EVGA GeForce GTX 980 HydroCopper Pictured

[btarunr]

With the GeForce GTX 980 HydroCopper, EVGA changed the "HydroCopper" brand. In earlier generations, HydroCopper denoted a factory-overclocked reference PCB, with a factory-fitted, full-coverage water-block, which you added to a liquid-cooling loop of your own. The new card comes with its very own closed-loop cooler, much like AMD's reference Radeon R9 295X2.

The card's cooler features a metal base-plate which conveys heat drawn from the memory and VRM, in part to the centrally located pump-block, and in part to an aluminium fin stack. A common lateral-flow blower ventilates the two. The central pump-block looks typical Asetek fare, with a pair of tubes driving coolant to and from the reservoir+radiator assembly, which is ventilated by a single 120 mm fan. The underlying PCB appears to be reference NVIDIA.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[manofthem]

I didn't think the 980 would need anything like this cooler. The 295x2, sure; this card, surprises me. I'd have thought the 980 with a factory-fitted waterblock would have been a better idea than this AIO that pretty much makes the sexy GTX cooler a bit uglier.

 

[THE_EGG]

I didn't think the 980 would need anything like this cooler. The 295x2, sure; this card, surprises me. I'd have thought the 980 with a factory-fitted waterblock would have been a better idea than this AIO that pretty much makes the sexy GTX cooler a bit uglier.

While I agree to an extent I think this is a great product. Personally I think they should still offer a 980 with a factory fitted waterblock (maybe Kingpin version?? ) but I think this AIO version is great. Main reason being that most of the heat is being transported elsewhere which is great in SLI setups. If this was available on a 970 and was around when I was looking at the 900 series I would have bought something like this because the heat will be moved to a fan slot on the case and not just dumped right in the case. Blower fan style cards are good for this too but they get pretty noisy real quick.

 

[Retell]

This isn't actually the HydroCopper. It's The GTX 980 Hybrid.

 

[ZoneDymo]

That looks horrendous

 

[damric]

Abomination.

Very cheap looking.

It looks like something they would sell you at Best Buy, and two days later it broke.

Pretty sure I have better water cooling parts in the back of my toilet.

EVGA fanboys will buy anything though...

 

[micropage7]

it looks like ghetto solution

 

[LDNL]

WTH EVGA? People paid a premium for Hydrocopper because it had a quality block preinstalled. Now youre just catering to the masses with this AIO bs.

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

WTH happened to HydroCopper? I'd rather have the copper block solution not this laymen appealing abomination.

 

[HumanSmoke]

WTH EVGA? People paid a premium for Hydrocopper because it had a quality block preinstalled.

And the HydroCopper still does have a FC waterblock. As has been already explained in an earlier post, this SKU is a hybrid cooler

Now youre just catering to the masses with this AIO bs.

AIO BS Edition! Copyright that before AMD get the decals printed up.

 

[Starlord]

I always liked the HydroCopper cards for their custom waterblock design which came pre-fitted, this seems like they didn't want to invest in it anymore

 

[GhostRyder]

I didn't think the 980 would need anything like this cooler. The 295x2, sure; this card, surprises me. I'd have thought the 980 with a factory-fitted waterblock would have been a better idea than this AIO that pretty much makes the sexy GTX cooler a bit uglier.

While I agree to an extent I think this is a great product. Personally I think they should still offer a 980 with a factory fitted waterblock (maybe Kingpin version?? ) but I think this AIO version is great. Main reason being that most of the heat is being transported elsewhere which is great in SLI setups. If this was available on a 970 and was around when I was looking at the 900 series I would have bought something like this because the heat will be moved to a fan slot on the case and not just dumped right in the case. Blower fan style cards are good for this too but they get pretty noisy real quick.

I don't think the point of this was so much for extreme overclocking and more for the people wanting something that can be even more quiet while getting higher clocks in the package since even the reference cooler can overclock these cards very well. It seems more like something designed for people just wanting something simple and silent while giving a bit better performance out of the box (to me at least).

I do have to say calling this though the HydroCopper is a bit of an odd idea though since they already have a HydroCopper full block variant and that is what people are accustomed to. Might have been a better idea to name this something else.

 

[Cybrnook2002]

WTF? That looks like a$$. Previous Hydro Coppers looked MUCH better.

Guess it just must be more cost effective to slap a AIO on it instead of getting an OEM to spec out a block. (Since its really unnecessary anyways)

 

[GhostRyder]

WTF? That looks like a$$. Previous Hydro Coppers looked MUCH better.

Guess it just must be more cost effective to slap a AIO on it instead of getting an OEM to spec out a block. (Since its really unnecessary anyways)

Well I believe there is a normal HydroCopper as well and this will just be another product on the lineup. I think they should just call it something else just to differentiate it more from the lineup.

 

[Cybrnook2002]

Well I believe there is a normal HydroCopper as well and this will just be another product on the lineup. I think they should just call it something else just to differentiate it more from the lineup.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

This may not look the best, but it would be awesome for someone who wants a watercooled gpu with the hour long hassle of getting a custom loop built. i could buy two of those, plop them in my case, and be running just as fast as using standard air coolers, but with the benefit of watercooling.

 

[HumanSmoke]

This may not look the best, but it would be awesome for someone who wants a watercooled gpu with the hour long hassle of getting a custom loop built. i could buy two of those, plop them in my case, and be running just as fast as using standard air coolers, but with the benefit of watercooling.

That is likely the rationale behind EVGA offering the model. The company aren't hesitant with bombarding the customer with options as the premiere Nvidia-only AIB ( Sapphire do much the same as the premiere AMD-only AIB). Offering new models just adds to the selection, and invariably, a new slew of site reviews (additional PR) for a product whose initial hype is beginning to fade.
The model might also be testing the waters for future SKU's ( a dual GM 204 model?) and as a PR answer to Gigabyte's triple AIO mostrocity.