Review: Asus GeForce GTX 980 Strix

Conclusion

For a good number of years enthusiast graphics card arrived with massive power requirements, deafening coolers and temperature limits in line with your average nuclear reactor.

Nvidia's GTX 900-series signals a design shift in high-end graphics as while performance is up, the efficiency of the latest-generation Maxwell architecture is such that power consumption, temperature and noise have all been reined in.

This balanced approach has given manufacturers something different to think about: producing a quality GTX 980 is no longer as easy as attaching a meaty cooler and raising the clocks some.

Understanding that high-end cards no longer need to exhibit the traditional drawbacks, Asus has produced a GTX 980 Strix that's faster than reference, much cooler under load, deadly silent when idle and suitably quiet in game.

The 980 Strix is a well-rounded package with plenty of additional overclocking headroom, but that isn't to say it's perfect. We'd have liked to have seen a memory overclock included as standard, however the real sticking point is the £500 asking price. Enthusiasts may well bite, but the more-discerning gamer will take solace in the fact that the similarly impressive GTX 970 Strix is available for 40 per cent less.

Asus GeForce GTX 980 Strix

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The Asus GeForce GTX 980 Strix graphics card is available to purchase from Overclockers UK.

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