MSI GTX680 Twin Frozr 3 OC Review
Conclusion
Published: 28th May 2012 | Source: MSI | Price: £479 |
Conclusion
It seems clear that the days when a manufacturer could take a reference GPU and completely reinvent it are over. Such is the incredible quality, and coolness, of the standard nVidia card that it's very difficult for a partner to bring something particularly new to the table.
Sure you can give it a factory overclock and get a few extra frames per second and that's all well and good. Also you can stick an alternative cooler on it, which helps the noise a little thanks to the larger fans. Except the stock card is cool enough that your overclock isn't really thermally limited, at least at the levels most of us will be attempting.
And that's about it.
Specifically the MSI looks good because the Twin Frozr cooler always looks good. Unlike the Windforce it actually looks like it was designed for the card rather than bolted on from the parts bin. The Twin Frozr 3 cooler is as quiet and capable as it's always been, and there is a lot to be said for something just working, even if it's in an unflashy manner that doesn't allow for 'new and improved' advertising blurb. We'd much rather have something tried and tested. MSI have wisely retained the 6+6 PCIe power arrangement that the Kepler GPU was designed to utilise. The factory overclock is decent, and the card manually overclocks pretty well.
Having tested three partner cards now it's fairly clear that the Zotac AMP! is, if anything, better than we originally thought it was. The Gigabyte Windforce is the weakest of the bunch, but only just, and the MSI is slightly more consistent, but really you would be fine with any GTX680 based card, even if the GTX670 has really taken a chunk out of the potential market for the full-fat GPU.
We're happy to award the MSI GTX680 Twin Frozr 3 our OC3D Silver Award, and also add to the fact that out of the GTX680's we have tested so far from Vendors this would be the one we would personally all choose just because it is so quiet, temps are great and its probably the best looking of the bunch too.
Thanks to MSI for providing the GTX680 Twin Frozr 3 OC for review. Discuss in our forums.
Most Recent Comments
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Originally Posted by Cram
Here is the video |
Asus is starting to do better than MSI with the DCII especially for the Nvidia 6xx series, TFIII is still a one of the best coolers though.
I think giving it an 8/10 for price is high. I mean, £480? When both OC'd it looses in the toughest games around (BF3 and Metro) to the 7950...
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Originally Posted by Master&Puppet
That is a brilliant cooler, amazing temps. I think giving it an 8/10 for price is high. I mean, £480? When both OC's it looses in the toughest games around (BF3 and Metro) to the 7950... |
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Originally Posted by SieB
Video is in the review on the conclusion page Asus is starting to do better than MSI with the DCII especially for the Nvidia 6xx series, TFIII is still a one of the best coolers though. |
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Originally Posted by Cram
For some reason when i first clicked on here i didn't see the continue reading link |
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Originally Posted by Cram
For some reason when i first clicked on here i didn't see the continue reading link |
EDIT
hmmblah beat me to it
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Originally Posted by hmmblah
It takes a few minutes between posting the thread and adding the "Continue Reading" link. |
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Originally Posted by SieB
Takes a couple of minutes from Tom making the thread till he gets he link to the review up. He has to make this thread, post the review then then link it. EDIT hmmblah beat me to it |
I must admit i was going to buy this card an till i heard about the gtx 670's i wonder how good the msi 670 are going to be or should i just buy this one
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Originally Posted by Cram
ok i'll give it a few minutes next time I must admit i was going to buy this card an till i heard about the gtx 670's i wonder how good the msi 670 are going to be or should i just buy this one |
The 680 are way to overpriced. Why would anyone but this when you can get a 7970 direct CU II for £390.
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Originally Posted by DT-525
Nice card, but i wonder why they didn't bring this card out as a lightning. The 680 are way to overpriced. Why would anyone but this when you can get a 7970 direct CU II for £390. |
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Originally Posted by hmmblah
You guys get raped so hard on prices. A reference 680 here is priced at $499 or about £323. Now the problem still is finding one. 670s are easy to get though. |
Surely the 680 remains a higher price here because stupid people keep buying them?
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Originally Posted by Master&Puppet
Or 40% if you are 'lucky'. Surely the 680 remains a higher price here because stupid people keep buying them? |
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Originally Posted by MaXiMiZe
Nice review as always. The 680 is a pointless card as far as I can see... |
Cheers.
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The MSI Twin Frozr cards have always been exceptional. Today we see if the GTX680 version continues the trend.
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