For those passionate about gaming graphics cards, NVIDIA has always been a byword for cutting-edge technology and top-notch performance. The GTX 970 stands out as a powerful graphics card that delivers the immersive, fast, and seamless gaming experience you desire across all your favorite titles. Packed with features like NVIDIA PhysX, GPU Boost 2.0, and NVIDIA TXAA, this graphics card ensures you get the best out of your games. With Nvidia’s GeForce Experience seamlessly integrated into its drivers, optimizing your gaming settings becomes a breeze with just one click, thanks to Nvidia’s extensive testing over tens of thousands of hours. This article will cover all you need to know about NVIDIA GTX 970 specs.
NVIDIA GTX 970 Features and Specs
The GeForce GTX 970 is a game-changer in the graphics card market, making waves with its exceptional performance. It’s like a hand grenade tossed strategically into the high-end GPU market, disrupting the competition and even affecting other Nvidia cards. The outstanding performance per pound ratio of this card makes it hard to argue for any other high-end GPU currently available. Let’s delve into everything you need to know:
- Architecture and Performance
- Format Factor and Connectivity
- Power Efficiency and Cooling
- Scalable Link Interface
- Dynamic Super Resolution
- G-Sync
- Adaptive V-Sync
- GPU Boost 2.0
- 4K Resolution Display
- CUDA and 3D Vision Support
Architecture and Performance
The GTX 970 Graphics Card is tailored for high-resolution gaming and graphics rendering. Operating between 1050 and 1178 MHz, its processing core boasts a chipset with 4GB of GDDR5 vRAM and 1664 CUDA GPU cores, delivering exceptional performance. These cores are efficiently organized using NVIDIA’s Maxwell architecture, ensuring smooth operation. Programs requiring intensive graphics can leverage the parallel configuration of CUDA cores to accelerate render times and other parallel processing tasks. Additionally, the Maxwell architecture enhances energy efficiency, offering users an added advantage.
Format Factor and Connectivity
The output panel of the card features four output ports: a DisplayPort 1.2 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a dual-link DVI-D port, and a dual-link DVI-I port. The DVI-I port also supports VGA output with the provided DVI-I to VGA adapter. The HDMI and DisplayPort outputs can support resolutions up to 4096 x 2160, delivering a captivating gaming experience across multiple monitors when paired with NVIDIA’s Surround technology.
Power Efficiency and Cooling
The ACX 2.0 cooler from EVGA effectively maintains the card’s operating temperature at a low level while operating quietly. Its spacious cooling system enables the GPU to be overclocked beyond its standard specifications. To ensure minimal noise, the fans are powered by low-power motors and boast 11 carefully designed fan blades supported by double ball bearings, enhancing overall efficiency. This cooler is particularly advantageous in medium to large towers where internal airflow is not a significant concern.
Scalable Link Interface
By pairing with a compatible motherboard and a connecting bracket, you can make use of NVIDIA’s Scalable Link Interface (SLI) to pool the processing power of up to four GPUs of identical models. The cards can collaborate in various ways, like employing alternate frame rendering to enhance the frame rate output beyond what a single card could achieve alone. Each card in this setup can improve anti-aliasing by simultaneously processing an image alongside others before smoothing out jagged edges.
Dynamic Super Resolution
NVIDIA introduced Dynamic Super Resolution with their Maxwell architecture. DSR maximizes 4K capabilities even on lower screen resolutions by rendering graphics at 4K and smartly downsampling the output to fit smaller screens. This process effectively reduces aliasing and jagged artifacts by applying a high-quality filter before scaling down the image.
G-Sync
Pairing the card with a G-Sync-equipped monitor synchronizes and locks the monitor’s refresh rate with the graphics card’s output frame rate. This synchronization eliminates tearing and stuttering often experienced with fixed screen refresh rates, crucial for gaming in stereoscopic 3D. G-Sync also reduces lag, enhancing gamers’ responsiveness to commands.
Adaptive V-Sync
NVIDIA’s Adaptive Vertical Sync reduces tearing and stuttering by continuously adjusting and monitoring the frame rate output of the graphics card. When the frame rate is high, Adaptive V-Sync moderates the output rate to prevent tearing caused by a mismatch with the monitor’s refresh rate. When the frame rate drops, Adaptive V-Sync turns off to decrease stuttering.
GPU Boost 2.0
GPU Boost 2.0 dynamically increases the card’s clock speed based on the desired temperature. This feature elevates the clock speed to boost performance when the card operates below the designated temperature. Users can adjust the target temperature to suit their preferences, allowing the card to operate quietly for everyday tasks and older games while maximizing performance during demanding high-resolution gaming sessions.
4K Resolution Display
Display graphics, videos, and games in Ultra High Definition (UHD) resolution (3840 x 2160) to offer finer details on 4K displays. Games optimized for 4K resolutions provide heightened realism with sharper visuals and fewer imperfections. Enjoy full-resolution 4K videos from platforms like Netflix and YouTube for an immersive media experience.
CUDA and 3D Vision Support
NVIDIA’s parallel computing platform harnesses the parallel processing power of GPUs to enhance computing performance. CUDA-compatible applications can offload demanding parallel tasks, like real-time video rendering, to the GPU, freeing up the CPU for other tasks. When paired with a compatible 3D Vision monitor and active-shutter glasses, the card delivers full-HD resolution images to each eye. Additionally, with a 3D LightBoost-compatible screen, brightness remains consistent while wearing the glasses, minimizing ghosting.
To Sum Up
NVIDIA launched sales of the GeForce GTX 970 on 19 September 2014 at a price of $329. This desktop graphics card is based on the Maxwell architecture and utilizes a 28 nm manufacturing process. With features like dynamic resolution scaling, advanced cooling system, and support for technologies such as SLI, G-Sync, and CUDA, the GTX 970 empowers gamers with the performance and versatility needed to tackle the latest titles effortlessly. Whether delivering stunning 4K visuals or optimizing frame rates for seamless gameplay, the GTX 970 impresses with its blend of performance and innovation.
