MSI graphics cards. GTX 970 - top version from MSI: specs, reviews and reviews

The game segment of video cards always attracts potential buyers, because it assembles all devices that do not need to be upgraded and overclocked in order to launch another resource-intensive toy at maximum settings. In the focus of this article - one such representative, the graphics accelerator MSI GTX 970. The reader will learn what the top version of MSI is. Characteristics, reviews and reviews will help a potential buyer determine the choice of the game solution.

Positioning the product on the world market

The MSI Geforce GTX 970 graphics card is in the top segment, but is not the most productive device on the market of gaming adapters. However, this does not mean that the graphics accelerator is limited in performance. With the game power and complex mathematical calculations, the video adapter has full order. Limitations are only in the functional (if you compare the device with a more expensive solution GTX 980).

High performance and affordable price (up to 30 000 rubles) are the main criteria for which the manufacturer made an emphasis, taking the video adapter to the world market. There is no potential for overclocking. The MSI graphics accelerator is the final product in the gaming segment and does not require user intervention.

Graphics Accelerator Specifications

The MSI GTX 970 chip is code-named GM204 and is based on a 28-nanometer process technology. For high performance, the CUDA cores meet, there are 1664 of them on the graphics core. The textures are allocated 104 blocks, and for work with rasters 56 blocks are given. The operating clock frequency of the processor is 1140 MHz (in the factory version of the Nvidia Geforce GTX970 this parameter is limited to 1050 MHz).

The weak point of the gaming adapter is the memory bus. Suppose that it is built using GDDR5 technology and has a capacity of 4000 MB, but the bandwidth is limited to 256-bit bus. In their responses, many owners assure that the potential for overclocking the graphics core and memory is available, but it does not exceed 20% of the overall performance. And the sense of the most performance increase is lost for many users, because the BIOS of the device fixes the frequency of the work of the chips, and in the event of failure, an expensive video card will not be returned to the seller by the guarantee to the seller to nobody.

Interesting technologies

Undoubtedly, multi-frame smoothing improves the quality of the displayed image on the monitor screen. Graphics accelerator Nvidia GTX 970 MSI is equipped with the necessary technology, which is called MFAA. For the quality display of dynamic scene lighting, the VXGI function (voxel global illumination) is responsible. All top-end video cards of the gaming segment are provided with this technology, but not every owner of the gaming adapter is able to observe a picture of cinematic quality. To display high-definition information, you need an appropriate monitor with 4K support.

The video game accelerator is equipped with standard GPU acceleration tools, called GPU Boost 2.0, and also has a V-Sync function that can remove jitter when changing frames at different monitor sweep frequencies. Support for DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.4 and SLI for four video adapters is a standard set for all modern video cards of the gaming segment.

but on the other hand

There is a certain percentage of potential buyers who are waiting for the release of new products in the segment of video game adapters, not for the purpose of acquiring them. The interest of users is in the discounts that the manufacturer puts on the products that were recently in the top. With the release of MSI's new-generation video card, the product with the outdated GTX 770 chip automatically lost about 20-25% in price. And this happens in the primary market.

Accordingly, from the second hand, a morally obsolete video game adapter can be bought at half price. And do not think that the old chip will not be able to modern games at the maximum settings. With this, obsolete Nvidia products have a complete order. The difference is noticeable only in the realism of the game story, because in recent years in the video card market the struggle is not for the speed of work, but for the quality of the image.

First introduction to the MSI GTX 970 product

A large cardboard box in a red-black version with a logo in the form of a dragon will certainly attract the attention of any potential buyer. Decent design: brand name, brief characteristics of the device on the main display and the photo of the adapter itself on the back of the package. Naturally, the buyer can get any information about the product without opening the box.

Once again, the top device from a well-known manufacturer can not surprise the user. After all, the high price of the graphics accelerator MSI GTX 970 should be veiled by some gift from a well-known brand - let it be at least a small sticker with a dragon logo. Standard configuration in the form of a pair of brochures, a DVI-VGA adapter and an additional power cable can spoil the mood of any user.

Advertising - the engine of progress

Many sellers of computer parts often provide their products with shares of unprecedented generosity. In most cases, it's not about some trinket in the form of a pen, which can often be obtained in supermarkets, but about a real expensive gift: a game keyboard, an acoustic system, a licensed game and similar valuable goods. The product from MSI was not an exception. The GTX 970 Gaming 100ME is bundled with one very popular and anticipated game on the market. Licensed product Far Cry 4, which is bundled with the video card, does not affect the cost of the goods, but the batch of such video cards on the market is limited, and, accordingly, all fans of the popular game of gifts will not suffice.

PCB Features

Many customers know that video cards presented on the world market under different brands, very often differ from the reference devices produced within the walls of the company Nvidia. In most cases, many manufacturers make minor improvements, which can improve the performance of the graphics accelerator. The MSI GTX 970 Gaming was also upgraded. Changes affected the power board system - instead of six phases, the manufacturer used eight and transferred all the power elements to the interface connectors.

Installed at the MSI factory and improved memory modules - Samsung chips have not only a fast response (2 ns), but are capable of operating at a frequency of 7 GHz. Confuses only the presence of electrolytic capacitors on the motherboard. The manufacturer simply had to install solid-state drives. However, there is no need to worry about this: if you look closely at the marking of the capacitor, you will find that the manufacturer still installed decent ferrite cores (SFC) drives.

The design of the video card and the cooling system

The MSI GTX 970 graphics card in the basic version is equipped with a branded cooler with copper tubes, an aluminum radiator and two low-frequency fans. All this cooling system is proudly called the TWIN FROZR V. Yes, it is the same cooler that stands on the fastest graphics cards from MSI of any generation. Two powerful fans working at a frequency of 1000 rpm perfectly pump air into the radiator grille, and copper tubes that penetrate through the aluminum radiator and touch the graphic core effectively cope with the temperature balance in the entire cooling system.

In general, the cooler in the review process has never raised a single question. It works very quietly, even in the process of dispersal (it seems that there is a speed limiter), and creates a very powerful airflow that will not allow dust to collect between the edges of the radiator.

Requirements for resources

It's clear that each class of video adapters corresponds to a certain segment of computer components, but in order to fully unlock the potential of the MSI GTX 970 4GD5T OC, the user needs to have a really productive platform at hand. The processor must have at least four cores and operate at a frequency of 3000 MHz minimum (professionals in their reviews recommend preferring the product Intel Core i5). With the amount of RAM is simpler - the minimum is 8 GB.

Recommendations touched on the weakest link in the performance of a personal computer - a hard drive. There can be no question of any magnetic disk, only a solid-state SSD hard drive. The game video adapter from the manufacturer MSI is volatile. In the regular work, the graphics accelerator consumes almost 150 watts, respectively, the power supply for the entire system should be at least 750 watts (provided there are no additional expansion cards).

Gaming potential

Many readers are more interested in the technologies that are not being implemented, but the actual performance of the graphics accelerator MSI GTX 970, so it's time to go to the test results. Immediately it is worth noting that in this review on the dispersal of speech is not a question - all the indicators are real, and any user can repeat them themselves at home. Naturally, all tests are carried out only on the maximum graphics settings (ULTRA) and at the resolution of the picture in FullHD format (1920 x 1080 dots per inch).

A popular science fiction first-person game called Crysis 3 demonstrates the average speed of the game at 65 frames per second. True, in saturated dynamic scenes with a large number of moving objects, the figure drops to 55 FPS. The situation with games Far Cry 4 and Assassin's Creed: Unity is a little worse, the change of frames is limited by the frequency of 43-45 FPS. Other popular toys like DOTA 2, World of Tanks, WarCraft and the like show an index of at least 100 frames per second.

Feedback

MSI video cards rarely get negative feedback, even from very demanding customers. All products have a unique look, excellent technical capabilities and a long service life, so in the media the reader will not be able to find the drawbacks of the GTX 970 graphics accelerator. However, there are some flaws in the video card. Many overclockers complain about the GPU's strong heating during the testing of the video adapter (at 100% load). The problem lies in the fan speed limiter of the cooling system. The set threshold of 1000 rpm does not allow the radiator to cool faster. True, many prospective buyers do not see the point in dispersal, and do not pay attention to this shortcoming.

But the real drawback of the video adapter, many fans of resource-intensive games consider the design of the cooling system of the device. In the case of dusty radiator and microcircuits, it is impossible to clean the system with an easy movement of the hand. It is necessary to perform very carefully and consistently several dozen actions to get to the radiator or impeller of the fan.

Finally

Definitely, the video game adapter MSI GTX 970 has a future. And it's not about supporting the device with all existing technologies. Rather, the location of the product in the elite class affects the high performance and decent potential in the video card. Do not forget about the manufacturer MSI - the company has always produced and continues to produce products of absolute quality, which have 100% performance. This fact confirms the official guarantee of the manufacturer - 3 years is indeed a serious indicator. The only drawback that all video cards of the gaming segment have is high cost. For 30 000 rubles, many buyers can look for a new laptop on the computer market. But, as they say, there is always a buyer for each product.