MSI Unveils GeForce RTX 30-series SeaHawk X Graphics Card

[btarunr]

MSI today unveiled the GeForce RTX 30-series SeaHawk X graphics cards, flagship custom-design cards. At this point, the company is still deliberating on which GPU to base the card on (whether it's RTX 3080 or RTX 3090, although we predict the company could go with the latter). Like every SeaHawk-branded card before it, the RTX 30-series SeaHawk X is characterized by a factory-fitted AIO closed-loop liquid cooling solution. The latest-generation SeaHawk X cooler, co-designed by Asetek, features a large copper cold-plate that cools not just the GPU via a micro-fin lattice, but also memory chips surrounding the GPU. The AIO pump-block located at the card's end of the cooler features Asetek's latest low-noise pump.

The MSI RTX 30 SeaHawk X is connected to a 240 mm x 120 mm aluminium radiator, which is ventilated by a pair of 120 mm TorX 4.0 fans that feature webbed impellers. On the card itself, a single fan is installed on the cooler, which ventilates a series of heatsinks that cool the VRM. An aluminium back-plate cools the memory chips on the reverse side of the PCB. MSI optimized the fans to completely turn off (including the radiator fans), below a temperature threshold. The pump runs at all times. MSI hasn't finalized the clock speeds of the card, or its price.



The slide-deck follows.


View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[owen10578]

Fan stop for water cooling units is literally the worst thing to do with them ever. All its gonna do is heatsoak the F out of the water because when the GPU is at low load barely producing heat the water can go up to 50C for all it cares and the GPU would still not be hot enough to trigger the fans. Then when a heavy load hits the GPU just overheats because the water is too hot...unless they set the fan off setpoint at a low temp like 30-40C then its pointless.

 

[ZoneDymo]

Fan stop for water cooling units is literally the worst thing to do with them ever. All its gonna do is heatsoak the F out of the water because when the GPU is at low load barely producing heat the water can go up to 50C for all it cares and the GPU would still not be hot enough to trigger the fans. Then when a heavy load hits the GPU just overheats because the water is too hot...unless they set the fan off setpoint at a low temp like 30-40C then its pointless.

yeah I dont get this stuff either, if the fans are modern and good they will be quiet so just run them.
And honestly a constant hum seems less annoying to me then one that appears and stops and appears and stops and appears and stops....

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Ah yes, it's the return of da Sea Hag!

(I know it's the Sea Hawk, but about a year ago I saw one of them on Newegg and "Sea Hag" popped into my head, and it's been my name for those cards ever since )

 

[Ruru]

Fan stop for water cooling units is literally the worst thing to do with them ever. All its gonna do is heatsoak the F out of the water because when the GPU is at low load barely producing heat the water can go up to 50C for all it cares and the GPU would still not be hot enough to trigger the fans. Then when a heavy load hits the GPU just overheats because the water is too hot...unless they set the fan off setpoint at a low temp like 30-40C then its pointless.

Also pumps don't like when the liquid temperature is high.

 

[nguyen]

yikes, did MSI become idiotic after the death of their CEO or what, copper block and aluminum radiator? who tf approved this design?

 

[Ruru]

yikes, did MSI become idiotic after the death of their CEO or what, copper block and aluminum radiator? who tf approved this design?

Copper coldplate/block and aluminium rad has been a thing for like ~15 years in AIOs... nothing new on that.

 

[nguyen]

Copper coldplate/block and aluminium rad has been a thing for like ~15 years in AIOs... nothing new on that.

Well and after 3 years users will have to throw away their GPUs when the AIO stop working, very anti-consumer design there.
At least AIO on CPU is easily replaceable, for GPU it's a different matter.

 

[Ruru]

Well and after 3 years users will have to throw away their GPUs when the AIO stop working, very anti-consumer design there.
At least AIO on CPU is easily replaceable, for GPU it's a different matter.

I wouldn't say that after 3 years, 5 years sounds more like it from what I've read about AIOs during recent years. But yeah, I'm also not into factory AIOs on GPUs.

 

[Yttersta]

Good to see both EVGA and MSI improve their factory hybrid cards this generation. The last hybrid I had was an MSI Sea Hawk 1080ti. And it was the loudest, most uncomfortable card I've ever used. High temps, high noise. I went as far to replace the 120mm rad it came with with a 240 one from a donor Asetek AIO and the card was absolutely transformed; it was so much better.

Now this has a proper fan rather than an axial jet engine, and an appropriatelu sized radiator. Great!

 

[TheUn4seen]

Well and after 3 years users will have to throw away their GPUs when the AIO stop working, very anti-consumer design there.
At least AIO on CPU is easily replaceable, for GPU it's a different matter.

It will probably closer to five years, so if they give a five year warranty, everything will be fine. But honestly, if you're the type of consumer who buys a two thousand dollar ready-made toy (if they go with the 3090, probably more when you consider recent price adjustments), are you the type to use a five year old GPU? or anything last-gen really?

 

[nguyen]

It will probably closer to five years, so if they give a five year warranty, everything will be fine. But honestly, if you're the type of consumer who buys a two thousand dollar ready-made toy (if they go with the 3090, probably more when you consider recent price adjustments), are you the type to use a five year old GPU? or anything last-gen really?

All my previous hardware are still working fine,I just gave them to my relative: GTX 680, R9 290 (dead), GTX 970 (sold), GTX 1060, Titan X Maxwell (sold), 1080Ti, 2060 Super, 2080Ti (keeping as backup). The only recent (<8 year old) GPU that died on me was the R9 290 which died due to buggy driver that locked the fan speed to 20%.
Sure I don't keep a GPU for more than 5 years but I don't want them dead when I give them away. I do keep track of all my previous hardware and do maintenace on them from time to time since I like doing that.

This AIO design remind me of my old favorite GPU, the HD 4890, the stock cooler failed after 8 years so I had to toss it to the bin.

 

[Turmania]

I actually like this, but too bad I`m not rich and stupid enough to buy 2000 USD gpu.