Unboxing: ASUS Strix GTX 980 Ti

Hot from the stove, we present you with the Strix GTX 980 Ti! Measuring 305 mm long, 152.2 mm in height, and 39.8 mm wide, the Strix GTX 980 Ti is a true champ that packs a heck of a punch! For those of you who haven't had the chance to check out this card in person at a local store or seen it at our booth during Computex 2015, this unboxing article will get you as close as feeling like it's in your hands. 

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When you pull the card out of the box, you'll find yourself wanting to feel out the surface of the card and run your fingers along the cool and smooth looking heat pipes. The shroud is made up of three colors: black, silver, and metallic-red, both the silver and red have a very smooth metal-like feel to it, while the black has a rugged texture. Overall whether you're sporting a dark or light color themed build, it doesn't matter, the all new redesigned Strix GTX 980 Ti will look great in almost any build.

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Inside the box you'll find the installation DVD with the GPU Tweak II software and drivers, a 2 x 6-pin to 8-pin power adapter, Strix product catalog, user's manual, and a super hip Strix sticker you can slap on your case.

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The card comes factory overclocked with a base clock of 1216MHz (up from 1000MHz), GPU boost clock up to 1317MHz (up from 1075MHz), and 6GB of GDDR5 memory (4GB on GTX 980) clocked up to an effective memory clock of 7200MHz (up from 7000MHz) running on the 384-bit memory bus (256-bit on GTX 980). Just to give you a good idea how the performance stacks up against the reference version, the card was benched in Witcher 3 and got a 24% boost in FPS (frames-per-second) compared with the reference version, now that's screaming fast!

The GPU on the card is a modified GM200 A1 chip (the same silicon used to power the Titan X) based on the Maxwell architecture, it comes packed with 2816 CUDA cores (2048 on the GTX 980), 176 texture mapping units (128 on the GTX 980), 96 render output units (64 on the GTX 980), and 8 billion transistors. Since the GTX 980 Ti has such similar specifications to the Titan X, it actually has the same TDP (Thermal Design Power) as the Titan X which is 250 Watts, this is remarkable efficiency when you factor in the performance. 

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On the card you'll find all the latest connections required to get your setup up and running whether single or multi-display, those include: one Dual-Link DVI, one HDMI 2.0, and three DisplayPort 1.2, so in total you can configure up to four monitors to run at the same time (three in 4K).

On the top right edge of the card you'll find two 8-pin power connectors with LEDs indicating if cables are connected properly.  A red glowing Strix logo with pulsating effects definitely adds style points to your build!

The all-new DirectCU III technology and Triple Wing-Blade 0dB Fan design sets the card apart from others, allowing the card to run 30% cooler and three times more silent than the reference model.  The three uniquely designed high air pressure (5% increase in air pressure) fans are so quiet even when in full throttle, and when you're using the card for light gaming or normal computer tasks you won't hear them at all, as the fans automatically shut off unless the card reaches 65°C or higher. What makes DirectCU III technology so efficient is the design of the heat sink; five large heat-pipes make direct contact with the GPU to help transfer a high volume of heat away from the GPU, two of which are super-fat at 10mm thick and one transfers heat all the way to the farthest end to disperse heat evenly for ultimate efficiency. The cooling surface area of the entire heat sink is 220% larger than the reference card heat sink, which enables superb passive cooling capabilities for less power draw and quieter gaming.

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ASUS Auto-Extreme technology is an exclusive automated production process only found on ASUS video cards, Strix GTX 980 Ti puts the technology on full display!  No longer will you worry about accidentally hurting your hands from sharp edges on the video card, as you will no longer find any sharp solder joints on the PCB of any ASUS video cards, all you'll find is a surface of sweet, sweet smoothness.  All ASUS video cards are now flux-free, meaning that you'll never have to worry about oxidation issues, dust build up, or solder points degrading over time. The Strix GTX 980 Ti also features a superior 12+2-phase power design compared to the 8+2 phase power design found on the reference version.  If you think that's all the new tech you're going to get, think again; New Super Alloy Power II components are utilized especially for the AUTO-EXTREME technology process which enhance power efficiency, reduces power loss, lowers temperatures of components, decreases electrical buzzing under load, and improves overclocking capability.  These components are now cooled by the DirectCU III heatsink as opposed to a separate smaller heatsink, making the package simplified and cooled by fans!

Strix GTX 980 Ti comes fortified with a high-quality aluminum backplate which prevents the card from warping due to accidental physical force while also helping to dissipate heat.  A new fortifier dedicated to the GPU is now used since there is much pressure on it (so heat transfers as efficient as possible), everything about this card screams quality.

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The GPU Tweak II software is new and redesigned, the new intuitive user interface allows for easier overclocking for first-time overclockers but also retains the same advanced settings for experienced overclockers. Another awesome perk that comes bundled with GPU Tweak II is a 1 year license for XSplit Gamecaster ($99 USD value), allowing gamers to easily stream or record gameplay through a convenient in-game overlay.