I don't quite understand the purpose of these, especially since they charge MORE for them. I mean, ASUS released Ares GTX 970 with white shroud and it was an exhaust cooler card as well while wasn't being a reference design. Reference used to be the baseline everyone had to release initially. Then we got aftermarket versions. What prevented them from doing the same and not discontinuing the reference models? I just don't understand the marketing model behind this one. I just don't.

We all want more, expansive pictures!

RejZoRI don't quite understand the purpose of these, especially since they charge MORE for them. I mean, ASUS released Ares GTX 970 with white shroud and it was an exhaust cooler card as well while wasn't being a reference design. Reference used to be the baseline everyone had to release initially. Then we got aftermarket versions. What prevented them from doing the same and not discontinuing the reference models? I just don't understand the marketing model behind this one. I just don't.

I assume they will be selling really well initially as the card will probably be out of stock most of the time for at least the 4 initial months afters its release and im sure that Nvidia knows it too.

yep, sure looks like a videocard to me.

Interesting to see it's internals firsthand, and confirmation of the backplate on the Founder's Edition. I'm not a fan of these blower style coolers though myself. Every single one I've ever had has eventually had the fan bearings go out, and worse yet the fans are really bad about clogging with dust relatively quickly compared to the more AIB-style 2/3 larger fan/heatpipe designs. I also disagree with suggestions that they'll be $500 for an AIB 1070 at launch. I wouldn't expect many to pay over $120 over MSRP. at least for anything but a super-golden binned chip (like top of the line EVGA maybe).

I'm just confused as to why reference cards are going to cost $100 more. Isn't it traditional that non-reference designs with better coolers be more expensive? Or am I living in an upside-down world?

Jack1nI assume they will be selling really well initially as the card will probably be out of stock most of the time for at least the 4 initial months afters its release and im sure that Nvidia knows it too.

I'm thinking that's going to be the case because a lot of gamers who haven't upgraded their rigs yet (R9 2xx/GTX 7xx and older) will most likely upgrade with this generations cards.

ZoneDymoyep, sure looks like a videocard to me.

and here I thought they were going to pull a fast one and release a sound card!

...Wait, the HDMI controller has a soundcard built in! The sneakiness of it!

Looks like it will be easy to compact this into a mITX form factor...

R-T-Band here I thought they were going to pull a fast one and release a sound card!

...Wait, the HDMI controller has a soundcard built in! The sneakiness of it!

Leave that to EVGA son, still waiting for more information on their one!

It is a engineering board... I haven't seen tantalum caps on retail ones. It even has a soldered on cap on the legs of an IC.

Otherwise, the board looks chaotic... the VRM part... I cannot see the VRM IC actually anywhere in the blur.

Move along people... nothing to see.

with some hard work some AIBs can make this card as big as R9 nano.

happitaI'm just confused as to why reference cards are going to cost $100 more. Isn't it traditional that non-reference designs with better coolers be more expensive? Or am I living in an upside-down world?



I'm thinking that's going to be the case because a lot of gamers who haven't upgraded their rigs yet (R9 2xx/GTX 7xx and older) will most likely upgrade with this generations cards.

Nope waiting longer, at least until next year maybe the year after that but will just have to see what happens. I just know i will not be changing mine this year just no point.

newtekie1Looks like it will be easy to compact this into a mITX form factor...

That's what I would see as awesome. I love these MITX cards and would love to build an MATX machine with two in a tiny case and have the two under water.

The design of the card looks fine, interested to see how it performs when overclocking and how non-reference designs improve that.

It still bugs me that they didn't do away with the sli bridge.

cdawallIt still bugs me that they didn't do away with the sli bridge.

With their new HB SLI bridge it may still be advantageous for them to leave it on there.

SlizzoWith their new HB SLI bridge it may still be advantageous for them to leave it on there.

You mean they may get better than the horrid 66% scaling they get now?

It's possi

cdawallYou mean they may get better than the horrid 66% scaling they get now?

If bandwidth between the GPUs is the cause, then yeah it's possible.

EDIT: We'll have to wait and see if there is a difference in the performance of SLI using the HB bridge or using a standard SLI bridge.

SlizzoIt's possi


If bandwidth between the GPUs is the cause, then yeah it's possible.

EDIT: We'll have to wait and see if there is a difference in the performance of SLI using the HB bridge or using a standard SLI bridge.

We already saw that the AMD cards scaled better as main cards using DX12 multi-GPU so it sounds like it is at least part of it.

This harvested circuit OMG (what a scam) , they think to sell at $ 600. As if somebody offered breadcrumbs turkey steak and then you get chicken instead of turkey meat because it does not immediately visible and think that you're pleased. Well, this is nothing new for NVIDIA, for the time Kepler KG 104 quadro we could see how much respect is worthy buyer in this co-operation. .And terror of purchase we can begin to look for the missing elements of electronics that would be appropriate to OC this card . Usurious manipulative attitude towards the customer . And there is none that would prohibit such a bad relationship with all this advertising (how this is a good product, and to be placed good OC) is in real terms throwing sand in the eyes.:shadedshu:

cdawallIt still bugs me that they didn't do away with the sli bridge.

...thats an extra $30 (at least) in sales bro($25 in profit:)) ...gotta accessorize ! Especially in this RGB era. Still waiting on rgb sata cables. :rolleyes:

The amount of unused space hurts my head. Smaller Components, less power, same size PCB, blarg. I hope cards made by AIBs can make is smaller.

im really digg'n that backplate. I'll shell out the extra $100 for that+ day one use!

(and once Asus drops a Matrix I'll grab one of those :rockout: )

PcFixerThe amount of unused space hurts my head. Smaller Components, less power, same size PCB, blarg. I hope cards made by AIBs can make is smaller.

Does the extra space and size of the board not aid in heat dispersion?

Rich SurgenorDoes the extra space and size of the board not aid in heat dispersion?

The heatsink in the shroud appears to be the same size as a 980 heatsink, so shrinking the PCB may not be possible without compromising cooling.

Or the extra space is there so they can make a Nano version later on and change $100 more.