Today ASUS lifted the NDA for two new Matrix graphics cards. One of them is based on AMDs recent high-end chip and the other, which we're looking at right now, features a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti core. Furthermore this new high-end card comes with a shedload of features, which not only interesting for gamers but also for overclockers. At this point we're now really curious to find out what these cards can do in our review.
ASUS has recently announced its newest ASUS ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum
Edition graphics card and today we have a chance to check out if the the new ROG
MATRIX graphics card can live up to its name and the level of both performance
and manufacturing quality expected from a Republic of Gamers MATRIX edition
graphics card.
As you can see from the GPU-Z screen below, ASUS' ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti
packs Nvidia's 28nm GK110B GPU with 2880 CUDA cores, 240 TMUs and 48 ROPs and
features some quite decent factory overclock. While the reference GTX 780 Ti
sticks to 875MHz for the base GPU and 928MHz for the GPU Boost clock, the ASUS
ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti works at 1006MHz GPU base clock and 1072MHz GPU Boost
clocks while 3GB of GDDR5 memory paired up with a 384-bit memory interface ended
up clocked at reference 7000MHz.
As expected, the ASUS ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti promises 13 percent better
peformance out of the box and comes packed with features aimed at enthusiasts,
overclocked as well as those looking to get best possible piece of hardware and
graphics card based on Nvidia GTX 780 Ti GPU.
ASUS equipped the new ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum Edition graphics card
with its own dual-slot, dual-fan cooler with CoolTech fan technology which
feature hybrid and dust-proof fan technology which should accelerate heat
removal. The first, or right side fan is the standard one which provides
directional airflow which combined with second, left side hybrid fan, provides
multi-directional airflow. The fans are in charge of cooling the hefty heatsink
which features one 10mm direct-contact copper heatpipe, two 8mm as well as two
6mm ones and should provide up to 30 percent cooler operation compared to
reference cooled graphics cards. The ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum Edition also
comes with an aluminum back plate which should keep the backside cool as well as
provide more structural ridgidity to the entire graphics card.
This card allowed for a maximum stable overclocking of 1247 MHz regarding the GPU and 1851 MHz on the memory side. We
used Furemark V1.11.0 Geeks3D benchmark with 15 minutes duration. With these
clocks we had to feed the GPU with 1.21 Volt and the memory ran at stock
voltages.
The custom PCB features ASUS' DIGI+ 14-phase with Black Metallic Capacitors,
concrete-core chokes and hardened MOSFETs, order to ensure high stability and
lifetime. The custom PCB are not the only features packed on the ASUS ROG MATRIX
GTX 780 Ti Platinum Edition as it has a few more tricks up its sleeve including
the Memory Defroster, a brand-new ASUS-exclusive technology that should defrost
memory during subzero overclocking in order to ensuure better stability and get
rid of the memory cold bugs, "Clear VBIOS" button which restors the graphics
card to its defalut frequencies and voltages and a ROG color-coded LED LOGO
which shows GPUs load level. It also comes with ASUS' ROG Edition GPU Tweak
which gives you precise control over GPU clock frequency, VRM and cooler.
The memory chips used are made by SKhynix and carry the model number
H5GQ2H24AFR. They are specified to run at 1'750 MHz (7'000 MHz effective).
The card ships well bolstered in a foam made mold. Bundled with the graphics
card there are the user guide, the driver CD and two power converter (2x6-Pin-PCIe to
1x8-Pin-PCIe). The bundle is actually quite poor and we would have love to see a
few addtional goodies.
For the noise level results, we measured the noise
level using a decibel meter (Voltcraft SL-200) located at 1 meter away from the
graphics card.
Idle Temperature
Temperature
Auto
50%
70%
100%
ASUS GeForce GTX 780
DirectCU II OC
30
29
28
28
ASUS GeForce GTX 780
Poseidon Platinum
32
31
30
29
ASUS
GeForce GTX 780 Ti
Matrix Platinum
37
37
36
34
ASUS Radeon HD 7970
Matrix Platinum
28
28
28
27
ASUS Radeon R9 280X
DirectCU II Top
30
30
29
29
ASUS Radeon R9 280X
Matrix Platinum
30
30
29
29
ASUS Radeon R9 290X
DirectCU II
36
35
34
34
ASUS
Radeon R9 290X Matrix Platinum
37
36
35
34
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780
GHz Edition
29
27
26
26
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780
OC V2
30
29
28
28
MSI Twin Frozr Gaming
GTX 780
30
29
29
27
MSI Twin Frozr Gaming R9
280X OC Edition
32
31
30
29
PowerColor Radeon R9 280X
TurboDuo OC
32
32
31
30
PowerColor Radeon R9 290X LCS
29
NVIDIA Reference
32
30
29
29
More is better
Idle, temperature is
taken after 15 minutes @ lowest, 40 %, 50 %, 70 % and 100 % fan speed.
Room Temperature: 25°C
Temperature under Furmark
Temperature
Auto
50%
70%
100%
ASUS GeForce GTX 780
DirectCU II OC
83
71
63
56
ASUS
GeForce GTX 780 Ti
Matrix Platinum
77
77
72
68
ASUS GeForce GTX 780
Poseidon Platinum
90
81
72
62
ASUS Radeon HD 7970
Matrix Platinum
76
70
69
69
ASUS Radeon R9 280X
DirectCU II Top
90
71
64
63
ASUS Radeon R9 280X
Matrix Platinum
77
73
71
70
ASUS Radeon R9 290X
DirectCU II
89
90
85
81
ASUS
Radeon R9 290X Matrix Platinum
88
85
82
78
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780
GHz Edition
90
80
73
58
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780
OC V2
90
83
75
63
MSI Twin Frozr Gaming
GTX 780
73
71
63
56
MSI Twin Frozr Gaming R9
280X OC Edition
80
77
72
69
PowerColor R9 290X LCS
46
PowerColor R9 280X
TurboDuo OC
n/A
n/A
74
68
NVIDIA Reference
90
83
76
68
More is better
For FurMark, temperature is taken
after 15 minutes of GPU Burn test at lowest, 40 %, 50 %, 70 % and 100 % fan speed.
We stopped the test when the GPU temperature hit 90°C.
Room Temperature: 25°C
Temperature and
fan speed under BattleField 3
Auto
Temperature
PowerColor R9 290X LCS
(watercooled)
39
MSI Twin Frozr Gaming R9
280X OC Edition
60
ASUS
GeForce GTX 780 Ti
Matrix Platinum
66
ASUS Radeon HD 7970
Matrix Platinum
66
MSI Twin Frozr Gaming
GTX 780
66
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780
GHz Edition
67
ASUS Radeon R9 280X
Matrix Platinum
68
ASUS GeForce GTX 780
DirectCU II OC
69
ASUS Radeon R9 280X
DirectCU II Top
69
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780
OC V2
70
ASUS GeForce GTX 780
Poseidon Platinum
71
ASUS Radeon R9 290X
Matrix Platinum
72
PowerColor R9 280X
TurboDuo OC
73
ASUS
Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II
79
NVIDIA Reference
79
More is better
For BattleField 3, temperature and fan speed
values taken are the highest achieved after 1 hour gaming @ auto fan
speed.
AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition (PowerColor Matrix P.)
70.75
325
2.18
AMD Radeon R9 280X (PowerColor DC2T)
68.85
321
2.14
nVidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti (PowerColor DC2T)
30.80
151
2.04
nVidia GeForce GTX 580 (Ref)
50.49
254
1.99
AMD Radeon HD 7970 (XFX DD - Ref PCB)
64.27
329
1.95
AMD Radeon HD 6950 (Ref)
36.83
208
1.77
AMD Radeon HD 6970 (Ref)
41.19
252
1.63
AMD Radeon HD 6870 (Ref)
31.88
200
1.59
AMD Radeon HD 5850 (Ref)
30.05
193
1.56
AMD Radeon HD 5870 (Ref)
35.98
232
1.55
AMD Radeon HD 6990 (Ref)
73.44
500
1.47
*Entire system
More is better
Less is better
More is better
The "Performance Index" value is calculated as the sum of all
benchmarks results divided by the amount of games (3DMark and Unigine are not
included into the calculation).
Performance/Price
Graphics Cards
Performance Index
Price (€)*
Performance/€*10
ASUS Radeon R9
290X Matrix Platinum
n/A
n/A
n/A
ASUSGeForce GTX
780 Ti Matrix Platinum
n/A
n/A
n/A
AMD Radeon HD 7790
33.44
91
3.67
AMD Radeon HD 7870
50.53
143
3.53
AMD Radeon R9 270
50.00
144
3.47
AMD Radeon HD 7850
42.39
124
3.42
AMD Radeon R9 270X
53.85
159
3.39
nVidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost
40.87
121
3.38
nVidia GeForce GTX 660
47.37
144
3.29
nVidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti
30.80
100
3.08
AMD Radeon R9 280X
68.85
241
2.86
nVidia GeForce GTX 760
56.63
199
2.85
nVidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti
53.55
193
2.77
AMD Radeon HD 7970
64.27
232
2.77
nVidia GeForce GTX 670
62.00
228
2.72
AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition
70.75
260
2.72
nVidia GeForce GTX 770
70.92
266
2.67
nVidia GeForce GTX 580
50.49
190
2.66
AMD Radeon HD 6870
31.88
126
2.53
nVidia GeForce GTX 680
68.36
291
2.35
nVidia GeForce GTX 780
81.66
415
1.97
AMD Radeon HD 6950
36.83
205
1.80
PowerColor Radeon
R9 290X LCS
91.19
577
1.58
nVidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti
90.53
582
1.56
AMD Radeon HD 6970
41.19
310
1.33
AMD Radeon HD 5850
30.05
260
1.16
AMD Radeon HD 5870
35.98
335
1.07
AMD Radeon HD 6990
73.44
708
1.04
nVidia GeForce GTX TITAN
85.05
832
1.02
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti GHz
104.63
613
N/A
* 06/01/2014
More is better
Less is better
More is better
For the price we took the lowest price available on geizhals.eu.
With the ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum Edition, ASUS
has created a high-end NVIDIA based graphics cards, which comes with a
really long
feature list. There is for instance a new real-time streaming
feature for gamers and memory defrost for overclockers, which is being triggered by
flipping the LN2 Mode switch. Apart from that you get a VGA BIOS clear button and VGA
hotwire.
This card is a really good combination and it will please
high-end gamers as well as overclockers. Memory defrost is actually
quite a tricky and unique thing, since ASUS decided to place heating
elements in close proximity to the memory chips, which makes sure, there
won't be cold bug issues related to the memory. Overall the card also
looks strikingly good and build quality is on a very high level.
Especially the DirectCU II cooler, which recieved a black paint job is
simply gorgeous.
The latest version of ASUS' DirectCU II cooler is
definitely a highly capable, although not the single most sophisticated when
compared to the competition. Nevertheless the results gathered show this
cooler for a decent factory overclocking on the GTX 780 Ti chip. When it comes to noise levels the card is subjectively
speaking very silent in idle and under load it can still be described as
silent.
- Cooling performance
- Noise levels
-
Not inaudible in
idle
Performance
+
-
Overall performance is very good since the ROG
MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum Edition feature a rather impressive factory
overclocking. On average the card is quite a bit quicker than the
reference design and the cooler is making sure, it never overheats.
Overall this is one of the fastest GTX 780 Ti we've ever had or testing.
A closer look at power consumption reveals that the figures are really
good too. In case of idle power consumption we find our system pull 49
Watt and under load our test system needed 380 Watt, which is perfectly
in-line with competition.
- Performance
- Power consumption
Recommendation / Price
+
-
So far the new ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum
Edition
has not been listed yet, meaning we don't know about the price yet.
Since the feature list is rather long we expect a premium on top of a
reference GTX 780 Ti of about 50 to 75 Euro. In such a case the card
wouldn't be cheap but still worth its money. Overall this is a card we
can definitely recommend to enthusiast gamers and we're curious to see
what overclockers around the globe are going to squeeze out of this
thing.
- Enthusiast
The ROG MATRIX GTX 780 Ti Platinum Edition
from ASUS receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.