To be or not to be, that is no longer a question. This is the ROG Matrix Platinum GTX 980 (codename MATRIX-GTX980-P-4GD5) is all that it can be, with no compromises. A new hyperbole needs to concocted for something that is actually that good.
Making the decision to invest in such an incredible piece of hardware can sometimes be difficult. In those times, whatever you do; don't look inside the box. Because if you come face to face with the ultimate ROG beast, then you'll surely see that the only thing that can satisfy an insatiable hunger for ultimate power lies within, and there's no way you're going to leave the store empty-handed.
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Oh well, sorry. There's no going back now, I opened it.
Tucked away snugly beneath the a clear sheet of plastic and protective foam, lies the new Matrix Platinum GTX 980. Inside with it is the User Guide, software disc, two power cables and a beautifully-crafted metal ROG sticker.
After you have taken the card out ever so delicately with both hands, you can hold it up to the heavens and do an reenactment of The Lion King. You will start to notice this beast of a card was made exactly how you had envisioned it; solidly built and ready for whatever you intend to throw at it (figuratively speaking). On the exterior, you have the traditional ROG red and matte black combination, styled like Spiderman meets Tron. The only difference being - this is not science fiction.
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The dual-slot card measures 11.3 X 5.4 X 1.6 inches in size.
At the core, it is powered by Nvidia's acclaimed 2nd-gen Maxwell architecture (GM204); their most powerful and efficient architecture to date. ROG keeps overkill as the minimum settings; it comes factory-overclocked at 1,342MHz (14% boost from 1,178MHz), with 4GB of GDDR5 video memory operating at 7,012MHz (effective) on its 256bit memory bus.
The Matrix is fitted with a DirectCU II heatsink which provides you with 25% greater cooling and three times quieter than reference design. It incorporates a CoolTech fan for multi-directional cooling, making this an exceptional quiet card even when the fans ramp up. As ROG is obsessed with the details, you might have noticed that even the 10mm heatpipes and heatsink fins are matte-black to match the theme, while on the PCB rear is a brushed-metal, Matrix branded back-plate, which not only look good but also helps spread and dissipate the heat.
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On the side, there is a ROG color-coded, real-time load indicator that changes color to show the GPU load level - blue for light load, orange for medium, red for heavy and green for safe mode. This is unique to ROG graphics hardware!
For those using liquid nitrogen, solder in the VGA Hotwire wires and short the available points to unlock LN2 mode, then plug in a 4-pin molex power cable to use the memory defroster. This keeps the memory from freezing up, avoiding cold bugs and the need for excessive insulation that can get in the way of multi-GPU LN2 setups.
The 2,048-core GPU and memory is fed by the DIGI+ VRM with a 14-phase power design, Super Alloy Power chokes and hardened MOSFETs, also its Japanese-made 10K Nichicon GT-Series black metallic capacitors have 20% better temperature endurance and five times the lifespan of standard solid caps.
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ASUS has not factory-overclocked too aggressively, so there is still plenty of headroom left for you to play yourself - which is half the fun! Download and install GPU Tweak and there's enough to satisfy even the most extreme enthusiast. The twin 8-pin power connectors have LED indicators on each to signify if each power cable is installed correctly.
There are five choices of display outputs: DVI, HDMI 2.0 and three DisplayPort 1.2 (four of which can be used concurrently). Note that if you do wish to take the DirectCU II cooling unit off, you will need to unscrew the six screws on the rear bracket as well.
In case you were curious about what's underneath but still wanted to keep your warranty, we pulled apart the card for you to see:
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