Yes, but Titan X...

I so want to go with this kind of cooling, but for the liff of me can't make myself to dismantle NV's reference design because it's the only one that doesn't look like a plastic toy even if suboptimal performance-wise. Decisions, decisions 🙁

What is sad how long it took cards to come factory like this. I remember seeing a GTX 580 that had an AIO on it from the factory.

Is this the 8GB version of the GTX 980 with custom cooler that we were told about back when the GTX 980 was announced?

Looks like the proper version of my home modified gtx670 with the h55 aio

I don't see this being any more quiet than a fine tuned air sollution (too small of a rad, probably below top pump). As for performance, I'm also not sure we will see such a card go higher or as high as a custom full cover block, or a decent air cooler. Not surprised, but also not impressed. Maybe I'm wrong and benchmarks / reviews might prove that.

Video where card is OC'd to 1600 easily ... silent, silent, silent. 🙂 Price $649.99 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=98P_NjK3ft8

I don't see this being any more quiet than a fine tuned air sollution (too small of a rad, probably below top pump). As for performance, I'm also not sure we will see such a card go higher or as high as a custom full cover block, or a decent air cooler. Not surprised, but also not impressed. Maybe I'm wrong and benchmarks / reviews might prove that.

I can tell you right now, its very quiet. I have a 120mm AIO on my R9 290. Its silent and stays under 60c with low RPM fans. A "fine tuned" air solution cant compete with the temps. I have the windforce 3x cooler and it was quiet but at 80c. The difference between a reference 290x vs AIO cooled 290x, not just in noise but temps and performance is pretty damn nice. http://i.imgur.com/OfghgyLl.jpg

There is only 1x980 card that i would buy and that would be the Kingpin. It has proper increased Power phases for some massive Overclocks. I was actually considering buying 2 kingpins over 1 Titan but the 12Gb of ram sealed the deal for future proofing. Some nice bioses out for the kingpin also. I think the next card i will buy when upgrading will be the Kingpin, seems Nvidia wants to make this the premium card for overclocking with extra voltage etc.

Buying this card is probably pointless unless u do some custom Vmods since Nvidia pulled the plug on Voltage controlls.

Why wouldn't this be quiet and very efficient? 295X2 did pretty good with just about the same setup. Before Guru3D review I couldn't believe that thing would ever fly (well, except VRM temps were as expected but then again it did have 500 watts in the house). As good as they are in performance, I strongly detest Windfarce 3X and the rest of those silly plastic designs. I'd take this hybrid over any of them just because of that alone.

Depending on the price this could be a really good competitor to other 980's. JayzTwoCents hit Classified clocks on a mild overclock. Might just be a good binned card but still its a decent alternative.

I can tell you right now, its very quiet. I have a 120mm AIO on my R9 290. Its silent and stays under 60c with low RPM fans. A "fine tuned" air solution cant compete with the temps. I have the windforce 3x cooler and it was quiet but at 80c. The difference between a reference 290x vs AIO cooled 290x, not just in noise but temps and performance is pretty damn nice.

Well, good it fits your expectations 🙂 But I've learned that silence or quietness isn't the same for everybody. I've still got some nice hearing, listening to my machines I can tell you which component is the loudest, wheres friends of mine (older and younger for that matter) can't even hear the special characteristic sound of something like my old Hyper 212's slightly clicking fans it gets below 800rpm. I'm a bit biased I've got to admit 😀

Buying this card is probably pointless unless u do some custom Vmods since Nvidia pulled the plug on Voltage controlls.

Then again, I'd go for a full cover block, as I'd want to have those VRMs under direct water too, which an AIO sollution might not provide (I didn't check on this specific card though).

There is only 1x980 card that i would buy and that would be the Kingpin. It has proper increased Power phases for some massive Overclocks. I was actually considering buying 2 kingpins over 1 Titan but the 12Gb of ram sealed the deal for future proofing. Some nice bioses out for the kingpin also. I think the next card i will buy when upgrading will be the Kingpin, seems Nvidia wants to make this the premium card for overclocking with extra voltage etc.

Yeah, exactly what I'm thinking. Once I'll upgrade a few years in the future, maybe with Volta, I'll certainly do a couple of things different: - wait for the Ti - wait for one of the 'overclocker' versions - put it under water with a full cover block This might only happen once the stuff after Volta comes around, as the aftermarket's adoption is slow. I bought my 580 Lightning XE when the 680 was about to be released. Stuff like that costs extra money, but we're enthusiasts after all 😉

There is only 1x980 card that i would buy and that would be the Kingpin. It has proper increased Power phases for some massive Overclocks. I was actually considering buying 2 kingpins over 1 Titan but the 12Gb of ram sealed the deal for future proofing. Some nice bioses out for the kingpin also. I think the next card i will buy when upgrading will be the Kingpin, seems Nvidia wants to make this the premium card for overclocking with extra voltage etc.

while I love the aio's on a vga I would have to disagree on the classy vet just for the fact you can get a titan x for 200usd more. not disagreeing on that its seems like a great card but its price is way too much. since for the most part the asus srikx can do about the same my asus card went about 1650 with a aio on it for far a cheaper price

...since for the most part the asus srikx can do about the same my asus card went about 1650 with a aio on it for far a cheaper price

That's why I didn't wait for any special version on the 980s, only that I'm tempted to try and sell mine on the aftermarket before the TIs come around... dammit.

while I love the aio's on a vga I would have to disagree on the classy vet just for the fact you can get a titan x for 200usd more. not disagreeing on that its seems like a great card but its price is way too much. since for the most part the asus srikx can do about the same my asus card went about 1650 with a aio on it for far a cheaper price

I agree with you on the Classified but the Kingpin is much better than the classy. Classy was pretty crap looking at what people had posted regarding overclocks with evbot and evga voltage controller.:)