MSI Preparing Custom GeForce GTX 260 with 1.8 GB Memory

[alexp999]

MSI is said to be readying a custom graphics card called the N260GTX Lightning, based on NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 260 GPU. There is currently no word on clock speeds but one would expect this card to come factory overclocked. The graphics card has a custom red PCB, featuring 8+2 phase power, 5000 hour capacitors, 1792 MB of GDDR3, D-Sub, DVI and DisplayPort or HDMI and a dual slot, dual fan cooler, featuring 5 heatpipes. MSI will also be bundling an AirForce panel which appears to allow on the fly adjustments to core and memory voltage, core, shader and memory clock speeds, as well as profile selection and brightness and contrast adjustments. The MSI N260GTX Lightning is expected to make its first official appearance at CeBIT 2009.



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[Rexter]

Woah, like woah! So, what features has msi NOT put into that card? Thats like porn, for graphicscards.

 

[crtecha]

I heard that they mounted some copper titties on the other side for cooling and aesthetic purposes.

 

[Deleted member 3]

Woah, like woah! So, what features has msi NOT put into that card? Thats like porn, for graphicscards.

No, if it were porn there would be no cooler.


Isn't it just a 260 with double the memory?

 

[alexp999]

No, if it were porn there would be no cooler.


Isn't it just a 260 with double the memory?

Double memory, custom cooler, custom PCB, cusomt power and then there must be some sort of connection and controller for the panel, unless it is software based.

Afaik, you cant change mem voltages through softmods atm, but this has a mem voltage adjuster on it.

 

[GFC]

Nice, although i wonder how actual performance benefits does the extra ram add?.. Probably not more than a couple of percentage.. :/

 

[Rexter]

i would buy this almost because of the e-penis factor. But THIS is what i want to see on the market, not a gazillion OEM cards, but differences in quality and features you can ACTUALLY see and feel.

 

[DaedalusHelios]

Nice, although i wonder how actual performance benefits does the extra ram add?.. Probably not more than a couple of percentage.. :/

In SLI and TRi-SLi it should scale alot better having to do with buffering and also future proofing it some because games are being written to utilize more Vram like the way "Age of Conan" does, and "Alan Wake" should too.

 

[alexp999]

In SLI and TRi-SLi it should scale alot better having to do with buffering and also future proofing it some because games are being written to utilize more Vram like the way "Age of Conan" does, and "Alan Wake" should too.

Not sure looking at the cooler whether SLI is even possible, I see no SLI fingers

 

[DaedalusHelios]

Not sure looking at the cooler whether SLI is even possible, I see no SLI fingers

I am sure it atleast has one SLi slot up there behind the plastic cover in the photo. It would be a pain to use two or three of the controllers mounted on the front of the case for the hardware controller it comes with though.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Double memory, custom cooler, custom PCB, cusomt power and then there must be some sort of connection and controller for the panel, unless it is software based.

Afaik, you cant change mem voltages through softmods atm, but this has a mem voltage adjuster on it.

Its not much of a 'custom' cooler - its just a bootleg rip of Artic Cooling's Twin Turbo cooler - & I know this because I actually have one. MSI have just replaced A.C's front cover which holds the fans to something else. which also means the fans are different too.

Nice, although i wonder how actual performance benefits does the extra ram add?.. Probably not more than a couple of percentage.. :/

your probably right - given the right game you might see an extra 5fps if your lucky. but on the other hand if you play a lot of texture heavy games i.e Fallout 3 where its just miles & miles of endless open space - this is probably where the 1.8Gb would really come into play. - Also the people who love to run AntiAliasing @ max settings would probably love this card but I think it may still be a little overkill for them...

saying all that - its a shame there isnt some tool you can download to find out how much RAM your game is using up on your graphics card - theres really no way to tell that 'enough is enough' other then going by the basics & nerds intuition.

maybe this shoulda been a 'industrial' card for CaD peps & 3d studios who would probably love this card more & find it a little more useful then the average people who think 'bigger is better'

 

[LittleLizard]

my opinion is that they should have released a new variants of some of its cards and make it compatible with that controller

 

[FreedomEclipse]

my opinion is that they should have released a new variants of some of its cards and make it compatible with that controller

Or they coulda just realeased a bog standard graphics card & saved the controller for more higher end or 'special edition' models. but they probably couldnt stand it that Zotac was gettin so much love from already realising their own line of GPU controller units

 

[Agility]

Or they coulda just realeased a bog standard graphics card & saved the controller for more higher end or 'special edition' models. but they probably couldnt stand it that Zotac was gettin so much love from already realising their own line of GPU controller units

Lol.

Also so much for 5000hours capacitors. I mean i wouldn't even want to post that up. It only lasts for 204days for 5000hours. That's even less then a year. More like this card is up for those who are willing to spend some extra cash on a standard GTX260 but with more memory.

 

[wolf]

Hello max settings for a while to come, those babies in SLi or god forbid TRi SLi would be amazing, not running into a framebuffer limitation anytime soon

great to see such a great custom design, 8+2 power phases, double framebuffer, custom pcb, top grade components, and on the fly clock and voltage adjustments.....

this card would be a tweakers bliss. i would love two.

 

[phanbuey]

I think there is a typo the 5000 is 50000hr?... if not then thata would be pretty crappy.

 

[Kenshai]

Lol.

Also so much for 5000hours capacitors. I mean i wouldn't even want to post that up. It only lasts for 204days for 5000hours. That's even less then a year. More like this card is up for those who are willing to spend some extra cash on a standard GTX260 but with more memory.

The hours doesn't refer to how long the capacitors will last, but how much energy they can hold. At least I believe that's how they're making it out.

 

[alexp999]

I think there is a typo the 5000 is 50000hr?... if not then thata would be pretty crappy.

No they are 5000 hr capacitors.

They way capacitors are sold is their life expectancy running at maximum temperature. Average capacitors are sold, hours before failure at 80*C, decent capacitors are, hours before failure at 105*C.
So the actual life span of a cap probably at only 30-40*C is much longer.

The hours doesn't refer to how long the capacitors will last, but how much energy they can hold. At least I believe that's how they're making it out.

Capacitor capacity is measured in Farads. Usually written as micro Farads (μF)

 

[Nitro-Max]

IMO this is what msi do best.

 

[phanbuey]

No they are 5000 hr capacitors.

They way capacitors are sold is their life expectancy running at maximum temperature. Average capacitors are sold, hours before failure at 80*C, decent capacitors are, hours before failure at 105*C.
So the actual life span of a cap probably at only 30-40*C is much longer.

Capacitor capacity is measured in Farads. Usually written as micro Farads (μF)

Thanks Alex,

That really makes me re-think my vrm and capacitor cooling situation, as they reach 80C and im constantly folding.

 

[Duffman]

They need to make a 285 version!

 

[Wile E]

Yay!! We can finally max out GTA4. lol. I honestly thought somebody would've released a 1792MB 260 well before this.

If I go X58, I may move to these cards, possibly in Tri-SLI. Unless of course somebody releases a 2GB 285. lol.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

what's this thing gonna cost compared to other gtx260 cards is what I would like to know.

 

[Hayder_Master]

5000 hour capacitors , the gigabyte ultra durable 3 give 50000 hour capacitors

 

[Rexter]

5000 hour capacitors , the gigabyte ultra durable 3 give 50000 hour capacitors

It must be a typo, because thats even less than regular caps.