s) Predator X27 / Deck (Nreal air) / LG C3 83
Case FD Torrent
Audio Device(s) Hifiman Ananda / AudioEngine A5+
Power Supply Seasonic Prime TX 1000W
Mouse Amazon finest (no brand)
Keyboard Amazon finest (no brand)
VR HMD Index
Benchmark Scores I got some numbers.
Amend the tech spec image? XD I seriously physically jitter when my eyes gaze upon only SL-DVI ^_^;;

Anyway, poor Sapphire, didnt even get 5 minutes of my attention thanks to this thing taking a dump on it lol - it would have to be significantly cheaper (which Im sure it wont be) than the lightning model to be considered at all.
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
405 (0.06/day)
Location
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Amend the tech spec image? XD I seriously physically jitter when my eyes gaze upon only SL-DVI ^_^;;

Anyway, poor Sapphire, didnt even get 5 minutes of my attention thanks to this thing taking a dump on it lol - it would have to be significantly cheaper (which Im sure it wont be) than the lightning model to be considered at all.

For detailed high-res pics etc. check out: http://media.msi.com/main.php?g2_itemId=73939
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
166 (0.03/day)
They only got 1265 core, but didn't say the voltage, fan speed or temperature. Damnit Stewart Davidson. Someone who knows how to overclock must get one of these cards and dothorough review of the overclocking. MSI, please send one of these to Hardware.fr for them to review it. That site does a ton of overclocking testing with thermal imaging and logging of temps and volts through every stage of the overclocking process. Hardware heaven didn't do anything, and he's using old versions of software - gpuz 5.7. Since they don't tell us, I'll have to guess as to increase in voltage from 1.174v up a little to get 1265mhz core. And 1500mhz memory... I'll wager he didn't even touch Memory voltage, Vddci or aux voltage. Ugh. May as well have been "just another reference 7970 review" the way this testing has been conducted.

This damn Lightning 7970 is made for overclocking and overvolting. Get this card to Wizzard, Damien, or XS forums so some good results can come up soon. The GTX680 drops next week, so we need some good results on the OC potential of the R7970 Lightning ASAP. No doubt it has the potential to leap frog the load of crap that is the Asus DCUII. If they have two chimpanzees and Hellen Keller doing quality control, MSI should have a better product than the Direct CU II boards. I'll just say 1265 is a good start and a stepping stone to 1800mhz on HWbot/XS.

6-8 months building this Lightning 7970, and release it 3 months after the reference 7970 debut and 1 day before the GTX680 debut without having some badass overclocking results to show the world along with it is terrible. MSI better be doing better QA testing than ASUS did. MSI already had the PCB design, wonder what took them so long. New revisions, testing drivers...
 

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
24,034 (3.74/day)
Location
London,UK
System Name DarnGosh Edition
Processor AMD 7800X3D
Motherboard MSI X670E GAMING PLUS
Cooling Thermalright AM5 Contact Frame + Phantom Spirit 120SE
Memory G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO DDR5 6000 CL32-38-38-96
Video Card(s) Asus Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage WD SN770 1TB (Boot)| 2x 2TB WD SN770 (Gaming)| 2x 2TB Crucial BX500| 2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300
Display(s) LG GP850-B
Case Corsair 760T (White) {1xCorsair ML120 Pro|5xML140 Pro}
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V573|Speakers: JBL Control One|Auna 300-CN|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply Seasonic Focus GX-850 80+ GOLD
Mouse Logitech G502 X
Keyboard Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software Windows 11 Home
Benchmark Scores ლ(ಠ益ಠ)ლ
the more i see these prices, The more I think Im gonna skip a generation...

Prices for a 7970 range from $680-760 Here in the UK which is just totally disgusting as newegg's prices start from UNDER $600
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2011
Messages
275 (0.06/day)
Processor 12900K @5.1all Pcore only, 1.23v
Motherboard MSI Edge
Cooling D15 Chromax Black
Memory 32GB 4000 C15
Video Card(s) 4090 Suprim X
Storage Various Samsung M.2s, 860 evo other
Display(s) Predator X27 / Deck (Nreal air) / LG C3 83
Case FD Torrent
Audio Device(s) Hifiman Ananda / AudioEngine A5+
Power Supply Seasonic Prime TX 1000W
Mouse Amazon finest (no brand)
Keyboard Amazon finest (no brand)
VR HMD Index
Benchmark Scores I got some numbers.
i dont get the Dust removal technology part :D

Not much to get, its a tad gimmicky (or if dust build up is a real concern - then sort your living conditions out and worry less about your rig!). Same idea as the 580 extreme, the fans just spin in the opposite direction on initial power-up, which should blow out some dust that may manage to settle with the fans constantly going in the same direction. No harm I guess but a good case coupled with not living like an animal (and/or on a building site) and its not going to change your life ;-p
 

NHKS

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
596 (0.12/day)
i dont get the Dust removal technology part :D

'Dust removal tech', well it might seem gimmicky & redundant, but I guess it sort of works.. links here(official info) & here(video)


@620$ its expensive:eek: for a single-gpu card.. but this card's features beg u to OC it!!.. and I believe in the right hands it could provide 'nitrox' like performance boost to this card.. there will be takers for this card, no doubt

GTX680 cards sure have someone waiting for them..
 
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
220 (0.04/day)
System Name zZZZZzzZzZ
Not much to get, its a tad gimmicky (or if dust build up is a real concern - then sort your living conditions out and worry less about your rig!). Same idea as the 580 extreme, the fans just spin in the opposite direction on initial power-up, which should blow out some dust that may manage to settle with the fans constantly going in the same direction. No harm I guess but a good case coupled with not living like an animal (and/or on a building site) and its not going to change your life ;-p
lol yeah i just couldnt understand how dust could go away just by spinning the fans opposite.
every few months i open the case and start the blower, only way to remove dust :D
 
Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
61 (0.01/day)
System Name Zargana's antiquity
Processor AMD FX 8370 (Stock)
Motherboard Asus Sabertooth 990 FX (V.1)
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer 240mm
Memory KINGSTON 8GB (2 x 4GB) HyperX T1 PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz
Video Card(s) XFX RX 480 GTR (Stock)
Storage Samsung SSD 850 Pro 256gb and 2 x 500gb Seagate 7200 rpm
Display(s) Samsung Syncmaster T220
Case Thermaltake Suppressor F51
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Champion Series
Power Supply SUPERFLOWER LEADEX 80 PLUS PLATINUM BLACK 850W
Mouse Genius Gila Gaming Mouse
Keyboard Logitech G810 Orion
Benchmark Scores Time Spy GPU @1425 Score= 4251 - Temp Max: 73 Fire Strike GPU@1425 Score= 9123 - Temp Max: 70
1070 MHz

review: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...rclocked-graphics-card-review-conclusion.html

Edit: Christian_25H, do you like the specs listed in that form or is it easier if every detail has it's own line?


I made this comment yesterday for the sapphire 7970 dual-x solution
I think sapphire dual-x solution is the best among others, even Asus DCuII 7970. I just wanna see the MSi's twin frozer. Then i will decide which direction should i go.

Sapphire Dual-x, beats others on cooling and quietness.
579,99$ @ newegg.

Today i would like to say i will definitely take the "sapphire direction."

http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...re-hd7970-overclock-edition-dual-x-review/18/

@Neliz thanks for the link.

Comparing both cards: (Weakness of the Lightning)
Draws higher power,
No performance difference, except the logical +70 mhz difference (as output FPS)
Low memory mhz (maybe higher memory settings can heat more the card and draw more wattage)

As i see Sapphire will hit top with the Dual-x among the 7970 series.

Personally i want to see graphic cards showdown review, especially with the oc versions of 7970 or 7950.
 
Top