ASUS’ Republic of Gamers Matrix graphics cards may be one of the most desirable series around and there’s good reason for that. They have advanced features, upgraded components, high out-of-box clock speeds and typically feature some incredible overclocking headroom. This is why enthusiasts have been waiting for ASUS to bring the Matrix namesake over to NVIDIA’s Maxwell lineup and that’s exactly what has finally happened with the GTX 980 Matrix Platinum.
The GTX 980 lineup from ASUS is relatively straightforward with a reference-based card sitting in the lowest $549 tier and the shockingly-good STRIX OC just above that with a mere $20 premium. The Matrix Platinum takes over flagship status at an understandably high price of $650USD or a staggering $720CAD but considering the competition’s comparable cost structures, ASUS’ asking price seems right in line with expectation. With that being said, EVGA’s Classified, Zotac’s AMP! Extreme and MSI’s upcoming Lightning will likely put up a fierce fight for supremacy. the “standard” GTX 980 Matrix will likely hit a cost slightly lower than that.
While the raison d’être of the GTX 980 Matrix Platinum is delivering awesome overclocking headroom, its base clock speeds are certainly nothing to sneeze at. It offers a Base Clock that’s some 115MHz higher than the reference card and beats the STRIX OC by 63MHz. Meanwhile, the sustained Boost frequency is similarly increased to rates that are 126MHz and 101MHz better than the reference and STRIX OC respectively. Like all other overclocked GTX 980’s there isn’t any boost to memory frequencies but we nonetheless expect some incredible performance from this card.
Currently, the Matrix Platinum may be one of the fastest GTX 980’s available but its Boost Clock of 1342MHz is narrowly edged out by cards like Zotac’s AMP! Extreme and EVGA’s Hydro Copper and Classified. The EVGA Superclocked series boasts the exact same clock speeds so ASUS’ offering isn’t anything particularly unique on the out-of-box performance front.
ASUS has waited for a good time to launch their flagship GTX 980 since availability for all GTX 980’s has finally improved. Where finding one used to be nearly impossible and wait lists were long, supply has finally caught up to demand despite the higher sales that typify the Christmas shopping season. But while this card shouldn’t be hard to find, the Matrix series has always been somewhat limited in numbers so if you’re planning on buying one, jump on it sooner rather than later.
The GTX 980 Matrix Platinum is a model that many overclockers have been waiting for but for a $xxx premium over the STRIX OC, ASUS will have to offer something different to insure some measure of differentiation. Advanced components and a great looking illuminated cooler can only go so far in the eyes of many buyers who are looking to put down nearly $600 on a graphics card. Remember, in our STRIX OC review, we smashed head-first into a clock speed wall and surmised that higher overclocking limits should be placed on the Matrix. Did that actually happen? Let’s find out.
The GTX 980 lineup from ASUS is relatively straightforward with a reference-based card sitting in the lowest $549 tier and the shockingly-good STRIX OC just above that with a mere $20 premium. The Matrix Platinum takes over flagship status at an understandably high price of $650USD or a staggering $720CAD but considering the competition’s comparable cost structures, ASUS’ asking price seems right in line with expectation. With that being said, EVGA’s Classified, Zotac’s AMP! Extreme and MSI’s upcoming Lightning will likely put up a fierce fight for supremacy. the “standard” GTX 980 Matrix will likely hit a cost slightly lower than that.
While the raison d’être of the GTX 980 Matrix Platinum is delivering awesome overclocking headroom, its base clock speeds are certainly nothing to sneeze at. It offers a Base Clock that’s some 115MHz higher than the reference card and beats the STRIX OC by 63MHz. Meanwhile, the sustained Boost frequency is similarly increased to rates that are 126MHz and 101MHz better than the reference and STRIX OC respectively. Like all other overclocked GTX 980’s there isn’t any boost to memory frequencies but we nonetheless expect some incredible performance from this card.
Currently, the Matrix Platinum may be one of the fastest GTX 980’s available but its Boost Clock of 1342MHz is narrowly edged out by cards like Zotac’s AMP! Extreme and EVGA’s Hydro Copper and Classified. The EVGA Superclocked series boasts the exact same clock speeds so ASUS’ offering isn’t anything particularly unique on the out-of-box performance front.
ASUS has waited for a good time to launch their flagship GTX 980 since availability for all GTX 980’s has finally improved. Where finding one used to be nearly impossible and wait lists were long, supply has finally caught up to demand despite the higher sales that typify the Christmas shopping season. But while this card shouldn’t be hard to find, the Matrix series has always been somewhat limited in numbers so if you’re planning on buying one, jump on it sooner rather than later.
The GTX 980 Matrix Platinum is a model that many overclockers have been waiting for but for a $xxx premium over the STRIX OC, ASUS will have to offer something different to insure some measure of differentiation. Advanced components and a great looking illuminated cooler can only go so far in the eyes of many buyers who are looking to put down nearly $600 on a graphics card. Remember, in our STRIX OC review, we smashed head-first into a clock speed wall and surmised that higher overclocking limits should be placed on the Matrix. Did that actually happen? Let’s find out.
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