Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming

[White Rabbit]

 

Introduction

Prior to purchasing the Gigabyte Xtreme, I was the less-than-proud owner of three separate 980 Tis: two Zotac Amps (non-Extreme) and a Gigabyte G1.

 

My first Amp died on me 4 months after purchase. I'll never forget the smell. It's just as well, because it was loud and hot, unstable past 1450MHz, and had an ASIC around 68%. My replacement was even worse: unstable past 1420MHz on the core and 7.8GHz on the memory, although it did have a higher ASIC score of 72%. Both cards had temperatures no less than 80C at load, with a fan speed of 90-100%. (Mind you, this was just in Heaven and Firestrike. I ran far more intensive stress tests with the Xtreme at lower temps and fan speeds.) I decided to cut my losses, sell my Amp and get a G1, a card that, in June, cost £100 more, which is why I didn't get it in the first place. On the other hand, Zotac's RMA process was great, so at least they've got that going for them.

 

My G1 had an ASIC of 75% and boosted up to 1470MHz, which I reached at 1.212V. It was cooler and quieter than my Amps, but I ended up keeping it for less than a week before returning it for a full refund. This was because I had the bad fortune of ordering one literally 2 hours before Gigabyte announced the 980 Ti Xtreme. My reason for not immediately cancelling the order was that if my G1 was good, I might as well forget about the Xtreme version. But I really wanted a card that could boost past 1500MHz, and when the G1 couldn't...

 

...I swapped it for my current card: the Gigabyte 980 Ti Xtreme. In total I paid around £160 for the upgrade from the Amp I bought in June to the Xtreme I bought in November; maybe £180 if you count all the back and forth shipping fees, although selling off codes for Arkham Knight, and Bullets and Blades helped cushion the blow.

 

I'd like to mention that this card boosts up to 1442MHz at stock. No custom fan curve, and no added voltage or frequency! This is possible because the Xtreme has a stock voltage of 1.193V instead of 1.187V for other 980 Tis. That said, if temperatures go beyond 70-72C, its voltage will drop down to 1.174 just like the other pleb 980 Tis (lol). This lower voltage forces the card to run at 1430MHz, which is still better (not to mention quieter and cooler) than my replacement Amp. Damn it, Zotac, what a crappy card that was.

 

Also worth mentioning is that my card has an ASIC score of 77.8%, and though it still has the good old-fashioned Windforce 3X cooler, it uses a brand-new custom PCB with Samsung memory, so it's a bit more than just a colourful G1.

 

I neglected to take photographs of my card before installing it, so you'll have just to make do with Google.

 

Overclocking and stress testing the Xtreme

If I had know that I'd be writing this review, my testing would have been a little more comprehensive. As it is, I only have complete results for the overclocked 980 Ti Xtreme.

 

There's a lot of hoopla about the Xtreme's LEDs, its 12+2 power phases, its LN2 capabilties, and its "Titan X-grade components", but that stuff is either uninteresting or beyond my limited technical understanding of GPUs. Let's jump straight into the benchmarks.

 

3DMark Firestrike Standard:

• 980 Ti Amp (the one that fried): Score 16735, Graphics Score 20632, Physics Score 12920, Combined Score 8481, clocks @1459/1953, 1.212V - Link

                 Comments: 100% fan speed; 80C+ temperatures; overclock stable during benchmark, but not while gaming.

• 980 Ti G1: Score 16884, Graphics Score 20951, Physics Score 13018, Combined Score 8399, clocks @1470/2003, 1.212V - Link

                 Comments: 80-90% fan speed; 75-80C temperatures; overclock stable in all workloads, except memory speed had to be reduced to 1953MHz.

• 980 Ti Xtreme OC: Score 17218, Graphics Score 21615, Physics Score 13099, Combined Score 8383, clocks @1528/2001, 1.237V - Link

                 Comments: 68% fan speed; 72C; overclock stable in all workloads.

• 980 Ti Xtreme stock: Score 16144, Graphics Score 19603, Physics Score 13070, Combined Score 8194, clocks @1442/1801, 1.193V - Link

                 Comments: 60% fan speed; 71C; stock clocks were not thoroughly tested, but had better be fucking stable in all workloads.

 

Unigine Heaven (Ultra quality; Extreme tesselation; 8x AA; 1080p):

• 980 Ti Amp (the one that fried): Score 2539, clocks @1459/1953, 1.212V - Link

                 Comments: 100% fan speed; 79C; overclock not stable during gaming

• 980 Ti Xtreme OC: Score 2639, clocks @1528/2001, 1.237V - Link

                 Comments: 67% fan speed; 71C; overclock stable in all workloads.

 

FFXIV Heavensward benchmark (Maximum preset; 4K DSR)

• 980 Ti Xtreme OC: Score 6436, clocks @1515-1528/2001 - Screenshot

                 Comments: I chose 4K because it is the most accessible resolution (with DSR), even though I normally run the benchmark at 5K. By running at 4K, people can compare their scores to mine without having to own a 1440p or 4K monitor.

 

FFXIV Heavensward stress test (Maximum preset; 5K DSR; looping run)

• 980 Ti Xtreme OC: 79C, 1515MHz @ 1.230V, 74% fan speed (2666RPM), 116% TDP, 4720MB VRAM usage - no screenshot, unfortunately

                 Comments: Why use this relatively obscure benchmark as a stress test? This is why. 5K is necessary for a looping run stress test because there is a framerate cap of 60FPS (Square Enix claims it is to "reduce stress on your system", which is BS because stressing my system is why I want the benchmark to loop in the first place). The ultra-high resolution keeps framerates nice and low, and as an added bonus uses lots of VRAM. This is the stress test that convinced me to lower my memory overclock from 8.1 to 8GHz.

 

Anno 2070 stress test (Custom preset, highest possible in-game settings; 1440p)

• 980 Ti Xtreme OC: 80C, 1515MHz @ 1.230V, 75% fan speed (2704RPM), 117% TDP, 1616MB VRAM usage - screenshot 1, screenshot 2

                 Comments: Wow, who'd have thought that a 2011 game could be such a good stress test? I used one of my industrial islands for this test since there's so much going on at once. At stock settings, this is the only game that makes my card hit its power limit. Stock TDP is 300W, which is 50W than reference cards, so 117% of that is 351W. Remember, however, that this is only an estimate from software readings. This game draws power like crazy; I'm not even sure why, because frame rates are fine. One time my drivers crashed and the card was limited to 595MHz on the core clock, a reduction of almost 1000MHz. The result? Frame rates dropped from 100FPS to 80FPS. :lol: At any rate, this is the game that convinced me to increase voltage from 1.212V to 1.230V. It's also the reason why I haven't pushed past 1515MHz.

 

Conclusion

The maximum overclock I got was 1528MHz on the core @ 1.237V (when at high temperatures, this drops down to 1515MHz @ 1.230V), and 8GHz on the memory. Like the G1 and most other 980 Tis, the Xtreme is voltage capped to 1.237V. You can set the voltage offset to a maximum +87mV (0.087+1.193=1.28V), but you'll still only get 1.237V from the card. I'm fine with this, because I don't want to run my fans at 100% just to keep temperatures down, and there's no telling if increased voltage will even be effective.

 

However, 1528MHz is a bit of a "cheat". The card has a 2.5-slot heatsink and it takes so long to heat up that short benchmarks like Firestrike and Heaven finish before temperatures force the card to lower the voltage, thus giving me a slightly inflated score. My actual 100% steady overclock is 1515/8002 @ 1.230V.

 

 

Those knowledgeable about 980 Ti overclocking should recognize that 1.230V is not a standard voltage. Like I previously mentioned, the card will drop down the voltage a notch if temperatures go above 70C. In the stock BIOS, this lowers the voltage from 1.237V to 1.212V, which is a standard voltage. Unfortunately, 1515MHZ @ 1.212V was not 100% stable in Anno 2070 and Heavensward. I extracted the stock BIOS from my card, and made only one change: an increase of the voltage to 1.230V. This made the card go down from 1.237V to 1.230V, which made it slightly hotter but offered the stability I was seeking. I predict that the card can be run at 1515MHz, 1.230V indefinitely without artifacts or crashes. Still, only time can tell whether I'm right. After all, I've only owned the card for 5 days.

 

When it comes to 980 Ti overclocking, I've seen people with 1550MHz+, I've seen 1590MHz on a 980 Ti Kingpin, and I've even heard rumours of 1600MHz on air, so it's plain to see that my Xtreme doesn't have the world's most amazing overclock. But it is still far and away superior to my previous cards, and I'm very happy with it. Best of all, the maximum fan speed was only 2704RPM, which is quite comfortable to my ears (be aware that these numbers are mostly meaningless unless you compare them to another Windforce 3X cooler). For those interested, here are some glorious screenshots of my Anno 2070 game.

 

My only disappointment is that, after having read a detailed explanation on why Samsung memory performs better than Hynix memory, I still couldn't push mine past 8GHz. However, one strange and unexpected positive is that Samsung memory crashes a lot better than Hynix. Instead of artifacting all over the screen and freezing the entire system, an excessive memory overclock will usually cause the benchmark to CTD, or at worst cause a driver restart, allowing me to try again much quicker (lol).

 

All in all, an excellent card!

[Lays]

It has Samsung VRAM on it?

 

GPU-Z pic pls?

[White Rabbit]

 

My full system specs:

 

Motherboard: MSI Z97M Gaming mATX

CPU: i7 4790K @ 4.6 GHz, Scythe Mugen 4 cooler

RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical @ 2400MHz CL9

Storage: 850 Evo 500GB + WD Black 3 TB

Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E Temjin mATX

PSU: EVGA Supernova G2 750W

Case fans: 180mm Silverstone AP181 at the front, 120mm Corsair AF120 at the rear

 

I forgot to mention how well this card cools in an mATX case. This is how much space the card has in the typical TJ08:

And bear in mind that the 980 Ti is bigger than the card shown in the picture.

[Wingfan]

have any pics of your rig?

[Lays]

q

 

 

 

Weird, I wonder if all of them come with it.

 

Previously the only cards with Samsung were the Galaxy Ln2 limited edition card, the Kingpin, and engineering samples of 980 TI Lightning. (retail version has hynix)

[White Rabbit]

All the Xtreme Waterforce cards come with Samsung memory as well. The Waterforce and Windforce versions are basically the same cards with different coolers.

[White Rabbit]

have any pics of your rig?

I don't like taking pictures of it because it's just a black box, lol:

 

Or do you mean the inside?

[Wingfan]

the inside, id like to see that beast card in it

[White Rabbit]

Ok, here you go:

 

Yes, I have the computer next to a window, but I don't stress test with the windows open; that would be 100% cheating. Sames goes for the sidepanel.

 

And yes, the motherboard is placed upside down. Silverstone likes to do unusual stuff with their cases. One minor benefit is that the entire weight of the card is shifted down on the backplate, which all but eliminates sag. This is a heavy triple-slot card that would sag in most cases.

 

EDIT: On further inspection, this is a 2.5-slot card. It is 51mm thick, which is about 10mm more than dual-slot GPUs. A triple-slot card would be 60mm thick.

[Wingfan]

Ok, here you go:

http://u.cubeupload.com/tnn21/interiorlight.jpg

http://u.cubeupload.com/tnn21/interiordark.jpg

 

Yes, I have the computer next to a window, but I don't stress test with the windows open; that would be 100% cheating. Sames goes for the sidepanel.

 

And yes, the motherboard is placed upside down. Silverstone likes to do unusual stuff with their cases. One minor benefit is that the entire weight of the card is shifted down on the backplate, which all but eliminates sag. This is a heavy triple-slot card that would sag in most cases.

Tight fit lol Looks good

 

My Lightning was the same in my Air 240, but i had an H105 up front. Less than a 1/8in space.

[Wingfan]

So how much does this card go for? US dollars

[White Rabbit]

Sorry, I'm not up to date on American prices. They look cheap at first, but there's a hefty import fee to the UK. I believe both Amazon and Newegg sell them.

[Wingfan]

Cant find any for sale in US

[White Rabbit]

Are you sure? All you have to do is search for it on Google Shopping. I just did that, and found that Newegg has it in stock for $689.99. Be sure to spell it without an "E" in the name or you'll find the Amp Extreme. :lol:

[Noirgheos]

Sorry, I'm not up to date on American prices. They look cheap at first, but there's a hefty import fee to the UK. I believe both Amazon and Newegg sell them.

Can you comment on the card's "flimsiness". I've heard that the shroud is pretty weak, like on the part that has the Windforce logo on it, you can easily bend it with a finger.

[blu4]

It has Samsung VRAM on it?

 

GPU-Z pic pls?

You do love your Samsung RAM, don't you

[White Rabbit]

Can you comment on the card's "flimsiness". I've heard that the shroud is pretty weak, like on the part that has the Windforce logo on it, you can easily bend it with a finger.

Yes, I saw that video review too. It's not as solid as the rest of the card, but nor is it as flimsy as he makes it appear. I almost cringed because I thought he was deliberately trying to damage it. It will never come into any physical stress when mounted in the motherboard.

 

For those who don't know, this is the video I'm talking about.

[Altecice]

I just finished benching my OC on my MSI 980Ti's.... Managed to push +110 core, +450 mem without adding any voltage (1450 core, 2000 mem boost). I think I did very well....  I did wonder how the Xtreme would do I guess I know now.

[Smooth Bunz]

Well Thats it im selling my two g1 gaming 980ti's and getting two of these bad boys

[Altecice]

Well Thats it im selling my two g1 gaming 980ti's and getting two of these bad boys

 

Silly, Just remember that OP's OC may not work on other cards... its all just a silicon lottery. 

[Smooth Bunz]

Silly, Just remember that OP's OC may not work on other cards... its all just a silicon lottery. 

Yea After I posted that I'm like meh Im not going through the trouble in selling and getting the new ones

[Altecice]

Yea After I posted that I'm like meh Im not going through the trouble in selling and getting the new ones

 

Yup, waste of money for small small gains.  B)

[Smooth Bunz]

Yup, waste of money for small small gains.  B)

and too much trouble

[White Rabbit]

Damn, there goes my commission from Gigabyte...

[Equilibrium1990]

Ordered mine Monday here in Aus, Should arrive at work tomorrow :-)

Upgrading from Xfire XFX R9 290X DD's with the R9 390x bios mod on them.  Will loose some FPS but i'm hoping I loose a lot of issues and heat also :-)