Gtx 970 from different manufacturers. Video cards

Name	GeForce GTX 770	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 780 Ti	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce GTX 980
Codename	GK104	GK110	GK110	GM204	GM204
Version	Kepler	Kepler	Kepler	Maxwell 2.x	Maxwell 2.x
Technical process, nm	28	28	28	28	28
Size of core/cores, mm 2	294	521	521	398	398
Number of transistors, million	3540	7100	7100	5200	5200
Core frequency, MHz	1046	860	880	1050	1126
Core frequency (Turbo), MHz	1085	900	930	1178	1216
Number of shaders (PS), pcs.	1536	2304	2880	1664	2048
Number of texture units (TMU), pcs.	128	192	240	104	128
Number of rasterization blocks (ROP), pcs.	32	48	48	64	64
Maximum fill rate, Gpix/s	33.5	41.4	42	65	72
Maximum texture sampling speed, Gtex/s	133.9	165.7	210.2	109.2	144.1
Memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5
Effective memory frequency, MHz	7000	6000	7000	7000	7000
Memory capacity, GB	4	3	3	4	4
Memory bus, bit	256	384	384	256	256
Memory bandwidth, GB/s	224.3	288.4	336	224.3	224.3
Power, pin	6+8	6+8	6+8	6+6	6+6
Power consumption (2D/3D), Watt	-/230	-/250	-/250	-/145	-/165
CrossFire/Sli	V	V	V	V	V
Recommended price, $	349	499	699	329	549
Replacement model	GTX 670	GTX 680	GTX 780	GTX 770/ GTX 780	GTX 780 Ti

Hardware and software improvements

Both new graphics solutions are based on a single Maxwell GM204 core, but with minor differences. In the case of a junior video card, the number actuators CUDA Cores were reduced from 2048 to 1664 pieces, or from 16 blocks to 13, and since the “texture blocks” are located in them, their number decreased from 128 to 104 pieces. To be sure, the developers have reduced the peak GPU Boost frequency from 1216 to 1178 MHz.

As a result, even according to preliminary mathematical calculations, the difference in performance between the GTX 980 and GTX 970 should not exceed 15-17%. We will soon find out whether this is enough to compete with the good and quite fast GTX 770/ GTX 780 video cards. You can read more about the technologies found in the GM204 in our review of the GTX 980.

Review of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970

Appearance and dimensions

Model	A, mm	B, mm	C, mm	D, mm	A1, mm	B1, mm	C1, mm
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970/ GTX 980	267	98	36	64	267	98	40
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770	267	98	36	64	267	98	40
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 / GTX 780 Ti / GTX Titan / GTX Titan Black	267	98	36	64	267	98	40
AMD Radeon R9 290X / R9 290	267	98	34	71	275	98	39

A– length of the printed circuit board, excluding the cooling system and video output port strip.
IN– width of the printed circuit board, excluding PCI-E contacts and cooling system.
WITH– height from the horizontal plane of the printed circuit board to the level of the upper surface of the cooling system.
D– diameter of the fan/s along the outer radius.

A1– the length of the printed circuit board, taking into account the cooling system (if it extends beyond the printed circuit board) to the video output port strip.
IN 1– width of the printed circuit board, excluding PCI-E contacts, but with measurement of the cooling system (if it extends beyond the boundaries of the printed circuit board).
C1– height, taking into account the back plate (if any)/radiator mounting screws to the level of the upper surface of the cooling system. If it is lower than the height of the rear strip of the video output ports, then the height to the top point of the strip is measured.

The reference PCB is exactly like the GeForce GTX 980 board. Obviously, NVIDIA did not develop a special design, allowing its partners to both copy the GTX 980 and release their own versions.

For the first time in the company's history, users received a generous gift - five video ports, four of which are completely independent. Alas, DisplayPort does not yet support the latest format revision, but HDMI will easily output images in 4K resolution at 60 Hz.

Printed circuit board

Since both video cards tested are based on the same printed circuit board design, the previously discussed aspects apply in full to the GeForce GTX 970. This is a similar number of memory chips and the number of power phases used, the same GPU (in fact, its index is lower, instead 400 costs 200) and the power system. The gap between the two values ​​can only indicate one thing - either NVIDIA will release an overclocked version of the GTX 970 called GTX 970 Ti when a competitor appears, or will leave revision 300 in reserve.

Overclocking, or rather the theoretical maximum TDP, has remained unchanged since the announcement of the GeForce GTX 980 and is 125%. Only percentages are different, and all the details will be given in the “Overclocking” section.

Cooling system

NVIDIA engineers did not radically redesign the CO design. The existing cooling systems, left over from the design days of the GeForce GTX 770/GTX 780 (Ti), are perfect not only for the new single-processor flagship, but also for the GTX 970.

To improve air removal, triangular holes are made in all accessible and unoccupied areas of the rear panel.

Under the casing there is a radiator plate, cooling memory and power circuits. As with the older model, the main radiator no longer uses an evaporation chamber. If only because the GM204 is a fairly “cool” processor.

There are three heat pipes inside the radiator. Special inserts are glued on top around the perimeter to prevent the transmission of vibrations and air past the radiator.

Comparison participants, testing methodology Test results One page

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 video cards should go on sale in the coming days. In anticipation of the appearance of new products, we decided to compare the GeForce GTX 970 with the Radeon RX 480 card, which has become the hottest premiere of recent days. AMD decided to open the new generation of Radeon by launching a mid-level model with very attractive characteristics and price. The Radeon RX 480 is initially positioned as a higher-level solution in comparison with the GeForce GTX 970. However, it is too early to write off the NVIDIA representative. You can verify this based on the results of this testing.

In our comparison, we use the GeForce GTX 970 as our starting point. After all, the main goal is to find out the relevance of the old video adapter against the background of a new competitor. At the same time, we can’t help but highlight a few lines of the Radeon RX 480.

This is the first AMD solution of the new series and with new system notation. The Radeon RX 480 is powered by a processor codenamed Polaris 10, which uses an updated version of the GCN architecture beyond version 1.4. The GPU consists of the usual Compute Unit modules, of which this chip has 36. In total, it operates with 2304 stream processors, 144 texture units and has only 32 ROPs. A number of architectural improvements should provide an increase in the efficiency of one Compute Unit module by approximately 15%. Improved work with Async Compute, something AMD solutions are initially strong at. Uses color data compression algorithms to improve data transfer efficiency and overall throughput. Therefore, the Radeon RX 480 is content with a 256-bit bus, like the new Pascals. You can find out more details about architectural features from numerous reviews on other resources.

Another important detail that should be noted is that Polaris 10 is produced according to the 14-nm process technology, and not 16-nm, like Pascal. Thanks to the new technical process and redesigned core structure, power consumption is sharply reduced. The Radeon RX 480 has a stated TDP level of 150 W. Not so little when compared with the GeForce GTX 970, but compared to the power-hungry Radeon R9 290/390 line, this is significant progress.

The GPU operates at up to 1266 MHz with a clearly marked base clock of 1120 MHz. The 8GB memory operates at an effective frequency of 8GHz. GDDR5 type chips are used.

The reference version is made on a short board. Turbine type cooling is used. We did not disassemble our copy, but according to images on the Internet, the cooler has a powerful base, but a simple heatsink directly on the graphics chip itself.

All the main characteristics of the video card are reflected in the GPU-Z screenshot.

The standard version easily heats up to 80 °C and above, peak values ​​​​in heavy modes can reach 84 °C. At the same time, the operating frequency varies and is slightly reduced to maintain the video card within the specified power and temperature limits. Frequency reductions to 1200 MHz or even slightly lower are quite possible.

As for overclocking, it cannot be called significant. In our case, the final frequencies were 1330/8760 MHz for the core and memory. At the same time, we had to increase the fan speed to maximum and increase the power and temperature limits. Standard cooling is not designed for such extreme conditions. But non-reference Radeon RX 480 models are on the way, where this will no longer be a problem.

Well, now let’s briefly talk about the GeForce GTX 970 video card, which will defend the honor of the entire series. This is the MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G with powerful Twin Frozr cooling:

Popular model with excellent performance characteristics. But since this is a non-reference model, it is impossible to make a direct comparison with the Radeon RX 480 in terms of operating temperatures and noise. Also, we will not test it at factory frequencies. We need a comparison of conventional models. To do this, the MSI card was brought to a mode that is as close as possible to the performance of the reference versions: the base frequency, power and temperature limits were lowered. As a result, we reached a floating Boost frequency with a maximum value of no higher than 1220 MHz.

When overclocking, we did not push the core to its full maximum; we limited ourselves to a peak Boost value of 1496 MHz at a base frequency of 1294 MHz. The memory was overclocked to 7938 MHz, and in this case this was its ceiling.

GeForce GTX 970 and Radeon RX 480 tested at nominal and overclocked. For clarity, the results of the Radeon R9 290 have been added to them, which will allow us to further evaluate the progress of the Radeon RX 480 in its family.

Characteristics of test participants

Architecture
GPU codename
Number of transistors, million
Technical process, nm
Core area, sq. mm
Number of stream processors
Number of texture blocks
Number of ROP blocks
Core frequency, MHz
Memory bus, bit
Memory type
Effective memory frequency, MHz
Memory capacity, MB
Interface
TDP level, W

Test bench

• Processor: Intel Core i7-6950X @4.1 GHz
• motherboard: MSI X99S MPOWER
• memory: DDR4 Kingston HyperX HX430C15SB2K4/16, 3000 MHz, 4x4 GB
• hard drive: Hitachi HDS721010CLA332, 1 TB
• power supply: Seasonic SS-750KM
• operating system: Windows 10 x64
• GeForce driver: NVIDIA GeForce 368.39
• Radeon driver: Crimson Edition 16.6.2

Testing methodology

Test modes were selected taking into account two main criteria. It is necessary to use high quality graphics and heavy modes with high memory load so that the Radeon has the opportunity to show the potential of its 8 GB. At the same time, the comparison must have some practical meaning, and participants must produce indicators suitable for normal gameplay, and not a slide show. Therefore, most test applications use a resolution of 2560x1440, but in the most demanding games we limited ourselves to 1920x1080.

The diagrams on the left indicate the minimum fps, on the right the average fps. Gaming applications are listed alphabetically.

Testing in Extreme mode 1920x1080. On the left of the diagram the GPU Score is indicated, on the right is indicated total score

Testing was carried out in the most difficult Fire Strike test with a working resolution of 2560x1440 selected. On the left in the diagram is the overall score, and on the right is the GPU Score.

Batman:ArkhamKnight

For testing, we used the built-in gaming benchmark, which was run 6-7 times for each video card.

The graphics settings are set to maximum, the effects of improved rain and “pillars of light” are enabled. Read more about these additional effects in a separate article.

DOOM (2016)

Testing was carried out by replaying a short introductory episode in the Kadingir Sanctuary level. The level itself is quite large, and the video memory load here is high. Additionally, during the walk, the rocket launcher's ammunition was fired in order to partially recreate the effects that we observe in battle.

Ultra quality is selected for TSSAA 8TX anti-aliasing.

Fallout 4

Testing was carried out manually by replaying the same game scene with strict adherence to the sequence of actions. Frame rate was measured by Fraps. The test scene is long and varied, the frame includes wooded slopes, a village, water surfaces and rays of light.

The Ultra-quality profile is selected, and the improved HBAO+ shading is additionally activated. More details about it in a separate article.

FarCryPrimal

We used the built-in gaming test, which was run five times.

Maximum quality presets are selected without additional installation of high-resolution textures, which were added in one of the recent updates.

GearsofWar:UltimateEdition

The built-in gaming benchmark was launched. The average frame rate result was recorded after 120 seconds of testing. Three repetitions.

High graphics quality selected.

GrandTheftAuto 5

The game has a built-in benchmark, which was used for this testing. Based on the average fps data for each scene, the average result for the entire benchmark was calculated. The minimum fps was recorded based on the results of passing the full benchmark using Fraps.

The graphics quality is set to maximum with FXAA anti-aliasing, all parameters are selected in the additional settings section, the loading range is increased to the maximum. Read more about the impact of these parameters on graphics quality in a special article.

JustCause 3

Testing was carried out by replaying the same game episode, the data was taken by Fraps. 7 repetitions were performed for each video card.

Maximum image quality parameters with SMAA T2x anti-aliasing.

Metro:LastLight

Five repetitions of the built-in gaming benchmark for each video card.

Very High graphics quality profile without anti-aliasing.

QuantumBreak

The first game level was selected for testing. At the initial location, different light sources, vegetation and reflective surfaces are simultaneously displayed. We took a minute's walk through the first location, the sequence of actions is shown below. 6 repetitions of this improvised test were performed.

Selected "highest" quality presets for Full HD resolution (1920x1080)

RiseoftheTombRaider

Testing in the game was carried out using Fraps by replaying a short walk around the camp in the Geothermal Valley location. Seven repetitions were performed to reduce the error. In case of scattering of the final data, a restart was carried out with additional runs.

The quality profile is set to "Very High" for SMAA anti-aliasing in DirectX 11. In this demanding game, we had to limit ourselves to a resolution of 1920x1080.

TomClancy"sTheDivision

For testing, we used the built-in gaming benchmark, which was run 6-7 times. For more accurate data, fps was measured using Fraps.

The maximum quality profile has been selected, plus the quality of reflections, detail and background shading has been increased to the limit. Read more about the nuances of graphic settings in a separate article. Again we had to limit ourselves to a resolution of 1920x1080.

TotalWar:Attila

Five replays of the built-in gaming benchmark that simulates a large-scale battle.

The maximum quality profile is selected, MSAA 2x anti-aliasing, Full HD resolution.

Warhammer:EndTimes -Vermintide

Testing was carried out using Fraps during the start of the Black Powder mission. The frame rate was measured during the introductory scene and during a short run without encounters with enemies.

The Extreme graphics quality profile is selected at 2560x1440 resolution.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Plot prologue. The hero and his partner are galloping along the road to the village. This is the point chosen to measure performance using Fraps. Six repetitions for each video card.

The graphics quality is set to “exorbitant”, all post-processing effects and HBAO+ shading are active. HairWorks technology is disabled. Read more about these graphic nuances in a separate article. Resolution 1920x1080.

Energy consumption

The total power consumption of the computer was measured using a simple Cost Control 3000 device. The readings were monitored in automatic benchmarks - Batman: Arkham Knight, Far Cry Primal, Grand Theft Auto 5, Metro: Last Light, Tom Clancy's The Division and Total War: Attila. Based on the maximum values ​​for each test, the average final value was calculated.

On September 19, NVIDIA introduced the second generation of graphics processors based on the Maxwell architecture and two video cards based on it - GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX 970. The GM107 and GeForce GTX 750 Ti can quite rightly be included in the first wave, and now it’s the turn of top-end products with a much higher level of performance. Since we did not have time to prepare material about the GeForce GTX 980 for the official announcement for reasons beyond our control, we will immediately begin our acquaintance with the new video cards with the original model presented by the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming video card.

As for the flagship model NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, we will study it, like all architectural features with innovations, in the next article in a reference version.

1. Review of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB video card (GTX 970 GAMING 4G)

technical specifications and recommended cost

The technical characteristics of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming video card are shown in the table in comparison with the reference versions NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 and AMD Radeon R9 290X.

packaging and equipment

The MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming video card is sealed in a bright box made of thick cardboard. On the front side, next to the dragon silhouette, there is the Gaming series logo, the name of the video card model and the amount of video memory, as well as the name of the cooling system.

The back of the box will tell the potential buyer about key features new products, specifications, system requirements and supported NVIDIA technologies.

Inside the main shell there is an additional one made of thin cardboard. In its central compartment, in soft polyethylene foam, a video card is fixed, thus reliably protected from all possible vicissitudes of shipment.

The accessories are contained in a separate flat box. These include a CD with drivers and utilities, installation instructions and advertising brochure, DVI-to-D-Sub adapter, adapter cable for connection additional food and a quality certificate.

There are no bonuses, but we essentially have a pre-release sample of a video card, so we can hope that MSI products will be equipped with some additional accessories, which in the past often included games or souvenirs.

The video card is produced in China. The warranty period is three years. As for the cost, at the time of writing this article this model was not yet available for retail sale, but we were assured that the price of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming will not differ significantly from the NVIDIA recommended price for the GeForce GTX 970 ($329, 14,990 rubles).

PCB design and features

The design of the newest MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming has changed dramatically in comparison with its predecessor, for example, the MSI GeForce GTX 780 Ti Gaming. Now the video card looks lighter in appearance, thanks to the plastic rather than metal casing of MSI’s most advanced cooling system – Twin Frozr V. But in style, in our opinion, the product has only benefited from this and has become even more attractive.

The entire front side of the video card is covered by a cooler with two fans with very interesting blades, which we will talk about in the section describing the cooling system. The heat pipes coming out of the radiator are visible from above, and the reverse side of the printed circuit board is not covered by anything. The dimensions of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming are 269x130x37 mm.

The video card is equipped with DVI-I and DVI-D outputs (both Dual-Link), HDMI version 1.4a/2.0 and DisplayPort version 1.2, combined with a grille for partial release of air heated by the video card outside the case system unit.

And yet, the bulk of the air heated by the video card will remain inside the system unit case. However, as we will soon see, this is an insignificant minus in the case of this particular MSI video card.

The MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming has two connectors for combining up to four video cards in various modes SLI, as well as two connectors for additional power, one of which is eight-pin.

The maximum power consumption level of the video card is stated at 148 watts, which is only 3 watts more than indicated in the specifications of the reference NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970. The recommended power supply for a system with one such video card is 500 watts.

Despite its massiveness, the cooling system is attached to the printed circuit board with only four screws around the perimeter GPU, so it was not difficult to remove it. Below it you can see a radiator on the power circuits and a heat distribution plate on the memory chips and individual batteries.

Now we unscrew them from the printed circuit board. The MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming uses an original PCB design. The double-sided arrangement of memory chips and the empty contact pads for them are immediately striking. There is no point in doubting that eight-gigabyte versions of this video card model will soon be waiting for us.

The printed circuit board and its electronic “filling” are made in full compliance with the American military standard Military Class IV. The power supply system of the video card uses economical Hi-c CAP capacitors with increased energy efficiency of up to 93%, solid-state chokes SFC ( Solid State Choke) with increased maximum current stability by 30%, 20% energy efficiency and operating at up to 35 degrees Celsius lower temperature, as well as Solid CAP solid-state capacitors with an aluminum core, ultra-low ESR resistance and a guaranteed ten-year service life.

Six phases are allocated to power the graphics processor, two more - located to the right of the graphics processor - are used to power video memory and power circuits.

The power supply system is reinforced with additional solid-state capacitors soldered onto back side PCB opposite the GPU.

The MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is equipped with a GM204 graphics processor of the Maxwell architecture, which belongs to revision A1. Judging by the markings, the crystal with an area of ​​398 sq. mm was released in Taiwan in the 30th week of this year (mid-July).

It includes 1664 unified shader processors, 104 texture units and 64 raster operation units (ROPs). Reference versions of the GeForce GTX 970 in 3D mode should operate at a frequency of 1050 MHz, and in high load modes they can automatically overclock to 1178 MHz. However, the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming has a graphics processor overclocked by 8.6% and operates at frequencies of 1140-1279 MHz. Such an “immodest” factory overclocking of the GPU leaves us hoping for good overclocking potential of the video card, because manufacturers, as a rule, are cautious when overclocking video cards in production. Let us add that when switching to 2D mode, the GPU frequency is reduced to 100 MHz versus 324 MHz on the GeForce GTX 780 series, and also that the quality of the ASIC of the graphics processor of our video card is 62.3%.

The video card has four gigabytes of GDDR5 video memory, located in just eight chips on the front and back of the printed circuit board. The chips were manufactured by Samsung Semiconductor and are labeled K4G41325FC-HC28.

The nominal access time of such microcircuits is 0.28 ns, and their theoretical effective frequency is 7000 MHz. In this case, MSI did without factory overclocking the memory and limited its frequency to 7012 MHz in full compliance with NVIDIA specifications. However, with a 256-bit video memory bus, its theoretical throughput is relatively high and amounts to 224.4 GB/s. In 2D mode, the memory frequency is reduced to 648 MHz.

The latest version of the GPU-Z utility available at the time of writing this article is already almost completely familiar with the specifications of the GeForce GTX 970.

But she was unable to read the BIOS of a video card, so we won’t publish it in the article today.

cooling systems - efficiency and noise level

Almost simultaneously with the announcement of new NVIDIA GPUs, MSI introduced the next generation of original cooling systems for its video cards - Twin Frozr V. As was the case with Twin Frozr IV, we are likely to see several versions of coolers under the same name, designed for video cards of different classes. But the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming most likely has a top version of this cooler installed. According to the developers, the design and implementation of the new Twin Frozr model took 18 months, and its advantage over the Twin Frozr IV Advanced version can reach 10 degrees Celsius at peak load.

It is based on a nickel-plated heatsink with a copper base, copper heat pipes and aluminum fins.

There are four heat pipes in total - two with a diameter of 6 mm and two more with a diameter of 8 mm. The tubes, alternating with each other, emerge from the base into different sides, almost evenly penetrating the radiator.

The radiator fins are connected to the heat pipes by soldering, as befits high-end cooling systems.

Thin aluminum plates are placed on heat pipes with a distance of just over 1 mm. Objectively speaking, we didn’t see any serious innovations in the radiator, so let’s see what kind of interesting radiators are installed on the Twin Frozr V.

The cooling system is equipped with two 100 mm Torx Fans, the original manufacturer of which is Power Logic (labeled PLD10010S12HH). The actual size of the impellers is 94 mm. Distinctive feature This type of fan has blades of different types, which not only alternate with each other, but also have different angles of attack.

Thanks to this shape of the blades and their increased number, the developers were able to achieve an increase in air flow with a 5% reduction in noise levels. In addition to design changes in the fans, their operating algorithm has also been optimized. The fans support Zero Frozr technology, which consists of stopping them completely in low load modes or 2D mode. Judging by the monitoring, the fans start spinning when the GPU reaches 60 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the fans start very softly, without a sharp surge in speed, as happens. Let us add that the fans are based on plain bearings with an extended service life.

On power transistors and memory chips located on the front side of the printed circuit board, they are installed, respectively aluminum radiator and a heat distribution plate with thermal pads.

A nice bonus in Twin Frozr V, which will certainly please fans of modding, is the illuminated Gaming series logo in the upper part of the cooler casing.

She looks just great! However, see for yourself:

But, of course, what we put at the forefront is not the design delights of the new cooler, but its efficiency and noise level. We will study them now.

To check the temperature conditions of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming video card, we used five test cycles of the very resource-intensive game Aliens vs. Predator (2010) with maximum graphics quality in a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels with 16x anisotropic filtering and 4x MSAA anti-aliasing:

To monitor temperatures and all other parameters, we used MSI program Afterburner version 4.0.0 and GPU-Z utility version 0.7.9. All tests were carried out in a closed system unit case, the configuration of which you can see in the next section of the article, at an average room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

We started testing the efficiency of the cooler on the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming by automatically adjusting the fan speed.

Auto mode

In addition to the frequency increased to 1316 MHz in boost mode, the monitoring graph clearly shows that the temperature of the GPU gradually increased to 60 degrees Celsius and only after that the cooling system fans started working. Their start turned out to be completely unnoticeable against the background of a quiet system unit, which is not surprising, since the speed reached only 960 rpm or 41% of power and then stabilized at this level. Considering that the entire temperature test of the video card was passed at this fan speed, and the temperature did not rise above 63 degrees Celsius, the result cannot be called anything other than excellent. If we recall the previous results of testing top-end video cards, their coolers at a speed of about 1000 rpm or slightly higher functioned only in 2D mode, but here we see the same speed under a high 3D load. Of course, this result was not achieved solely due to the redesign of the MSI cooling system or its fans. The secret of success lies primarily in the high energy efficiency of the new Maxwell graphics processor and its low heat dissipation level. However, one cannot fail to note the fact that MSI did not fail to take advantage of this and, coupled with a well-designed radiator, developed a fan operation algorithm that achieved both high cooling efficiency and extremely low level noise.

At maximum speeds of the two fans of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming cooler, the peak temperature of the GPU barely exceeded 51 degrees Celsius.

Maximum speed

In our opinion, this level of cooling is already excessive for the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, especially since at a maximum of 2300 rpm the fans are clearly audible, although they can hardly be called noisy even at maximum speed.

As for the noise level, measure it according to our standard method It was not possible, since the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming now has a new “tricky” fan connector, which we were unable to power in the time allotted for testing the video card. But it is worth noting that when automatically adjusting the fan speed, the video card operates very, very quietly, and in 2D mode it is completely silent. We also did not detect throttle squeaking during operation of the video card.

overclocking potential

With such effective system cooling and a modest level of heat dissipation, the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming video card was simply obliged to demonstrate good overclocking potential. And our expectations were fully justified. The graphics processor was overclocked from a nominal 1140 MHz by another 16.2% or 185 MHz at the base frequency. In turn, we increased the video memory frequency by 14.8% or 1040 MHz without loss of stability or image defects.

As a result, the final frequencies of the video card were 1330-1469/8052 MHz

Moreover, according to monitoring data in 3D mode, the GPU frequency remained at 1501 MHz!

One and a half gigahertz on the GPU, can you imagine!? Such frequencies on all previous video cards were achieved, at a minimum, with very effective liquid cooling, and most often extreme. Here, with the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, we achieved them not just with an air cooler, but also in complete silence, since the fan speed after overclocking the video card did not exceed 1060 rpm. The temperature of the GPU after overclocking the video card reached 65 degrees Celsius already in the first cycle of the test and did not increase further throughout the test. It can be summarized that the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming has excellent overclocking potential and is equipped with a quiet and very efficient cooling system.

2. Test configuration, tools and testing methodology

Video card performance testing was carried out in a closed system unit case on a system with the following configuration:

Motherboard: Intel Siler DX79SR (Intel X79 Express, LGA 2011, BIOS 0594 dated 08/06/2013);
CPU: Intel Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition 3.5/4.0 GHz(Sandy Bridge-E, C2, 1.1 V, 6x256 KB L2, 15 MB L3);
CPU cooling system: Phanteks PH-TC14PE (2xCorsair AF140, 900 rpm);
Thermal interface: ARCTIC MX-4;
Video cards:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4 GB 1127-1216/7012 MHz;
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB 1140-1279/7012 MHz and 1330-1469/7012 MHz;
ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC Edition 6 GB 889-941/6008 MHz;
EVGA GeForce GTX 770 Superclocked ACX 2 GB 1111-1163/7012 MHz;
AMD Radeon R9 290X 4 GB 1000/5000 MHz;

RAM: DDR3 4x8 GB G.SKILL TridentX F3-2133C9Q-32GTX(XMP 2133 MHz, 9-11-11-31, 1.6 V);
System disk: Intel SSD 730 480GB (SATA-III, BIOS vL2010400);
Disk for programs and games: Western Digital VelociRaptor (SATA-II, 300 GB, 10000 rpm, 16 MB, NCQ) in a Scythe Quiet Drive 3.5" box;
Archive disk: Samsung Ecogreen F4 HD204UI (SATA-II, 2 TB, 5400 rpm, 32 MB, NCQ);
Sound card: Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater HD;
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred (front wall - three Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe S-Series MF12-S2 at 1020 rpm; back – two Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPRO PL-1 at 1020 rpm; top – standard 200 mm fan at 400 rpm);
Control and monitoring panel: Zalman ZM-MFC3;
Power supply: Corsair AX1200i (1200 W), 120 mm fan;
Monitor: 27" Samsung S27A850D (DVI-I, 2560x1440, 60 Hz).

Among the reference products for evaluating the performance of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, testing included the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4 GB, which we will discuss in detail in the next article about video cards, and the AMD Radeon R9 290X 4 GB at their nominal frequencies.

Of the original video cards, we included ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC Edition and EVGA GeForce GTX 770 Superclocked ACX in the tests.

In our opinion, since the market is now filled with original video cards with increased frequencies, it will be fairer to compare the new MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming with such video cards without lowering the frequencies to the level of reference products of the previous generation. Let us add that the “Power Limit” value on all video cards was set to maximum.

To reduce the dependence of video card performance on the platform speed, a 32 nm six-core processor with a multiplier of 48, a reference frequency of 100 MHz and activated function Load-Line Calibration was overclocked to 4.8 GHz by increasing the motherboard BIOS voltage to 1,380 V.

Hyper-Threading technology is activated. Moreover, 32 GB random access memory operated at a frequency of 2.133 GHz with timings 9-11-11-20_CR1 at a voltage of 1.6125 V.

Testing, which began on September 20, 2014, was conducted under the control of the operating room Microsoft systems Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 with all critical updates as of the specified date and installation of the following drivers:

motherboard chipset Intel Chipset Drivers – 10.0.22 WHQL from 08/05/2014;
DirectX End-User Runtimes libraries, release date: November 30, 2010;
Video card drivers for NVIDIA GPUs – GeForce 344.11 WHQL dated 09/18/2014.
Video card drivers for AMD GPUs – AMD Catalyst 14.x Beta (14.300.1005.0) dated 08/27/2014.

By the way, with new beta Catalyst drivers The performance of the AMD Radeon R9 290X has increased, albeit slightly but steadily, in almost all tests.

The performance of video cards was tested in two resolutions: 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 pixels. For the tests, two graphics quality modes were used: “Quality + AF16x” – texture quality in the drivers by default with 16x level anisotropic filtering enabled, and “Quality + AF16x + MSAA 4x (8x)” with 16x level anisotropic filtering and full-screen anti-aliasing enabled 4x or 8x, in cases where the average number of frames per second remained high enough for comfortable gameplay. In some games, due to the specifics of game engines, other anti-aliasing algorithms were used, which will be indicated further in the methodology and in the diagrams. Anisotropic filtering and full-screen anti-aliasing were enabled directly in the game settings. If these settings were not available in games, then the parameters were changed in the control panel of the Catalyst or GeForce drivers. Vertical synchronization (V-Sync) was also forcibly disabled there. Apart from the above, no additional changes were made to the driver settings.

The video cards were tested in two graphics tests and fourteen games, traditionally updated to the latest versions as of the start date of preparation of the material. Games such as Company of Heroes 2, Total War: Rome II, Thief and GRID Autosport received the latest patches. Here's what the slightly updated list of test apps looks like (the games are listed in order of their official release):

3DMark (2013)(DirectX 9/11) – version 1.3.708, tested in the “Cloud Gate”, “Fire Strike” and “Fire Strike Extreme” scenes;
Unigine Valley Bench(DirectX 11) – version 1.0, maximum quality settings, AF16x and/or MSAA 4x, resolution 1920x1080;
(DirectX 11) – version 1.1.0, built-in test (Battle of Sekigahara) at maximum graphics quality settings and used in one of the MSAA 8x modes;
Sniper Elite V2 Benchmark(DirectX 11) – version 1.05, used Adrenaline Sniper Elite V2 Benchmark Tool v1.0.0.2 BETA maximum graphics quality settings (“Ultra”), Advanced Shadows: HIGH, Ambient Occlusion: ON, Stereo 3D: OFF, Supersampling: OFF, double sequential test run;
Sleeping Dogs(DirectX 11) – version 1.5, used Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool v1.0.2.1, maximum graphics quality settings for all points, Hi-Res Textures pack installed, FPS Limiter and V-Sync disabled, double sequential test run with total anti-aliasing at the “Normal” level and at the “Extreme” level;
Hitman: Absolution(DirectX 11) – version 1.0.447.0, built-in test with graphics quality settings at “Ultra”, tessellation, FXAA and global illumination enabled.
Crysis 3(DirectX 11) – version 1.2.0.1000, all graphics quality settings to maximum, blur level – medium, glare on, modes with FXAA and MSAA4x anti-aliasing, double sequential pass of a scripted scene from the beginning of the “Swamp” mission lasting 110 seconds;
Tomb Raider (2013)(DirectX 11) – version 1.1.748.0, used Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool, quality settings at “Ultra” level, V-Sync disabled, modes with FXAA and 2xSSAA anti-aliasing, TressFX technology activated, double sequential pass of the test built into the game;
BioShock Infinite(DirectX 11) – version 1.1.25.5165, used Adrenaline Action Benchmark Tool with quality settings “Ultra” and “Ultra+DOF”, double run of the test built into the game;
Metro: Last Light(DirectX 11) – version 1.0.0.15, used the built-in test, graphics quality and tessellation settings at the “Very High” level, Advanced PhysX technology enabled, tests with and without SSAA anti-aliasing, double sequential pass of the “D6” scene.
Company of Heroes 2(DirectX 11) – version 3.0.0.15370, double sequential run of the test built into the game with maximum graphics quality and physical effects settings;
Total War: Rome II(DirectX 11) – version 2.0.0.0, quality settings at “Extreme” level, V-Sync disabled, SSAA anti-aliasing activated, double sequential pass of the test built into the game;
Batman: Arkham Origins(DirectX 11) – version 1.0 (update 8), quality settings at “Ultra” level, V-Sync disabled, all effects activated, all “DX11 Enhanced” functions enabled, Hardware Accelerated PhysX = Normal, double sequential pass of the test built into the game ;
Battlefield 4(DirectX 11) – version 111433, all graphics quality settings are set to “Ultra”, double sequential playthrough of a scripted scene from the beginning of the mission “TASHGAR” lasting 110 seconds (for video cards on AMD GPUs, the Mantle API was used);
Thief(DirectX 11) – version 1.6 build 4158.14, graphics quality settings to the maximum level, “Paralax Occlusion Mapping” and “Tessellation” technologies activated, double sequential pass of the benchmark built into the game (for video cards on AMD GPUs, the Mantle API was used);
GRID Autosport(DirectX 11) – version 1.101.7026, used the built-in game test on the San Francisco highway (ten cars), graphics quality settings to the maximum level for all points, tests with and without MSAA8x anti-aliasing.

If games implemented the ability to record a minimum number of frames per second, then this was also reflected in the diagrams. Each test was carried out twice; the best of the two values ​​obtained was taken as the final result, but only if the difference between them did not exceed 1%. If the deviations of the test runs exceeded 1%, then the testing was repeated at least once more to obtain reliable result.

3. Performance test results

In the diagrams, the results of two video cards on NVIDIA GPUs of the now previous generation - ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC Edition and EVGA GeForce GTX 770 Superclocked ACX - are highlighted in light green, and on the AMD GPU - Radeon R9 290X - in traditional red. To highlight the results of the heroine of today’s article, MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, we “filled” them with dark turquoise, and the video card from the future article - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 - is highlighted in dark blue in the diagrams.

Let's start studying and analyzing the results with semi-synthetic benchmarks.

3DMark (2013)

The performance of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming in 3DMark is at a relatively high level. Not only is it more than 40% ahead of its model predecessor, the GeForce GTX 770 (in the original version, we note, and in higher frequencies), and the GeForce GTX 780 is not any serious competitor to the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming in this test. In addition, the new product demonstrates the same performance as AMD’s single-processor flagship Radeon R9 290X. The lag of the MSI video card from the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 at the nominal frequency is about 10-12%, but is almost completely compensated by the impressive overclocking of the GPU and video memory of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming. So so far everything is going very well for a new product.

Unigine Valley Bench

The second semi-synthetic benchmark showed us a slightly different picture.

If in non-anti-aliasing mode the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is still faster than ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC, then when MSAA8x is activated, the latter wins back the position due to a wider memory bus and its bandwidth. At the same time, the difference with the other video cards of today's testing in this test remained the same. It should be noted that the AMD Radeon R9 290X showed itself to be very confident when using anti-aliasing.

Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Fall of the Samurai

Game tests open with the good old Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Fall of the Samurai.

In three test modes from four video cards on NVIDIA GPUs they were arranged according to height. The MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming delivers a 30% performance boost over the factory overclocked GeForce GTX 770, up to 14% faster than the ASUS STRIX GTX 980 OC, and 8-17% faster than the AMD Radeon R9 290X. That is, the predecessor and possible competitors have been beaten, the only thing left is not to lose to the new NVIDIA flagship, and the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is fully successful, since its maximum gap from the GeForce GTX 980 does not exceed 14% and is covered by excellent overclocking.

Sniper Elite V2 Benchmark

The results of testing video cards in Sniper Elite V2 do not differ from the previous game. Perhaps the AMD Radeon R9 290X looks more modest here and can only compete with the GeForce GTX 770.

Sleeping Dogs

But in the game Sleeping Dogs the balance of power can be called “classic” for today’s test.

In the most resource-intensive mode, the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming leaves behind the EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC by 27%, is ahead of the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC by 6-7% and is not inferior to the AMD Radeon R9 290X. By overclocking the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming to 1330/8072 MHz, you can get the same level of performance as the reference NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, although at nominal frequencies the difference between these video cards ranges from 4 to 14%.

Hitman: Absolution

Hitman: Absolution is one of two and a half games in testing, where the AMD Radeon R9 290X, which has noticeably fallen in price in recent months, outperforms the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming. Moreover, AMD's flagship single-processor video card is capable of competing with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (in the most resource-intensive mode). However, one cannot fail to note the noticeable superiority of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming over the EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC, its equality with the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC and excellent scalability when overclocked, thanks to which even the reference GeForce GTX 980 does not look overly fast.

Crysis 3

In Crysis 3 we can see slightly different results.

The advantage of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming over the factory overclocked GeForce GTX 770 here is more modest than in all previous tests and reaches only 18% at its peak. At the same time, the new product was slightly behind the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC in all quality modes and resolutions and noticeably lagged behind the AMD Radeon R9 290X. True, overclocking the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming radically improves the situation and, along with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, brings it to overall first place in the test. Of course, the GeForce GTX 980 also overclocks well, but we will tell you about this in the next article.

Tomb Raider (2013)

But in Tomb Raider, the new MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming regains a more than 30 percent advantage over the EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC and a slight increase in speed compared to the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC.

The reference AMD Radeon R9 290X is at the same level of performance, for which it deserves honor and praise (at such and such a low current cost). NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is 10-12% faster than MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, but is easily achievable when overclocking the new product.

BioShock Infinite

The test built into the BioShock Infinite game was once again noted for its low minimum FPS on video cards with NVIDIA GPUs, in contrast to AMD.

However, in terms of average frames per second, the GeForce GTX and, in particular, the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming are the leaders in testing, and the AMD Radeon R9 290X is somewhere between the EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC and the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC.

Metro: Last Light

The activated Advanced PhysX technology leaves no chance for the AMD Radeon R9 290X and at the same time puts the overclocked MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming in the lead.

The situation looks different without using Advanced PhysX.

However, the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is on par with the AMD Radeon R9 290X, significantly faster than the GeForce GTX 770 with a factory-overclocked EVGA graphics card, and slightly faster than the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC. Getting ahead of the reference GeForce GTX 980 for the overclocked MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is not particularly difficult.

Company of Heroes 2

It is very difficult to deal with video cards based on AMD GPUs in the game Company of Heroes 2, as the Radeon R9 290X demonstrated to us today.

But here the evolution of video cards on NVIDIA GPUs is very clearly visible, when from the EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 or the overclocked MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, the results of all video cards are arranged in almost equal steps.

Total War: Rome II

In Total War: Rome II, the new MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is 39-54% faster than the EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC and 3-16% faster than the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC, the same as with the AMD Radeon R9 290X. The lag from the reference NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is 9-17%, but again it is almost completely compensated by overclocking the Gaming video card.

Batman: Arkham Origins

The results of testing video cards in the game Batman: Arkham Origins fit into the general testing trend.

Battlefield 4

So the balance of power between video cards, demonstrated by them in the game Battlefield 4, can be called classic for today's testing.

Thief

We can see the same picture in Thief.

GRID Autosport

You can play GRID Autosport on any of the testing video cards, but it will be most comfortable on a GeForce GTX 980 or an overclocked MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming.

The difference in graphics card performance in this game is mostly the same as in previous tests.

Let's supplement the constructed diagrams with a final table with test results with the final average and minimum displayed FPS value for each video card.

Next we move on to summary charts.

4. Pivot charts

First of all, let's look at the difference in performance between the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming and EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC at their nominal frequencies, because as can be seen from the model indices, this is an obvious change of generations. In the diagrams, the results of the EVGA video card are taken as the starting point, and the MSI indicators are presented as percentage deviations from it.

The recommended price for the GeForce GTX 770, announced more than a year ago, at that time was $399. Now, with the release of the GeForce GTX 970, which retails for $329 at NVIDIA's recommended retail price, gamers can average between 33 and 35 percent plus performance across all of our tests. Great, isn't it? And this does not take into account all the other advantages of the new product.

Not only did the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming easily deal with one of the fastest factory GeForce GTX 770, but also the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC with six gigabytes of video memory is not a tough nut to crack for it, as we will see from the following two summary diagrams.

In only one mode, Hitman: Absolution, Crysis 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins, the new product was unable to defeat a formidable opponent. In all the rest MSI tests GeForce GTX 970 Gaming is ahead and on average wins from 6 to 11% in the resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and from 3.8 to 9.3% in the resolution of 2560x1440 pixels.

The confrontation between MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming and AMD Radeon R9 290X is developing in a similar way.

True, in this confrontation, the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming also lost in the game Company of Heroes 2, but not by much. However, on this moment The noticeably cheaper Radeon R9 290X has an advantage in market value, so this comparison does not look entirely correct.

We also didn’t forget about comparing the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming with the reference NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980.

There is a clear lag of the new product in all gaming tests and an overall loss of 9-12%. So, by the way, we note that the GeForce GTX 980 at the recommended price is 67% more expensive than the GeForce GTX 970 ($549 versus $329).

As you probably remember, we managed to overclock the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming graphics processor by 16.2% and increase the video memory frequency by 14.8%. This overclocking allowed us to significantly increase the performance of the video card in all tests, and the next couple pivot charts confirmation of this.

On average, for all tests, the performance of the video card increased by 12-14%, thanks to which the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming reaches the performance level of the reference NVIDIA versions GeForce GTX 980 and even a little higher.

Brilliant result!

5. Power consumption

The energy consumption of the system with various video cards was measured using the Zalman ZM-MFC3 multifunctional panel, which shows the system consumption “from the outlet” as a whole (excluding the monitor). The measurement was carried out in 2D mode, with regular work V Microsoft Word or “Internet surfing”, as well as in 3D mode. In the latter case, the load was created using four consecutive cycles of the introductory scene of the “Swamp” level from the game Crysis 3 in a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels with maximum graphics quality settings, but without using MSAA anti-aliasing.

Let's compare the power consumption of systems with video cards tested today.

The system with the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming video card turned out to be the most economical among other participants in today's testing. The level of its energy consumption as a whole reached 472 watts, and on average remained at 450 watts. It is noteworthy that the much weaker video card from the previous generation EVGA GeForce GTX 770 SC in the system consumes 30 watts more, so in terms of power consumption a serious step forward is obvious. Compared to the GeForce GTX 780 and Radeon R9 290X, the new GeForce GTX 970 looks even more convincing in this regard, outperforming systems with these video cards by 81 to 87 watts at peak load. The reference NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is also impressive, the configuration with which consumes barely more than the MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming. When overclocking the latter, system power consumption increases by only 21 watts at peak load.

Conclusion

There is a well-known Russian proverb “a fly in the ointment”, when some little thing spoils something big and exceptionally good. So today we have a solid “barrel of honey” without any spoons of black substances, and its name is MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming. The video card has an unprecedentedly high level of performance for its class, providing a significant increase in performance over the model it replaces from the previous generation, the GeForce GTX 770, and does this at a lower recommended price at the start of sales. The impressive overclocking potential of the new GM204 graphics processor of the Maxwell architecture and matching high-frequency memory can and do bring the MSI video card to the performance level of the flagship GeForce GTX 980, and in some graphics modes allows it to outstrip it. At the same time, the cost of the GeForce GTX 970 is much more affordable than that of the GeForce GTX 980, and, most likely, this particular model will be in greatest demand. Of course, here we must pay tribute to the MSI engineers, who equipped their video card not only with a high-quality element base with durable components, but also with the most advanced MSI Twin Frozr V cooler, which provides effective cooling with extremely low noise levels. Previously, it was not possible to achieve such results with air cooling at such high frequencies for almost top-end video cards. We note the relatively low level of power consumption of the new product and more modest power requirements for power supplies. In general, all that remains is to wait for such video cards to appear on wide sale in order to become the happy owner of one of these “barrels of honey”.

Thanks to MSI,
personally Boris Volk,
for the video card provided for testing.

Every year, video card manufacturers release new models with improved features and performance. Despite this, previous generations of video accelerators have not lost their relevance for many years. A striking example of a video card that was released in 2014, but is still in great demand, is the Nvidia Geforce GTX 970.

The model joined the ranks of video cards that, without special problems cope with modern tasks of running demanding games and programs.

To make sure that the video card is up to date, you need to look at the characteristics of the GTX 970 in more detail.

The video accelerator memory capacity is 4096 MB GDDR5, with a frequency of 1750 MHz and a memory bandwidth of 224.3 GB/s. The memory bus width is 256 bits.

This model is based on the Maxwell microarchitecture and the GM204 chip with a 28-nanometer process technology. The base GPU frequency is 1050 MHz. The frequency in acceleration mode is 1178 MHz. The number of transistors installed in the video accelerator is 5.2 billion, texture units are 104.

These graphics card power indicators are quite enough to cope with the launch of modern games and hardware-demanding programs for video and image processing.

GTX 970 review

Having considered the technical parameters of the video accelerator, you need to determine the optimal power supply and processor for the GTX 970, maximizing its potential.

As a chip, models from Intel. For getting maximum performance suitable for games Intel chips Core i5 and higher.

GTX Power Consumption 970 is 145 watts. For optimal computer performance in conjunction with this video card powerful processor and a large amount of RAM will be models of power supplies from 400 W or more.

Normal operating temperature of the video card Nvidia GTX 970 is 80-85 degrees. Sometimes this figure can reach up to 95 degrees, which is not a reason to worry about the integrity of the video accelerator. If this indicator increases, you should think about changing the factory thermal paste to a new one.

The GTX 970 has 3 connectors - two DVI and one HDMI.

What power supply is needed for GTX 970

When choosing a power supply, you should pay attention to the Corsair CX600 model with a capacity of 500 W. Its power is enough for comfortable PC operation in conjunction with a GTX 970 with an Intel Core i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM.

How to overclock a video card

Overclocking the GTX 970 is responsible for increasing the performance of the video accelerator. It allows you to increase the number of FPS in games and increase the speed of working with demanding programs. Also thanks to this, the mining process is possible on the Geforce GTX 970.

To ensure overclocking, three programs are needed:

1. Funmark – software for conducting stress tests.
2. MSI Afterburner - a utility that allows you to increase the performance of your video card.
3. GPU-Z – software designed for monitoring indicators.

In the Afterburner program, you need to increase two indicators: Memory Clock, which is responsible for the graphics processor core of the video accelerator, and Core Clock, responsible for the GPU memory frequency.

The Memory Clock indicator needs to be increased to 1050-1100 MHz, while the Core Clock should be increased to 2500 MHz. These points must be increased gradually, no more than 50 MHz at a time.

The next step is to conduct a stress test through the Funmark program. This test will help identify problems with the video card. If they are detected, it is recommended to lower the indicators or return them to standard.

The final step in overclocking is monitoring all indicators in the GPU-Z utility.

These performance increases will be enough for the video accelerator to operate comfortably. With such power indicators, cryptocurrency mining is possible on an Nvidia Geforce 970 video card.

What games can the GTX 970 handle?

To get a complete picture of the video card, it is necessary to test it in “combat conditions”. Tests in GTX games 970 show the following results.

TES V: Skyrim. In a game released in 2011, the video card performs just perfectly. Minimum FPS indicator at the lowest settings it will be 133 frames per second. When running Skyrim in 2K resolution, this figure dropped to 100 FPS, which is not at all critical.

Grand Theft Auto 5. The game is launched on ultra settings in FullHD format. Average FPS was 44 frames per second, the minimum was 39 FPS in large action scenes with an abundance of NPCs.

Metro: Last Light. When running the game at maximum settings, the FPS was at a stable level of 42 frames. There were no noticeable drawdowns, freezes or lags even in the most difficult scenes with big amount shootout.

Battlefield 1. In campaign mode on high quality graphics, the game produced a stable 40 FPS without freezes or lags. In online battles, this figure was 35-40 frames, depending on what was happening on the screen at that moment.

The Witcher 3. In FullHD format and at high settings, the number of frames was 50. The figure decreased in large cities to 42. Otherwise, no drops were noticed during the game.

Watch Dogs 2. One of the most demanding games today due to its not the most better optimization for PC. When running WD 2 at medium settings, the number of frames was a stable 30 points. When the graphics quality was increased to high, this figure dropped to 24 FPS, and small freezes appeared in some places.

Assassin's Creed: Origins. IN new game from Ubisoft Geforce 970 performed very well. With average graphics quality in FullHD format, the FPS did not drop below 25 frames. This result is an excellent indicator, because this game is one of the most demanding on the market.

Dishonored 2. The Nvidia video accelerator did a good job running the game in FullHD at medium-high settings. The minimum frame rate was 27. No drops, freezes or lags were detected during the gameplay.

Rise of the Tomb Raider. The game about the adventures of the famous Lara Croft was launched on high graphic settings. The average FPS was 33 frames per second.

Based on these tests, we can conclude that the video card, despite the year of its release, is still an excellent solution for modern gaming projects.

Comparison of manufacturers

Several people are responsible for bringing the GTX 970 to market large companies manufacturers. To decide on the appropriate choice, you need to make comparative analysis models.

Manufacturer	Gigabyte GTX 970	Asus GTX 970 strix	Palit GeForce GTX 970	Zotac GeForce GTX 970	MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G
GPU	GM204	GM204	GM204	GM204	GM204
Cooling	DirectCU II	DirectCU II	DirectCU II	DirectCU II	DirectCU II
Technical process	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm
Number of transistors	5.2 billion, pcs.	5.2 billion, pcs.	5.2 billion, pcs.	5.2 billion, pcs.	5.2 billion, pcs.
Number of rasterization blocks	64	64	64	64	64
Crystal Area (mm2)	398	398	398	398	398
Number of streaming multiprocessors	1664	1664	1664	1664	1664
Video memory capacity (MB)	4096	4096	4096	4096	4096
Video memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5
GPU frequency (MHz)	1190	1114	1152	1076	1170
Processor temperature limit (°C)	100	100	100	100	100
DirectX	12	12	12	12	12
Tire width	256 bit	256 bit	256 bit	256 bit	256 bit
Effective memory frequency	7000 MB	7000 MB	7000 MB	7000 MB	7000 MB
Bandwidth(GB/s)	224	224	224	224	224
Price GTX 970, rub.	21470	20605	22910	21611	23850

On average, the cost of an Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 video card in rubles is 21,000 rubles. The main differences between manufacturers are the processor frequency.

Driver Update

Users can download drivers for the Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 video card on the manufacturer’s official website. Updating video drivers allows you to increase performance in modern games and programs.

In order not to miss the release of new versions that appear every 2-3 months, you can install the special Geforce Expirience utility. It notifies users about the release of new drivers and can automatically update.

Review of Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and 980 video cards | Test stand and benchmarks

GeForce GTX 980, GeForce GTX 970 And GeForce GTX 780 Ti tested with driver 344.07, while all videos Radeon cards- with Catalyst 14.7.

We have selected a number of modern video games that support a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels to GeForce GTX 970 and its competitors worked under real loads typical for video cards of this class. To be honest, we were surprised by her impressive abilities.

EVGA Core Clock Speed GeForce GTX 970 factory overclocked was reduced to 1050/1178 MHz (nominal/overclocked) to demonstrate the capabilities of a conventional video card. Please note that this model does not have a reference cooler, so in terms of cooling everything is GeForce GTX 970 will give different results.

Two games ( Thief And Battlefield 4) from our test suite support Mantle technology, and to test the impact of the API on performance, we will run tests with and without Mantle.

High-end graphics cards require a stable power supply, so XFX sent us the 80 PLUS Bronze certified PRO850W power supply. The modular power supply has a single +12 V rail rated at 70 A. According to XFX, this model provides continuous (non-peak) power of up to 850 W at 50 degrees Celsius (noticeably higher than most cases).

In our laboratory we have almost completely eliminated mechanical hard drives, and instead we use solid-state drives, which are not characterized by delays associated with I/O operations. Samsung Company sent Samsung 840 Pro 256 GB drives to our offices, so we use them as standard.

Test bench configuration
CPU	Intel Core i7-3960X (Sandy Bridge-E), 3.3 GHz, six cores, LGA 2011, 15 MB shared L3 cache, Hyper-Threading on.
Motherboard	ASRock X79 Extreme9 (LGA 2011) Chipset: Intel X79 Express
Net	built-in Gigabit LAN controller
RAM	Corsair Vengeance LP PC3-16000, 4 x 4 GB, 1600 MT/s, CL 8-8-8-24-2T
Storage device	SSD Samsung 840 Pro 256 GB 6 Gb/s
Video cards	Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 1126/1216 MHz GPU, 4 GB GDDR5 @ 1753 MHz (7000 MT/s) EVGA GeForce GTX 970 1165/1365 MHz GPU, 4 GB GDDR5 @ 1753 MHz (7012 MT/s) Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti 875/928 MHz GPU, 3 GB GDDR5 @ 1752 MHz (7008 MT/s) Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 1046/1085 MHz GPU, 2 GB GDDR5 @ 1752 MHz (7008 MT/s) AMD Radeon R9 280X 850/1000 MHz GPU, 3 GB GDDR5 @ 1500 MHz (6000 MT/s) AMD Radeon R9 290 947 MHz GPU, 4 GB GDDR5 @ 1250 MHz (5000 MT/s) AMD Radeon R9 290X 1000 MHz GPU, 4 GB GDDR5 @ 1250 MHz (5000 MT/s)
power unit	XFX PRO850W, at X12V, EPS12V
System software and drivers
operating system	Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x64
DirectX	DirectX 11
Video drivers	All GeForce cards except GTX 770: Nvidia 344.07 Launch Driver All Radeon cards: AMD Catalyst 14.7 RC 1 GeForce GTX 770: Nvidia 340.52 WHQL
Test configuration
Wrich Dogs	version 1.04.497: Tom's Hardware test, 90 seconds in game, Fraps, driving
Arma 3	V. 1.26.126.789, 30 seconds "Infantry Showcase"
Battlefield 4	version 1.3.2.3825, THG test, 90 seconds
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag	weight 1.05, THG test, 40 seconds
Thief	version 1.6.0.0, built-in test
Grid Autosport	version 1.0.101.4672, built-in test
Far Cry 3	version 1.05, THG test, 55 seconds Fraps

Review of Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and 980 video cards | Test results

Battlefield 4 and Thief

Battlefield 4

We begin testing with one of the most popular first-person shooters currently available with the advanced Frostbite 3 engine.

GeForce GTX 980 shows an impressive result, easily ahead GeForce GTX 780 Ti on GK110 and coming out on top. GeForce GTX 970 overtakes in DirectX mode, and the leading AMD video card can only catch up with it when using the Mantle API.

1080p resolution isn't a problem with Nvidia's new graphics cards, so we'll be raising the bar to 4K. Unfortunately, we had to backtrack, reducing the detail level from Ultra to High to allow GeForce GTX 980 run at frame rates of 30 (minimum)/40 (average) FPS.

GeForce GTX 980 leads by a small margin, and GeForce GTX 970 loses ground a little compared to Radeon video cards, but still shows good result, given its relatively low retail price.

Thief is another modern game that will be difficult for our graphic cards. We'll start with 1080p resolution and ultra detail.

GeForce GTX 980 is also ahead of all participants, as in Battlefield 4, A GeForce GTX 970 occupies a position immediately behind GeForce GTX 780 Ti. Even with Mantle, it can't beat Nvidia's new $329 graphics card. It seems, GeForce GTX 970 will be an excellent choice given its attractive price. What about Ultra HD resolution?

Once again, we had to give up high settings to keep gameplay smooth, so we changed the detail settings from Ultra Fine to Normal. However, the picture looks very impressive at a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. Note about frame time delay: unfortunately, the graphics engine Thief experiences a slight lag when working with all video cards, but it's good that we didn't notice this directly in the game.