Hot on the heels of ASUS and their announcement, ZOTAC is also launching their own set of non-reference design GTX 980 and GTX 970 GPUs. And I can safely say that this time around, the company with the weird name has put a lot more effort in creating some aggressive looking graphics cards. And I can also say, that there is a whole lot less “Halloween” action going on with the color scheme.
The new GPUs will have cooling solutions attached that emphasize cooling performance and overclocking, and will come in an AMP! Extreme and AMP! Omega edition. A standard edition is also available. which is basically your standard run of the mill reference design. So we’ll talk about what they’ve done with the more interesting designs.
ZOTAC’s GTX 980 AMP! Extreme edition sports a brand new cooling design that is much more aggressive that we’re normally use to from the company. And the great looking carbon “ExoArmor” cooling solution with “IceStorm” technology, ensures a cool running GPU. Aided by the LIGHT.id, which gives it some fancy lighting effects, it’ll definitely give your custom build that special glow. And of course, you can shut it off if it annoys you. Did I mention the three fans?
The PCB is also completely custom and has additional “OC Plus” circuitry built to make this thing overclock. In fact, the new ZOTAC Firestorm software is enhanced by an internal USB connection to bring real time monitor and stats, letting you really control and max out that overclock. Or you can just use the built in presets and just go.
A new Gamer Mode provides even more precise voltage adjustments for potentially higher overclocks. Probably at your own risk.
The GTX 970 AMP! Extreme edition uses the same cooler design, comes with the same cooler features, which should make it one of the better GTX 970 overclockers out there.
The ZOTAC GTX 980 and GTX 970 AMP! Omega edition has a more toned down cooler design with a dual fan design, but still has a custom PCB, and OC Plus power regulation circuitry that enhances its overclockability. Unlike the GTX 980, the LIGHT.id lighting effects are omitted in this design, so if you want that, you’ll have to save up for the AMP! Extreme edition.
And of course, you get all the NVIDIA goodies that make the next generation GeForce GTX cards special like NVIDIA Super Resolution, GPU Boost 2.0, and Adaptive V-Sync, just to name drop a few things.
ZOTAC has not announced pricing for their new GTX 980 and GTX 970 GPUs. But you can find the spec and details in the photo gallery along with the full press release below. And don’t forget to stay tuned for our own review of the GTX 980 coming up really soon!
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HONG KONG – Sept. 19, 2014 – ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards and mini-PCs, today unleashes the powerful and very efficient ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 series next generation graphics card. The NVIDIA Maxwell architecture powered ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and 970 series arrives with customized versions including the elite AMP! Extreme Edition and premium AMP! Omega Edition.
“ZOTAC is launching the highly anticipated GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 series with a big bang. We listened to our most demanding enthusiasts to create a new lineup that is truly unique and special,” said Tony Wong, CEO, ZOTAC International. “The new GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 AMP! Extreme and AMP! Omega Editions is the start of a new era of next-level performance and overclocking capabilities from ZOTAC.”
The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and 970 AMP! Extreme Edition targets the most demanding gamers and overclockers and holds nothing back. Utilizing new technologies that adds a triple fan IceStorm enhanced cooling system with carbon ExoArmor, enhanced OC Plus power regulation controller and LIGHT.id for an extreme enthusiast graphics card for those that want great looks and precise tuning capabilities. The GeForce GTX 980 and 970 AMP! Omega Edition raises the stakes with a custom PCB, dual fan IceStorm enhanced cooling system with ExoArmor, OC Plus power regulation controller and Power+ circuitry for a graphics card that blends form and
function.
IceStorm is the most advanced, most powerful graphics card cooling system available from ZOTAC yet. The IceStorm performance focuses on full coverage air flow maximization, wide-area coverage heat dissipation, reduction of turbulence, and vibration control. In a multifaceted strategy utilizing dual and triple 90mm fan solutions, they combine the best thermal capabilities of copper and aluminum to overpower the overwhelming capabilities of Nvidia’s latest graphics card to maximize heat dissipation to produce not only the coolest performance, but one of our quietest.
ExoArmor adds a functional aesthetic to the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 AMP! Extreme and AMP! Omega Editions to help channel air and reduce turbulence to smooth out airflow, reduce vibrations and noise. Carbon ExoArmor, exclusive to the AMP! Extreme Edition, uses a water transfer printing technique to give the fan shroud and back-plate a touch of style that resembles carbon fiber. A unique dual-colored lighting system, LIGHT.id, enhances the visual appeal with a reactive response that breathe and illuminate green during normal use and red during intensive utilization. For those preferring an entirely stealth visual appeal, LIGHT.id can be disabled.
ZOTAC OC Plus is an exclusive power regulation controller module that communicates directly with the GPU via internal bus and the new ZOTAC FireStorm real-time overclocking software via internal USB interface to bring detailed real-time monitoring intelligence and overclocking capabilities. FireStorm features an all new easy to use interface featuring quick overclock presets, precise overclocking adjustments, and exclusively for the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 AMP! Extreme Editions is a new Gamer Mode that enables precise voltage adjustments for extreme overclocking that push the limits of the card.
The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and 970 series delivers excellent performance and game-changing features such as NVIDIA Super Resolution, GameWorks, GPU Boost 2.0, Adaptive Vertical Sync and Surround technologies for a smooth and stunning PC gaming experience. Support for NVIDIA GameStream, G-SYNC and SLI technologies ensure the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 is ready for a true next-generation gaming experience with remote play capabilities when paired with an NVIDIA Shield tablet or gaming portable, unprecedented smoothness with a G-SYNC ready display and insane performance with SLI.
Push the limit with the all-new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 series.
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