The Bottom Line
Introduction, Pricing & Availability
ZOTAC has come along over the last couple of years and positioned itself as a company that makes some of the best NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards on the market, which it displayed in the release of its GeForce GTX 980 Ti AMP! Extreme Edition, which was my personal favorite of all of the GTX 980 Ti cards.
The company has fused its knowledge from the success of the GTX 980 Ti AMP! Extreme Edition, and together with the trio of new technologies included in NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1080. Thanks to the 16nm FinFET process and Pascal architecture, we have a super-fast, but very efficient GPU. Mixed with ZOTAC's expertise in cooling and card design, we have the fastest GeForce GTX 1080 we've reviewed so far - and I have a lot of them.
ZOTAC even teases on its website that the GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme "takes performance to the maximum. ZOTAC engineering pushes the limit and AMP's performance levels to an entirely new class of performance". Yep, you're right ZOTAC.
Pricing & Availability
With NVIDIA pricing its GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition at $699, ZOTAC's new GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme can be found on Amazon for $874.99 - which is a bit high right now, but even with the higher prices applied, it's still a great value for the money card. This is thanks to its improved cooler, added performance, and better looks than the GTX 1080 Founders Edition.
Specs, Detailed Look, & Cooling Technology
Specifications
ZOTAC has pushed its engineering team to the limit with the GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme card, with the GP104 GPU not breaking a sweat at its higher GPU clock speeds. ZOTAC has ramped up the GPU to 1771/1911MHz for base/boost, respectively - while overclocking the 8GB of GDDR5X by 800MHz, from its 10GHz stock clocks to 10.8GHz.
There's still some wiggle room for manual overclocking, but we'll talk about that later on in the review.
Detailed Look
ZOTAC has changed up the box art for the GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, really pushing the entire yellow/black theme. I dig the new box, which has all of the important stuff you need to know on the front, and back.
On the front, in the bottom left, we can see that there's 8GB of GDDR5X, as well as ZOTAC's IceStorm cooler, ExoArmor, FREEZE technology, the EKO fans, and Spectra lighting.
On the back of the box, ZOTAC details some of the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme's various cooling technologies as well as the features of the GeForce GTX 1080. The minimum system requirements and the specifications of the card are also found on the back of the box.
Now we'll kick off with the good stuff; the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, out of the box. We can see the 3 x 90mm EXO fans front and center, which look insanely awesome in person. The new Spectra lightning makes an appearance, with the lights on the left and right side of the fans (top and bottom) as well as the ZOTAC branding in the center.
At first, I didn't like the back of the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme when I first saw it at Computex last month - but man, it has grown on me. I really love the look ZOTAC has gone for as it is completely 100% unique. Not everyone will like it, but it'll have its fans. I do wish the yellow part of the rear of the card was a huge window, and that there were LEDs underneath so that the user could control the color. Maybe for the next card, ZOTAC?
As you can see, ZOTAC isn't messing around when it comes to cooling the GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme. It's a 2.5-slot card, as the cooler hangs out quite a bit. But, the performance and acoustic performance are worth it, trust me.
The same goes for the top of the card, which has the massive heat sink array being teased.
ZOTAC amps up the power delivery on the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, with 8+8-pin PCIe power connectors.
Don't worry; there's the ability for SLI, just in case one ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme isn't enough.
ZOTAC's IceStorm is Cooler, Tougher Than Ever Before
ZOTAC has always had the cooling game tied down, with its impressive IceStorm cooling technology, ZOTAC's engineers have crafted a cooler that keeps even the hottest GPU nice and cool. There's no change here with the GP104-based GeForce GTX 1080, with ZOTAC's take on it in the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme running at around 60C during our testing.
The new and improved IceStorm cooler is "cooler, tougher, and brighter" according to ZOTAC. The company says that it has improved thermal regulation with overwhelming mass utilizing six variably configured sized heat pipes to pull as much heat from the core as it can, all while the massive aluminum fin array disperses the heat.
ZOTAC has deployed 3 x 90mm EKO fans that "amplifies airflow, reduces noise, and directs and keeps air down with its dual-blade, temperatures are a thing of the past". Nice.
When it comes to the 3 x 90mm EKO fans, they're dual-blade designs that look just as good as they perform. The design change increases airflow by up to 30% according to ZOTAC, with more efficient heat dissipation. The shape and curvature of the blade itself is designed to provide the best cooling it can while keeping the noise levels down.
Better yet is that every AMP! card in ZOTAC's GeForce GTX 10 series comes with FREEZE technology. FREEZE is ZOTAC's "inspired innovation" that enables powerful graphics cards that can be silent, which reduces the wear on the fans, making your card last longer, and provides a silent gaming experience.
ZOTAC has used a "functional aesthetic" to the IceStorm cooling system called Carbon ExoArmor, which a redesigned wraparound backplate and metal fan shroud with carbon detailing that provides a super unique look.
The GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme from ZOTAC includes POWER BOOST, which is ZOTAC's way of reducing ripple noise and minimizing power fluctuation which provides longer lasting cards, even with those huge overclocks.
It's not 2016 without flashing lights everywhere, with ZOTAC buckling to the pressure of the 'RGB everything' mantra. ZOTAC's new GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme graphics card has Spectra, which is the company's new advanced lighting system that lights up the front and rear of the video card. Spectra is controlled through FireStorm, which is ZOTAC's overclocking utility.
Testing Methodology & Test Setup Configuration
Testing Method
For the purposes of testing the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, and for all future GPU reviews and articles, we've changed up our benchmark suite. I've removed Battlefield 4, GRID: Autosport, BioShock: Infinite, and Grand Theft Auto V. In their place, I've got Far Cry Primal and The Division.
I've also added in some DX12 testing, with Hitman and Ashes of the Singularity. This will provide us with enough variety, but I'm on the hunt for new benchmarks all the time. The second that Battlefield 1 drops, we'll be including that in our GPU reviews, while I'll also be keeping an eye out on the release of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
Test System Configuration
Corsair sent us over their kick-ass AX1500i PSU, which provides 1500W of power for our 3 and 4-way GPU testing that we have coming very soon.
Anthony's Video Card Test System Specifications
- Motherboard: ASUS Rampage V Extreme - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
- CPU: Intel Core i7 5960X - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
- Cooler: Corsair H110 - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
- Memory: Kingston 16GB (4x4GB) HyperX Predator DDR4 3000MHz - Buy from Amazon
- Storage #1: SanDisk Extreme II 240GB - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
- Storage #2: Intel 730 Series 480GB - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
- Case: Lian Li PC-T80 Open-Air - Buy from Amazon
- Power Supply: Corsair AX1500i - Buy from Amazon / Read our review
- OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit - Buy from Amazon
- Drivers: NVIDIA GeForce 368.39 and AMD Catalyst 16.6.2 hotfix
Benchmarks - Synthetic
3DMark Fire Strike - 1080p
3DMark has been a staple benchmark for years now, all the way back to when The Matrix was released and Futuremark had bullet time inspired benchmarks. 3DMark is the perfect tool to see if your system - most important, your CPU and GPU - is performing as it should. You can search results for your GPU, to see if it falls in line with other systems based on similar hardware.
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme - 1440p
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra - 4K (3840x2160)
Heaven - 1080p
Heaven is an intensive GPU benchmark that really pushes your silicon to its limits. It's another favorite of ours as it has some great scaling for multi-GPU testing, and it's great for getting your GPU to 100% for power and noise testing.
Heaven - 1440p
Heaven - 4K (3840x2160)
Benchmarks @ 1080p
1080p Benchmarks
Far Cry Primal is a game built on the impressive Dunia Engine 2 with wide open, beautiful environments. It might look stunning, but the performance is actually quite good - but most cards will be stressed at 1440p, and especially so at 4K and beyond.
You can buy Far Cry Primal at Amazon.
Tom Clancy's The Division is one of the best looking games on the market, build with the beautiful Snowdrop engine. It's an RPG, including some awesome PvP multiplayer, and some of the best graphics on the market. It really stresses systems out, especially at 4K, making it perfect to test with our various video cards.
You can buy The Division at Amazon, and you can read our full review here.
We recently changed over to Metro: Last Light Redux, with developer 4A Games making the Redux version of Metro: Last Light the 'definitive' version of the game. Redux had a fresh coat of paint on the already impressive 4A Engine, and it really pushes our GPUs to their limits.
You can buy Metro: Last Light Redux at Amazon.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is one of the most graphically intensive games we test, with Monolith using their own Lithtech engine to power the game. When cranked up to maximum detail, it will chew through your GPU and its VRAM like it's nothing.
You can buy Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor at Amazon.
Thief has been around for quite a while now, with the latest version of the first-person stealth game powered by Epic Games' older Unreal Engine 3. While it's old, it has some great multi-GPU scaling that we use to test out our various GPU setups.
You can buy Thief at Amazon.
Tomb Raider is still such a gorgeous game, with developer Crystal Dynamics using their own 'Foundation' engine to build Lara Croft into the new world. One of the best parts about Tomb Raider is the absolutely stellar multi-GPU scaling, so this is an important test to see how well our NVIDIA GeForce SLI and AMD Radeon CrossFire setups scale.
You can buy Tomb Raider at Amazon.
Benchmarks @ 1440p
1440p Benchmarks
Far Cry Primal is a game built on the impressive Dunia Engine 2 with wide open, beautiful environments. It might look stunning, but the performance is actually quite good - but most cards will be stressed at 1440p, and especially so at 4K and beyond.
You can buy Far Cry Primal at Amazon.
Tom Clancy's The Division is one of the best looking games on the market, build with the beautiful Snowdrop engine. It's an RPG, including some awesome PvP multiplayer, and some of the best graphics on the market. It really stresses systems out, especially at 4K, making it perfect to test with our various video cards.
You can buy The Division at Amazon, and you can read our full review here.
We recently changed over to Metro: Last Light Redux, with developer 4A Games making the Redux version of Metro: Last Light the 'definitive' version of the game. Redux had a fresh coat of paint on the already impressive 4A Engine, and it really pushes our GPUs to their limits.
You can buy Metro: Last Light Redux at Amazon.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is one of the most graphically intensive games we test, with Monolith using their own Lithtech engine to power the game. When cranked up to maximum detail, it will chew through your GPU and its VRAM like it's nothing.
You can buy Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor at Amazon.
Thief has been around for quite a while now, with the latest version of the first-person stealth game powered by Epic Games' older Unreal Engine 3. While it's old, it has some great multi-GPU scaling that we use to test out our various GPU setups.
You can buy Thief at Amazon.
Tomb Raider is still such a gorgeous game, with developer Crystal Dynamics using their own 'Foundation' engine to build Lara Croft into the new world. One of the best parts about Tomb Raider is the absolutely stellar multi-GPU scaling, so this is an important test to see how well our NVIDIA GeForce SLI and AMD Radeon CrossFire setups scale.
You can buy Tomb Raider at Amazon.
Benchmarks @ 4K
4K Benchmarks
Far Cry Primal is a game built on the impressive Dunia Engine 2 with wide open, beautiful environments. It might look stunning, but the performance is actually quite good - but most cards will be stressed at 1440p, and especially so at 4K and beyond.
You can buy Far Cry Primal at Amazon.
Tom Clancy's The Division is one of the best looking games on the market, build with the beautiful Snowdrop engine. It's an RPG, including some awesome PvP multiplayer, and some of the best graphics on the market. It really stresses systems out, especially at 4K, making it perfect to test with our various video cards.
You can buy The Division at Amazon, and you can read our full review here.
We recently changed over to Metro: Last Light Redux, with developer 4A Games making the Redux version of Metro: Last Light the 'definitive' version of the game. Redux had a fresh coat of paint on the already impressive 4A Engine, and it really pushes our GPUs to their limits.
You can buy Metro: Last Light Redux at Amazon.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is one of the most graphically intensive games we test, with Monolith using their own Lithtech engine to power the game. When cranked up to maximum detail, it will chew through your GPU and its VRAM like it's nothing.
You can buy Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor at Amazon.
Thief has been around for quite a while now, with the latest version of the first-person stealth game powered by Epic Games' older Unreal Engine 3. While it's old, it has some great multi-GPU scaling that we use to test out our various GPU setups.
You can buy Thief at Amazon.
Tomb Raider is still such a gorgeous game, with developer Crystal Dynamics using their own 'Foundation' engine to build Lara Croft into the new world. One of the best parts about Tomb Raider is the absolutely stellar multi-GPU scaling, so this is an important test to see how well our NVIDIA GeForce SLI and AMD Radeon CrossFire setups scale.
You can buy Tomb Raider at Amazon.
Benchmarks - DX12 & OC Adventures
This is our new section for video card reviews, with DX12 and VR becoming a huge deal over the course of the last 12 months. We have just a handful of DX12 tests right now, so expect this section of the site and our reviews to grow considerably over the coming months.
The same goes for VR, where we have both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive in house now. We will be testing VRMark for now, which is in Preview form, as well as our thoughts on VR gaming on the HTC Vive with the new GeForce GTX 1080 video card.
DirectX 12 Performance
We have Ashes of the Singularity and Hitman with DirectX 12, with some great results from ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme graphics card.
Overclocking Adventures - Edging Close to 2.1GHz Boost
I expected big things from the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, and I cannot say I'm disappointed. Our sample was able to get to over 2.1GHz boost speeds but wasn't completely stable. It was holding together in some games, and in others, it would fall over - but at around 2075MHz boost, the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme was rock solid.
As promised, the IceStorm cooler and its revamped and improved technologies keep the card cool, with the 2 x 90mm EKO fans barely making noise during all of our testing and gaming sessions on the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme. The extra juice out of the GP104-powered card provided some nice improvements in performance, with around 8-15% in most games.
The additional performance was welcomed, as you can see in our 3DMark FireStrike benchmarks:
3DMark Fire Strike - 1080p
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme - 1440p
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra - 4K (3840x2160)
Power, Temperature, & Noise
320W Under Load
After the power-sipping 16nm FinFET-based GP104 was using just 230W on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition, I expected another 100W or so for the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, and I was right. Our entire test bed was consuming around 320W of power during 4K testing in Heaven and Far Cry: Primal.
It's 90W more than the NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition, and 70W more than MSI's GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8G. But, it also beats both of those cards - so the additional power consumption is worth it.
Temperature & Noise
Since the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme has some of the most elaborate cooling I've seen on a graphics card yet, I expected nothing but silence when I was gaming and benchmarking the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme into the ground. The result? Total silence under load. Even when I was pressing the card to hit 2.1GHz on the GPU, it didn't make a peep.
This is what you want from a product that costs $800+. Total silence during your all-night-long gaming sessions, which is what we have here with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme. It's not called AMP! Extreme for nothing, you know.
As for temperatures, the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme never went over 65C or so during our testing. Nice and cool, and that's with the fan on auto. You could crank the fans up and keep the card even cooler if that's what you wanted.
Final Thoughts
Out of all of the AIB partners making custom GeForce GTX 1080s, ZOTAC was the one I was most excited to see the results from. Well, here we are with their GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, but how do I feel? It's the best GeForce GTX 1080 I've tested so far, and I've been through the MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Gaming X 8G, EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW GAMING ACX 3.0, and the GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition from NVIDIA.
ZOTAC has crafted the best GeForce GTX 1080 so far, with an elaborate array of cooling technology that keeps the GP104 GPU and 8GB of GDDR5X under 65C when stressed. The fans barely spin up under load, and when they do, they're ridiculously quiet. The only way you'd hear them is by pressing your ear up to the fans, which is something you're never going to need to do of course.
Remember that ZOTAC's new GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme is their best offering, but they also have other cards coming out that are slightly slower. The GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme is an amazing card, but if you don't have the extra dosh to splash on it, wait for the slightly slower offerings as you could save some money and overclock the hell out of it to get close to what the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme is capable of.
Right now, if I had to recommend the fastest graphics card to someone - the card I'll have at the top of my list is ZOTAC's GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme. It has unrivaled performance, mind-blowing thermal performance, and with whisper-quiet gaming. It also looks insanely awesome, but this is a personal taste thing. Some people just won't like the stand out from the crowd look that ZOTAC has used on the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme, but I do.
Wrapping up, ZOTAC has created a monster with its GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme. So much so that I'm afraid that its competitors won't be able to beat it. We still haven't seen the craziest GTX 1080s yet, with a few more models still to come, but the GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme from ZOTAC is the best right now. I don't think another card can beat it for a while, as we have some pretty crazy performance numbers here in our review - as well as the silence of the card under load, and the overclocking potential if you wanted to play with the card more.
If you're in the market for the fastest GTX 1080 known to man right now, ZOTAC has your back with the GeForce GTX 1080 AMP! Extreme. It's a card with a unique aesthetic, which is something I think helps the card stand out from the crowd. It looks absolutely amazing installed into a case and certainly catches the eye of anyone walking past it. Buy it right now; you won't regret it!