ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Ti Matrix or Strix

[BwaaahSharkie]

I currently have the ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Ti STRIX OC3 OC and was considering returning it and getting the Matrix. I heard the STRIX does not have active memory or VRM cooling.
My question is, does the Matrix have active memory/VRM cooling? I can't find an answer anywhere. I want the best of the best so I figured it'd be worth it to get it now.
Also, I know the Matrix has the memory defroster but won't that cause the "ice" to evaporate and short the card out?

Anyways, matrix, active memory cooling and vrm cooling or not?

Thanks guys and girls!

[Vlada011]

I would sell Strix definitely for Matrix...but that's me I like Matrix very much...
980TI Matrix Platinum have one black heatsink over VRM. That's enough to temps stay in safe zone.



GTX 980 Strix had similar heatsink but I'm not sure for GTX980Ti Strix...
I think ASUS Installed 3 fans and no heatsink. You can check over net to be sure.
But they definitely protect VRM on Matrix from heat. You can't find better cooling on other custom solutions.
That's best what companies use for VRM.

Matrix look special nice when you look from side...
Than card leave really powerfull impression, much more than other companies who tried to make same effect with huge and colorfull coolers. But Matrix really look powerfull from side.

[BwaaahSharkie]

So is there memory cooling that isn't the defroster? Because I don't want to use that in my computer..

[Dicehunter]

If you want the best card Asus make then yes get the Matrix as it's cooling is fantastic, Mine clocks to 1500/8000 BUT you could very well get a GPU that clocks lower than your Strix as Asus don't seem to be binning these GPU's which is a shame considering how much they cost.

[djblueeggs]

Dicehunter wrote:
If you want the best card Asus make then yes get the Matrix as it's cooling is fantastic, Mine clocks to 1500/8000 BUT you could very well get a GPU that clocks lower than your Strix as Asus don't seem to be binning these GPU's which is a shame considering how much they cost.

I just bought two of these. One has and asic of 80.0 and the other has an asic of 81.1. Both easily goes to 1500/8000 no sweat and they stay under 70 with the default fan profile. I haven't tried to go past that yet. I love the burn to bios feature. If you find an overclock you like you can burn it to the bios.

[Vlada011]

They separate some number of below of average chips.
There are cards who work on 1100MHz and crash on 1180-1190MHz... they didn't use them for Matrix.
But if someone want really binned silicon, not what other companies say We choose best, than Matrix Gold, because he is 50-60MHz faster than best binned graphic cards on market. Reality is ...customers will probably never hit so good silicon as in Matrix Gold buying other custom models.
So high clock 1266MHz is answer on all questions, yes they choose best cards. Personally I would not complain even if such card crash on 1290MHz OC because fabric clock is success, nothing more. Only people with LN2 could try silicon in some other environment, for Air or Water fabric clock ofMatrix Gold is enough.

When someone build configuration with Matrix/Matrix Gold and i7-5820K/5930K overclocked to 4.0-4.2GHz and graphic on fabric OC than whole system is 25-30% faster than default. That's interesting for me, because it's not extreme overclock, it's safe, but much faster than fabric specification for Intel 6 core and GTX980Ti. Than only stay to every customer find best latency for DDR4 RAM and system is ready for gaming.

[Dicehunter]

Vlada011 wrote:
They separate some number of below of average chips.
There are cards who work on 1100MHz and crash on 1180-1190MHz... they didn't use them for Matrix.
But if someone want really binned silicon, not what other companies say We choose best, than Matrix Gold, because he is 50-60MHz faster than best binned graphic cards on market. Reality is ...customers will probably never hit so good silicon as in Matrix Gold buying other custom models.
So high clock 1266MHz is answer on all questions, yes they choose best cards. Personally I would not complain even if such card crash on 1290MHz OC because fabric clock is success, nothing more. Only people with LN2 could try silicon in some other environment, for Air or Water fabric clock ofMatrix Gold is enough.

When someone build configuration with Matrix/Matrix Gold and i7-5820K/5930K overclocked to 4.0-4.2GHz and graphic on fabric OC than whole system is 25-30% faster than default. That's interesting for me, because it's not extreme overclock, it's safe, but much faster than fabric specification for Intel 6 core and GTX980Ti. Than only stay to every customer find best latency for DDR4 RAM and system is ready for gaming.

Well the only difference with the Gold version is the bios, They set the clock 50MHz higher, Not really a higher binned chip.

By the way I've noticed over the last year or so your English has gotten a lot better, Kudos 🙂

[Vlada011]

Than lucky owners of GTX980Ti Matrix Platinum could install BIOS from Matrix Gold, maybe.
Maybe not. I say lucky owners because probably lot of graphic processors didn't pass difference between 1216-1266.
ASUS need to secure to card stay stable 3 years in games on 50MHz more, that's not only 50MHz longer slider and benchmark tests.
They probably search for chips 60-70MHz better than Matrix Platinum minimum.
Your card is capable if she can 1500MHz... But if you success to overclock video memory on 2000MHz that's excellent but for gaming I would keep on default 1800MHz, it's bad to something happen to graphic with nice GPU because video memory is one of sensitive parts after overlocking.
And improvements are much lower than GPU.