Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 WindForce OC
Skip to main content
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
The Gigabyte GTX 970 WindForce OC’s specifications are quite different from the 980’s in some places. According to Gigabyte, the 970 also uses GPUs binned for better-than-average overclocking potential and lower power consumption. Still, our tests show why this graphics card costs less than the flagship.
Fortunately, it retains the higher-end board’s six video outputs (of which four can be actively used at a time). And again, Gigabyte keeps the second DVI connector that’s missing from the reference design. HDMI 2.0 makes this new card somewhat more future-proof.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| The Speeds And Feeds | |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | Dual-slot design |
| Length (from Slot Panel to End) | 297 mm |
| Height (from Slot to Top) | 108 mm |
| Depth 1 (from PCB to Front Cover) | 35 mm |
| Depth 2 (from PCB to Back Plate) | 5 mm |
| Weight | 797 g |
| Connectors | 1x DVI-I, 1x DVI-D, 1x HDMI 2. |
| Pros | — GPUs binned for better overclocking and lower power consumption- Total of six video outputs (better connectivity)- Dual-slot design, well-suited for SLI- Suitable cooling headroom |
| Cons | — RPM at idle is too high (35 percent) |
Gigabyte’s GTX 970 WindForce OC sports the WindForce cooler that we know from the company’s older GeForce cards. It’s still a solid cooler that’s both thin and fairly quiet. It’s been updated with the new rotor blades found on the WindForce 600 W.
Once again, the backplate doesn’t contribute to the graphics card’s cooling. It only provides some stability and a nice finishing touch we aren’t used to seeing on Nvidia-based boards.
The vertically-oriented fins send waste heat toward the top and bottom, and not toward your hard drives and SSDs. It’d be better to exhaust it entirely, though.
One 8- and one 6-pin PCIe power connector are supposed to keep the Gigabyte GTX 970 WindForce OC stable when overclocked. As on the 980, this card’s WindForce label lights up blue.
You get a total of three DisplayPort connectors, two dual-link DVI connectors, and an HDMI 2.0 connector on the rear bracket. Together, they take up almost all the available space.
Current page:
Gigabyte GTX 970 WindForce OC
Prev Page Gigabyte GTX 980 WindForce OC
Next Page EVGA GTX 970 Superclock ACX 2.0
Get instant access to breaking news, in-depth reviews and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
Tom’s Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site .
©
Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,
New York,
NY 10036.
GIGABYTE GTX 970 XTREME GAMING Review
Article NavigationPage 1: IntroductionPage 2: Technical SpecificationsPage 3: Packaging & BundlePage 4: Closer Look (With Cooler)Page 5: Closer Look (Without Cooler)Page 6: Test Setup & MethodologyPage 7: Power, Temperatures, AcousticsPage 8: OverclockingPage 9: 3DMark FireStrikePage 10: Unigine Heaven 4.
0Page 11: Unigine ValleyPage 12: Battlefield 4Page 13: WatchdogsPage 14: ThiefPage 15: Company of Heroes 2Page 16: Metro Last LightPage 17: GRID 2Page 18: Overall PerformancePage 19: Value For MoneyPage 20: Conclusion
GIGABYTE GTX 970 XTREME GAMING Review
?by David Mitchelson
Comments
?11-01-16
Introduction
Product on Review: GV-N970XTREME-4GD
Manufacturer & Sponsor: GIGABYTE
Street Price: 299 GBP / $500 USD
Back in November GIGABYTE extended XTREME GAMING support to other NVIDIA variants after the successful launch of the series with the GTX 950. The philosophy behind XTREME GAMING is quite simple deliver outstanding, performance, cooling, outlook, protection and durability and so as you may have guessed, each graphics card will be given that premium treatment, squeezing out the very best.
Today we are to look at the GTX 970 XTREME GAMING. GIGABYTE has taken this mid-high end graphics card and equipped it with the highly revered WindForce 3x cooling system, applied a factory overclock and kitted it out with customisable LED Lighting. Combine these very attribute with the feature-set that XTREME GAMING brings and we have a rather exciting proposition in the spotlight today.
GIGABYTE on their XTREME GAMING series
With the successful debut of the GTX 950 XTREME GAMING graphics card, GIGABYTE, the worlds leading premium gaming hardware manufacturer, is ready to roll out five more high-end cards in its premium XTREME GAMING lineup, each crafted with overpowering performance, astonishing design, and added gamer-centric features to take gaming experience to a whole new level.
The latest XTREME GAMING series offerings include TITAN X (GV-NTITANXXTREME-12GD-B), GTX 980 Ti WINDFORCE Edition (GV-N98TXTREME-6GD) and WATERFORCE Edition (GV-N98TXTREME W-6GD), GTX 980 (GV-N980XTREME-4GD), and GTX 970 (GV-N970XTREME-4GD).
From unmatched gaming prowess to rock-solid durability, these new XTREME GAMING graphics cards are redesigned inside and out to meet the needs of enthusiastic gamers who relentlessly challenge themselves for reaching their ultimate performance.
20 pages
1
2
3
4
>
»
Page 1: IntroductionPage 2: Technical SpecificationsPage 3: Packaging & BundlePage 4: Closer Look (With Cooler)Page 5: Closer Look (Without Cooler)Page 6: Test Setup & MethodologyPage 7: Power, Temperatures, AcousticsPage 8: OverclockingPage 9: 3DMark FireStrikePage 10: Unigine Heaven 4.0Page 11: Unigine ValleyPage 12: Battlefield 4Page 13: WatchdogsPage 14: ThiefPage 15: Company of Heroes 2Page 16: Metro Last LightPage 17: GRID 2Page 18: Overall PerformancePage 19: Value For MoneyPage 20: Conclusion
Subscribe to Vortez
Latest News
MSI Supports Memory Capacity Up To 192GB By Intel 700 Series Motherboards
PowerColor Liquid Devil AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Graphics Card Announced
MSI Cubi 5 12M with Thunderbolt 4 for Business and Productivity Launched
CORSAIR Launches iCUE Murals Lighting, a State-of-the-Art RGB Customization Software
HyperX Introduces First HyperX VTuber Himura Kuraudo to Stream on Twitch
MSI GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti GAMING X TRIO White Edition Cards Announced
Creative Launches Sound Blaster X5 USB DAC and Amplifier Sound Card
Advertisement
Categories
- CPUs and Motherboards
- Memory
- Graphics
- Cooling
- Cases & PSUs
- Storage
- Peripherals
- Audio
- Full Systems
- Misc.
- Games
- Guides
Vortez TV
Latest Reviews
-
GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER Review
-
ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4090 OC Review
-
AORUS RTX 4080 MASTER Review
-
MSI MPG X670E CARBON WiFi Review
-
GIGABYTE X670E AORUS XTREME Review
Affiliate News
-
Tech Round-Up 31-01-2023
-
Tech Round-Up 15-01-2023
-
Tech Round-Up 31-12-2022
Online Users
There are currently 183 user(s) online:
Google
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
39points
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
Why is Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC better than others?
- Design requirements for heat dissipation (TDP)?
148W vs 199.
53W - GPU memory speed?
1753MHz vs 1571.13MHz - DisplayPort outputs?
3 vs 2.07 - DVI outputs?
1 vs 0.73
Which comparisons are the most popular?
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
Asus Dual Radeon RX 580 8GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
MSI Radeon RX 470 Gaming X 8GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 6800
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
vs
Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming
Price Match
User Reviews
Performance
GPU clock speed
1101MHz
The graphics processing unit (GPU) has a higher clock speed.
turbo GPU
1241MHz
When the GPU is running below its limits, it can jump to a higher clock speed to increase performance.
pixel rate
61.7 GPixel/s
The number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen every second.
FLOPS
3.66 TFLOPS
FLOPS is a measurement of GPU processing power.
texture size
114.5 GTexels/s
Number of textured pixels that can be displayed on the screen every second.
GPU memory speed
1753MHz
Memory speed is one aspect that determines memory bandwidth.
Shading patterns
Shading units (or stream processors) are small processors in a graphics card that are responsible for processing various aspects of an image.
texture units (TMUs)
TMUs take texture units and map them to the geometric layout of the 3D scene.
More TMUs generally means texture information is processed faster.
ROPs
ROPs are responsible for some of the final steps of the rendering process, such as writing the final pixel data to memory and for performing other tasks such as anti-aliasing to improve the appearance of graphics.
Memory
effective memory speed
7012MHz
The effective memory clock frequency is calculated from the size and data transfer rate of the memory. A higher clock speed can give better performance in games and other applications.
maximum memory bandwidth
224.4GB/s
This is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored in memory.
VRAM (video RAM) is the dedicated memory of the graphics card. More VRAM usually allows you to run games at higher settings, especially for things like texture resolution.
memory bus width
256bit
A wider memory bus means it can carry more data per cycle.
This is an important factor in memory performance, and therefore the overall performance of the graphics card.
versions of GDDR memory
Later versions of GDDR memory offer improvements such as higher data transfer rates, which improves performance.
Supports memory recovery code
✖Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
The memory error recovery code can detect and repair data corruption. It is used when necessary to avoid distortion, such as in scientific computing or when starting a server.
Features
DirectX version
DirectX is used in games with a new version that supports better graphics.
OpenGL version
The newer the OpenGL version, the better graphics quality in games.
OpenCL version
Some applications use OpenCL to use the graphics processing unit (GPU) for non-graphical computing.
Newer versions are more functional and better quality.
Supports multi-monitor technology
✔Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
The video card has the ability to connect multiple displays. This allows you to set up multiple monitors at the same time to create a more immersive gaming experience, such as a wider field of view.
GPU temperature at boot
Unknown. Help us offer a price.
Lower boot temperature — this means that the card generates less heat and the cooling system works better.
supports ray tracing
✖Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
Ray tracing is an advanced light rendering technique that provides more realistic lighting, shadows and reflections in games.
Supports 3D
✔Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
Allows you to view in 3D (if you have a 3D screen and glasses).
supports DLSS
✖Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is an AI based scaling technology. This allows the graphics card to render games at lower resolutions and upscale them to higher resolutions with near-native visual quality and improved performance. DLSS is only available in some games.
PassMark result (G3D)
Unknown. Help us offer a price.
This test measures the graphics performance of a graphics card. Source: Pass Mark.
Ports
has HDMI output
✔Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Twin Turbo OC
Devices with HDMI or mini HDMI ports can stream HD video and audio to the connected display.
HDMI connectors
Unknown. Help us offer a price.
More HDMI connections allow you to connect multiple devices at the same time, such as game consoles and TVs.
HDMI version
Unknown. Help us offer a price.
Newer versions of HDMI support higher bandwidth, resulting in higher resolutions and frame rates.
DisplayPort outputs
Allows connection to a display using DisplayPort.
DVI outputs
Allows you to connect to a display using DVI.
mini DisplayPort outputs
Allows connection to a display using mini DisplayPort.
Price comparison
Which graphics cards are better?
Video reviews of Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 (GV-N970IXOC-4GD) on CMP24
Reviews ( 10 ) Leave a Review
Description Video Reviews ( 3 ) Compare Prices ( 1 ) I Index.Market Reviews ( 10 )
Video Reviews (3) IGA G90 G90
Video Reviews (3)
Compact and powerful!
Gigabyte GeForce GTX970 (GV-N970IXOC-4GD) — unboxing up to 743 r.
in 1 stores
At the moment we do not have information about the availability of this product in stores.
You can look for it on other sites:
| Shop | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|
|
21VEK BY |
Fast delivery. We deliver goods all over Belarus at a time convenient for you0304 | Offer |
Description
The GeForce GTX 970 is a high performance graphics card built for serious gaming. Based on the NVIDIA Maxwell architecture, the GeForce GTX 970 combines the most advanced technology with world-class performance to deliver incredible VR gaming on HD and ultra-high 4K resolution displays.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970|4096MB|256bit|PCIE 3.0 16x|GDDR5|Memory clock 7010MHz|GPU clock 1076MHz|GPU boost clock 1216MHz|4096×2160|Cooling Dual Slot Fansink|2xDVI out|1xHDMI out|3xDisplayPort out
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 graphics card 4096 MB video memory GDDR5 core/memory frequency: 1101/7000 MHz support SLI/CrossFire mode connectors DVI x2, HDMI, DisplayPort x3 support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.
5 work with 4 monitors
Feedback (10)
-
20 December 2014
Great for mini-ITX systems (I have a Bitfenix Prodigy case) due to its small size.
Good gaming performance. Most games on Ultra settings. 3dMark showed a Fire Strike score of 8700 points (with a Core i5-4690 3.5 GHz processor).
Quite cold. At idle it’s about 33 degrees. In games, the maximum was 74 degrees. (No additional cooling in this case).
A bit noisy under heavy load when the fan is running at full speed.Period of use: less than a month
-
koteika.911 — June 8, 2015
Before it was gtx770 from the same gigabyte, and this card is quieter, colder, more productive.
Advantages:
The performance is like that of a big brother, top games run at the highest settings, the temperature did not rise above 68 degrees;Disadvantages:
I haven’t noticed yet, except that I set the cooler to 100% manually — it’s really noisy, though even after an 8-hour session in GTA5 the cooler in auto mode worked at 65%, which didn’t bother me at all.