Gigabyte Releases GeForce GTX 970 WindForce OC Graphics Card

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 09/29/2014 02:16 PM | source: | 17 comment(s)

Yeah, that's not to confuse with the G1 Gaming we reviewed last week. The GTX 970 WindForce OC under a new SKU code (GV-N970WF3OC-4GD) and slightly different specs. For example the clock speeds are set at a 1114 MHz core with 1253 MHz GPU Boost and 7.00 GHz memory opposed to the 1178 MHz core and 1253 MHz GPU Boost of the G1.Gaming.

The card otherwise is the same mostly, it has the WindForce 3X cooling solution and is GeForce GTX 970 based with its 1664 CUDA cores, 104 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. The memory amount in use is of course 4 GB of memory. So basically the same, just slightly slower clocks and as I just realized, it is lacking a backplate.

WINDFORCE 3X cooling system
Flex Display Technology
Powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 GPU
Integrated with industry's best 4GB GDDR5 memory 256-bit memory interface
Features Dual-link DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI / DisplayPort*3
BASE: 1114 MHz / BOOST: 1253 MHz
System power supply requirement: 550W(with one 6-pin and one 8-pin external power connectors)

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D4rKy21

Posts: 724
Joined: 2007-10-08

#4925298 Posted on: 09/29/2014 02:43 PM

Hopefully these ones dont have that OC nightmare problems.

CK the Greek
Senior Member

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#4925312 Posted on: 09/29/2014 02:57 PM

I currently own 2 460s and never had problems..I like GB as a company. I hope though that they won't have an issues...(if any previous product has)

abula
Senior Member

Posts: 790
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#4925315 Posted on: 09/29/2014 03:00 PM

Hopefully these ones dont have that OC nightmare problems.

What OC nightmare? on the G1? im about to buy a GTX970, and would like to know if the G1 has any problems.

nanogenesis
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#4925319 Posted on: 09/29/2014 03:09 PM

Corbus
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#4925351 Posted on: 09/29/2014 03:42 PM

What OC nightmare? on the G1? im about to buy a GTX970, and would like to know if the G1 has any problems.

I think he was referring to the ghz edition of the 780 ti. Right? Riiight?

eclap
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#4925367 Posted on: 09/29/2014 03:57 PM

Lol this is super lame. The longer heatsink will make the card sag. If they wanted the WF cooler, they should have atleast put a backplate.

Whoever buys this enjoy your sagged GPU.

IMO the G1 Gaming 970 is still a no brainer.

What longer cooler? Hilbert says it's basically a g1, but slightly lower clocks. The g1 has a backplate, so this one should also have one if what Hilbert says is true.

Warrax
Senior Member

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#4925383 Posted on: 09/29/2014 04:18 PM

This one doesn't seem to have a backplate. On GB site the G1 has a back screenshot, this one does not: not a good sign. This one will probably cost less than a G1.

Hilbert Hagedoorn
Don Vito Corleone

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#4925385 Posted on: 09/29/2014 04:22 PM

So I verified this, indeed it lacks the backplate that the G1 model does have. The news post has been updated.

Corbus
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#4925395 Posted on: 09/29/2014 04:38 PM

Like the 700 series, the ghz editions have a backplate while others do not, the G1 is now the new Ghz.

nick0323
Senior Member

Posts: 921
Joined: 2010-02-24

#4925449 Posted on: 09/29/2014 05:49 PM

My 670 overclocks like a pro under clocker. Fantastic card and build quality however! I've gone a bought a Palit this time around.

ScoobyDooby
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#4925510 Posted on: 09/29/2014 06:53 PM

eek without a backplate.. not sure I would get one of these.. the G1 would sag without the backplate quite a bit I'd imagine. I know my older Windforce 6870 did.

OC I'm sure wouldn't be much different from the G1.

KotS
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#4925972 Posted on: 09/30/2014 09:02 AM

Im still waiting msi 980 variants...

Præses
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#4926056 Posted on: 09/30/2014 11:34 AM

Hilbert, how big a role does the backplate play? Surely it doesn't make really good contact with the PCB and ICs without thermal paste/pads?

alanm
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#4926086 Posted on: 09/30/2014 12:30 PM

The backplate doesnt do anything to cooling, it just makes the card sturdier and protects the pcb.

cps1974
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#4926094 Posted on: 09/30/2014 12:44 PM

Hilbert, how big a role does the backplate play? Surely it doesn't make really good contact with the PCB and ICs without thermal paste/pads?

I can remember having 2 x Gigabyte GTX 460 SOC 1GB - both sagged - I didn't know at the time but suspect now it's because of no backplate. The resulting sag meant the PCB moved ever so slightly in relation to the cheap plastic card/fan shroud so the shroud started interfering with the fans and producing an annoying tapping/grating sound as the fans kept hitting the shroud.

I'd recommend either cards with a backplate AND/OR cards with a more solid (rather than cheap lightweight plastic) shroud.

these are not small cards - by any stretch of the imagination

google these (images) and compare the 2 items to see what I mean re the shroud:

1. cheap/weak - gigabyte gtx 460 soc
2. sturdy - msi gtx 460 twin frozr ii 1gb

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