Overclocking
When stock speeds are simply not enough one turns to the not-so-dark arts of overclocking. A flick of one Precision X slider here, a flick there results in a core speed of 1,300MHz (1,472MHz boost) while memory chimes along at an effective 8,004MHz.
The meatier architecture of an overclocked GeForce GTX 980 is a step too far for the EVGA SSC... but no-one is going to complain at an extra 10 per cent or so, are they?