NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4 GB

[LightningJR]

vnice cards nvidia, great review also. Imagine when 20nm is available and nvidia gives us the full maxwell. The efficiency they got on 28nm is nothing short of amazing. Anyone who TRULY understands tech, which I know is a lot of us on here, knows that nvidia has just innovated the proper way, great job. I knew the 750ti's architecture was great but I didn't know if it would scale well.. Man that 970 though, $220 less and a powerhouse, that would be my preferred card for sure, maybe 2 of them

 

[birdie]

I wonder why I don't hear a roar of moaning decrying NVIDIA for the fact that the company charges so much for a card with a limited transistors budget (vs. their competitor)?

Sarcasm and jokes aside, NVIDIA has overdone themselves. I'm now eagerly awaiting Maxwell based Tegra.

 

[HumanSmoke]

Nice card for sure, and I love the big ass cooler, and the back plate! but IMO Even though AMD is a few months behind I believe this card is going to drop an easy $100 in price once AMD bring out it's 3 series cards.

That kind of depends when Bermuda actually arrives. Most of the AMD-centric talk seems centred upon Fiji (the large GPU)- which might have its own problems with the GM 200. In any event, both Bermuda and Fiji are slated for 2015 introduction, so I'm guessing AMD will have a rather meagre Christmas.

 

[Steevo]

I wonder why I don't hear a roar of moaning decrying NVIDIA for the fact that the company charges so much for a card with a limited transistors budget (vs. their competitor)?

Sarcasm and jokes aside, NVIDIA has overdone themselves. I'm now eagerly awaiting Maxwell based Tegra.

Nvidia needs to keep focusing on GPU, compute, and getting their hands on a X86 license, a tegra running angry birds isn't interesting, and any phone with hardware decode can run the new steam in home streaming client with as good or better support.

 

[HumanSmoke]

Nvidia needs to keep focusing on GPU, compute, and getting their hands on a X86 license

That won't happen I don't think. The Intel settlement/cross-license agreement pretty much shot down Nvidia on the x86 front - both architecturally and through emulation (a la Transmeta's Crusoe). Nvidia would be worse equipped than AMD to take on Intel - at least AMD have a reasonable complement of x86 chip architects. Even if Intel gave them an early Christmas present of an x86 license, it would be years before anything eventuated from it - years of R&D that would be better spent in the ARM commodity market.

Back to the GM 204...
How long before Asus teases the Mars III ?

The funny thing I look back on is all the people saying the GTX 980 was not going to compete with the GTX 780ti and yet it seems to be a winner all around.

Well, I'll put my hand up as one of those people. In my defence I would say that I never expected to see a 400mm², 28nm GPU boosting to 1250+MHz in stock standard configuration. The fact that overclocked cards are already pushing 1650+MHz on day one with limited SKUs makes good reading for future offerings (MSI Lightning, ASUS Matrix, EVGA Classified)...god knows what a Galax HOF, or EVGA KingpIn edition would clock at.

 

[Shou Miko]

That won't happen I don't think. The Intel settlement/cross-license agreement pretty much shot down Nvidia on the x86 from - both architecturally and through emulation (a la Transmeta's Crusoe). Nvidia would be worse equipped than AMD to take on Intel - at least AMD have a reasonable complement of x86 chip architects. Even if Intel gave them an early Christmas present of an x86 license, it would be years before anything eventuated from it - years of R&D that would be better spent in the ARM commodity market.

Back to the GM 204...
How long before Asus teases the Mars III ?

problem with the Mars serie is the limited production of the cards and the high price...

i still remember EVGA's GTX 560 Ti 2Win and i think it was sold for about 516usd which was only like 20 bucks over sli price, which is my world is more then acceptable

 

[HumanSmoke]

problem with the Mars serie is the limited production of the cards and the high price...

When has that ever stopped Asus?
There will be a dual GTX 990(?) based on the power envelope demonstrated here....and for duallie lovers - of which I am not one - a dual GTX 970 for ~$600-650 would be a killer SKU (unfortunately it probably won't happen). If -more likely when- there is a dual-GPU GM 204 arrives (and it looks a certainty if only as payback to AMD for having the temerity to embarrass the hugely-expensive-card-that-shall-not-be-named), Asus will surely have to go one better.

 

[fullinfusion]

That kind of depends when Bermuda actually arrives. Most of the AMD-centric talk seems centred upon Fiji (the large GPU)- which might have its own problems with the GM 200. In any event, both Bermuda and Fiji are slated for 2015 introduction, so I'm guessing AMD will have a rather meagre Christmas.

I agree, AMD isn't known for low power, but hey I'm betting they give these new green cards a good run for their money if not better on raw HP!

I Love AMD cards but this new gpu interest me to no end. Would I buy one? Nope but they sure work nice. Either way AMD vs Nvidia is a win all around when they finally launch them.

This time I'm going to be on the Reference bus, not like the last time but those miners fuckd it all up lol... no offense guys I'm just saying

 

[birdie]

This is the new GTX8800!

More like 8800GT (~980) after 8800 GTX ( ~ 780Ti).

 

[Naito]

Wow. Colour me impressed! Definitely wasn't expecting it to be hitting frames over the GTX 780Ti. Pretty much 7% faster all round!

Brilliant review as per usual W1z! Always a great read.

 

[HumanSmoke]

I agree, AMD isn't known for low power, but hey I'm betting they give these new green cards a good run for their money if not better on raw HP!

History would say you are correct. Timeframe will be the important part. Pity HBM looks slated only for big die/expensive cards, a two-thirds reduction in memory power usage could be applied quite nicely to a performance range of cards. I think the current vRAM usage for a 3-4GB card runs about 50-80W - quite a sizeable chunk of the power budget.

 

[CounterZeus]

Buying this card when I can. Will be a nice upgrade from a three year old gtx 560ti

 

[Melvis]

Well well well the GTX 980 is faster then a GTX 780 Ti and its cheaper, well done Nvidia, im impressed with the GTX 980 for sure. The GTX 970 is also pretty good for the price, great cards indeed Its all about price/performance and these cards are looking good for the first time in along time for high end Nvidia cards (Aus)

Edit: Now this is an impressive price for a GTX 970, got me interested Nvidia big time. http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1692&products_id=29120

 

[fullinfusion]

@Nvidia I love your cards but hate your driver software!

Gimme an AMD type software and you got my cash!

 

[Pancho]

Dang, I was hoping this would be a nice improvement over last generation, but it is a mediocre upgrade at best... Now I will be waiting till April or May, for nVidia to bring something to the table worth spending my money on.... count me not impressed.

 

[fullinfusion]

Dang, I was hoping this would be a nice improvement over last generation, but it is a mediocre upgrade at best... Now I will be waiting till April or May, for nVidia to bring something to the table worth spending my money on.... count me not impressed.

Yeah but think a 780TI is slower not by much, but these clock like mad, sammy memory I'm sure will have no problem Cracking 8000MHz

And the power difference!

Think of it like this, A 780TI would need 100% of its game settings to be Beautifull, But... These cards do it at moreless half the power and Half the clocks

 

[Pancho]

Yeah but think a 780TI is slower not by much, but these clock like mad, sammy memory I'm sure will have no problem Cracking 8000MHz

And the power difference!

Think of it like this, A 780TI would need 100% of its game settings to be Beautifull, But... These cards do it at moreless half the power and Half the clocks

Power means nothing to me, I am all for performance, and the only company that offers true performance is Nvidia, so this release is disappointing. I want a stock card that is at the very least 20% to 30% greater than last generation... a 3% to 4% increase is pulling an AMD gimmick, no thanks... even at OC's people are seeing a 14% to 17% increase over last gen, sorry, but that is still terrible. Anyways just my opinion, you don't have to agree.

 

[fullinfusion]

Power means nothing to me, I am all for performance, and the only company that offers true performance is Nvidia, so this release is disappointing. I want a stock card that is at the very least 20% to 30% greater than last generation... a 3% to 4% increase is pulling an AMD gimmick, no thanks... even at OC's people are seeing a 14% to 17% increase over last gen, sorry, but that is still terrible. Anyways just my opinion, you don't have to agree.

I agree power means shit! Im the same way but really i see the same or better on my 290'S

No big deal but I agree, The same performer but turned down to 780TI speeds for the same eye candy.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

@Nvidia I love your cards but hate your driver software!

Gimme an AMD type software and you got my cash!

Wait seriously? 98% of people would have it the other way.

Dang, I was hoping this would be a nice improvement over last generation, but it is a mediocre upgrade at best... Now I will be waiting till April or May, for nVidia to bring something to the table worth spending my money on.... count me not impressed.

They will wait till AMD counters with te R9 3xx, then release something to beat that. Same cycle it has been for years.

 

[overpass]

What a smart card! What an efficient card!
This card reminds me of a something out of sci-fi, something that materializes out of the blue, does amazing things with so much technology (MFAA!) and mastery of rendering packed in, effortlessly and beautifully. nVidia makes leaps in generational tech that makes me a believer in not only the performance but opens my eyes unto possibility per watt and decibel, that 'Ge' in 'GeForce' now must mean 'Great efficiency'. The 970 should be standard part in every Steam boxes, it is as a 'reference' part in computer graphics as any I've seen for a long, long time. Even the 980's MSRP, $549, nears that golden bar of high performing, new generation part and with rebates I can certainly see it reaching that figure. A mature, applicable technology, smart design, and fair price, nVidia crosses all the t's and dots all i's and then some (Ts and Is...hmm do I smell a 980 TI down the road???). It is only a shame that nVidia doesn't design CPUs then it will be a beautiful and greener World the way Louis Armstrong envisioned.

THIS REVIEW AND WASTELAND 2 RELEASE THIS VERY DAY MAKE ME A VERY HAPPY PERSON IS ALL.

 

[LeonVolcove]

I am about to spend my money for R9 290 and now this "Behemoth" coming, Damn, what should i do?????

 

[HumanSmoke]

I am about to spend my money for R9 290 and now this "Behemoth" coming, Damn, what should i do?????

Wait until GTX 670 970's are widely available - then you'll have your choice of an expensive fully enabled GTX 980, a much cheaper GTX 670 970 with decent OC options, or a R9 290 with newly cratered pricing.

A mature, applicable technology, smart design, and fair price, nVidia crosses all the t's and dots all i's and then some (Ts and Is...hmm do I smell a 980 TI down the road???).

Probably not since the GTX 980's GM 204 is fully enabled anyway. Although a GTX 970 Ti is almost a certainty.

 

[Lionheart]

Okay Nvidia you won me over

 

[HammerON]

What an amazing card (even more so is the 970)
This really puts the pressure on AMD.

 

[fullinfusion]

Wait seriously? 98% of people would have it the other way.


They will wait till AMD counters with te R9 3xx, then release something to beat that. Same cycle it has been for years.

Im the 2 % lol

and @HammerON I dont think so... AMD is still going to be top heat and power sucking sob of a card but I do believe its going to be on par fps wise..... and cheaper