Thread: MSI Four Eighty GTX Brightening

MSI's graphics part is surely acquiring bolder in its plans, and the new N480GTX Lightning is definitely pushing the boundaries of engineering. The Lightning is clearly in the similar market as ASUS RoG series cards, such as the Mars and Ares, for example.


While there are distinct dissimilarities in the plan approaches, there are too options of familiarity. MSI is selecting to expenditure its time re-engineering and rising a reference example instead than committing to an complete redesign, but together companies are going for the 'utilize straight out the box' approach with greatly developed air-cooling instead than a waterblock.


Asus' approach is to too charge an astronomical cost for a limited serial, and that functions for them, but MSI is even maintaining its feet on the ground with its N480GTX Lightning.


That is not to say that the N480GTX Lightning is affordable, but you do acquire a ton of high-end hardware for your money. While a water block may powered cooler temperatures and possibly higher frequencies, the TwinFrozr III air-



cooler means you can utilize the card straight away and assists to maintain that cost in check. This is too not the first time we have heard a producer claim also some individual water-cool, and MSI needs the card to be a viable retail product.


That said, the cooler has plus sides and down sides; firstly we imagine MSI created a fault with going for a plastic-and-metal shroud. The metal of the TwinFrozr 2 shroud (boosted on cards such as the HD 5870 Lightning) appeared more luxurious - the plastic parts of the TwinFrozr 3 cooler let it down a touch. We do appreciate a fresh plan was required to accommodate excellent heat dispersal, but as this is the cooler is the main fields that you touch and see, we do not look some dollars of penny-pinching on such a premium product.


The rear of the card too acquires an MSI-branded cover-plate. This is to give the card a some millimetres of air gap and secure it from other heat sources leaning on it. We have already read few concerns about making insulating air pockets, but it is easily not the case. Throughout trying, the entire rear side of the card was one uniform temperature, although, similar the remains of the card it certainly was not cool. But hey, it is a GTX 480!