Introduction

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is a mean machine based on NVIDIA's second biggest implementation of its "Pascal" architecture, the 16 nm "GP102" silicon. This is the same chip that drives the TITAN X Pascal. The GTX 1080 Ti features the same number of CUDA cores as the latest TITAN, at 3,584 spread across 28 streaming multiprocessors. There is some cost-cutting here, but none that is designed to lower performance - the chip has a slightly narrower memory bus at 352 bit; that's one memory chip less than what you'd find on the TITAN X Pascal. The total memory amount is hence 11 GB. A cluster of ROPs is also disabled, so you now get 88 ROPs (as opposed to the 96 ROPs on the TITAN). The memory chips are, however, clocked 10% higher to make up for the 8.3% narrower memory bus. This move also translates into cost savings due to the lack of a 12th memory chip and probably better yields for the GP102 chip.



The Palit GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GameRock Premium is Palit's new flagship card. It introduces a triple-slot, stacked quad-fan thermal solution, which promises higher air pressure and lower noise. Out of the box, the card comes overclocked to a frequency of 1594 MHz (OC Mode), but you can also switch to a quiet mode BIOS that runs at 1518 MHz.

Palit's products are not available in the US. In Europe, the card is listed for €834, which we converted to $770 for comparisons in this review.

Packaging

You will receive:

• Graphics card
• Documentation + driver CD
• PCIe 6-pin to 8-pin adapter

The Card

Palit's large boxy cooler uses blue highlights, but tends to look a bit plasticky. On the back, you will find a metal backplate with the GameRock logo. Dimensions of the card are 29.0 cm x 13.5 cm.


You will find adjustable RGB lighting on the Palit GTX 1080 Ti GameRock.


Installation requires three slots in your system. This is a full triple-slot design, unlike other board partners which use 2.5 slots to keep some spacing for airflow in SLI configurations.


Display connectivity options include a DVI port, HDMI port, and three DisplayPorts. It's nice to see that the DVI port has been brought back, which was missing on the GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition.

Unlike previous-generation NVIDIA cards, the DVI port no longer includes the analog signal, so you'll have to use an active adapter. NVIDIA also updated DisplayPort to be 1.2 certified and 1.3/1.4 ready, which enables support for 4K at 120 Hz and 5K @ 60 Hz, or 8K @ 60 Hz with two cables.

The GPU also comes with an HDMI sound device. It is HDMI 2.0b compatible, which supports HD audio and Blu-ray 3D movies. The GPU's video-encoding unit has been updated to support HEVC at 10-bit and 12-bit.


With Pascal, NVIDIA made some changes to how SLI works. In a nutshell, for 4K at 60 Hz and above, NVIDIA recommends new high-bandwidth SLI bridges it dubbed "SLI HB." These bridges occupy both SLI fingers. Traditional triple- and quad-SLI setups are gone as well. Only certain benchmarks can run more than the dual-SLI setup to which all games are limited.


We shine the light from a self-leveling line laser onto the card, which shows no noteworthy sagging.


Pictured above are the front and back, showing the disassembled board. High-res versions are also available (front, back).

A Closer Look

Palit's thermal solution uses four thick heatpipes to keep the GPU cool. You can also see various thermal pads here, which provide cooling for the memory chips and VRM circuitry.


The backplate is made from metal and protects the card during installation and handling. It also has two thermal pads, which help a little bit with cooling the VRM circuitry.


These fans are the heart of Palit's new TurboJet4 fan technology. Two fans are each stacked on another, and each fan has its own motor.


A dual BIOS switch is located near the SLI connectors; it lets you switch between the default performance BIOS and a quiet BIOS with lower clocks and reduced fan noise. It's a bit hard to reach. I used a screwdriver.


Palit has upgraded the power input of their GTX 1080 Ti to two 8-pins. This input configuration is specified for up to 375 watts of power draw.


We have seen the OnSemi NCP81274 on various other custom design cards. The reference design uses a uPI controller.


These look like voltmodding or measuring points. They are unlabeled though, so it is up to you to find out.


Palit has added some RGB headers to which you can attach your own LEDs that will follow the card's RGB coloring.


The GDDR5X memory chips are made by Micron and are marked with "D9VRL," which decodes to MT58K256M321JA-110. They are specified to run at 1375 MHz (11,000 MHz GDDR5X effective).


NVIDIA's GP102 graphics processor is the company's second-largest chip using the Pascal architecture. It is produced on a 16 nm process at TSMC, Taiwan, with a transistor count of 12 billion and a die size of 471 mm².