ASUS GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX OC Video Card Review

Introduction of the ASUS GTX 980 4GB STRIX OC

Recently, I had the chance to take a look at the ASUS GTX 970 4GB STRIX OC, and with no surprise, I found myself quite impressed with what ASUS was offering. While we have seen the R9 290X 4GB drop in price and line up with the GTX 970 4GB, the simple fact is that people just aren't interested in buying a card that is a year old, and because of that, you're more than likely going to choose the new GTX 970 4GB over the older AMD option.

If neither of those models provides quite enough power, then the good news is that NVIDIA has you covered. Since its launch, the GTX 980 4GB has done nothing but impress us over and over again, no matter which way we run it. While installing three or four might not hold the best value, you can't deny that it's a setup that you're going to drool over at some point. If you found yourself impressed with what ASUS offered recently with the GTX 970 4GB, but you wanted a bit more power, then the GTX 980 4GB version of the STRIX OC might be exactly what you're after.

The STRIX series from ASUS has really taken silent gaming to another level thanks to its cooler design. Refraining from spinning at idle isn't anything new, and it's something a number of companies now offer. However, the big draw to the STRIX series is that when the card is in use, but not using its full power, the fans will continue to refrain from spinning. This was apparent during a demo at Computex where a machine was playing StarCraft II without the fans of the STRIX card spinning.

Package - What comes inside the box

Looking at the box, you can see it's pretty much identical to the GTX 970 4GB version of the ASUS STRIX we recently looked at. We've got this robotic like owl on the front, along with the model notation, and some of the main features. The features listed here include the fact the card is an OC Edition, it carries 4GB GDDR5 memory, and it offers 0dB gaming. One of the most important features offered is the DirectCU II cooler, which offers up to 30% cooler temperatures, and as we mentioned, silent gaming.

With the box turned over, you can see that ASUS goes into more detail on some of the major features. Starting from the left, you can see a picture of the card, and the connectivity options. Next, you get a rundown on the DirectCU II cooler with its 0dB fan. You can also see benefits of the DIGI+ VRM+ Super Alloy Power feature, which brings less noise, and longer durability. This section finishes with a brief bit of information on the GPU Tweak software that is available, which also offers online streaming.

Moving into the package, you can see we don't have too much going on. Sitting alongside the standard manual and Driver CD, you can see we've got a dual six-pin to single eight-pin PCIe power connector. We've also got four stickers, two of which can be installed on the cooler to give you a certain color scheme. Of course, you also have the option to forgo both stickers, and leave the cooler plain black.

PRICING: You can find the ASUS GTX 980 4GB STRIX OC for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The ASUS GTX 980 4GB STRIX OC retails for $579.99 at Amazon.