Introduction

Today MSI introduces their new GeForce GTX 480 Lightning. It is based on NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480 "Fermi", but promises better overclocking potential, less noise and improved power consumption. The card adds on the legacy of the previous Lightning cards like the GTX 275 Lightning and the HD 5870 Lightning. MSI has included several treats for overclockers like easy to reach voltage measurement points, dual BIOS and software control for three voltages.
Compared to the NVIDIA reference design the GPU clock has been increased by 50 MHz and the memory clock is up 75 MHz. Instead of the NVIDIA reference design, MSI has also completely revamped the PCB, using improved voltage controller circuitry, and uses their Twin Frozr III thermal solution. In terms of pricing the card is expected to retail around $550, which is a reasonable increase compared to $1000 overclocker cards like the ASUS ARES, for example.