AMD Radeon R9 295X2 Incoming!

AMD's next Gen flagship graphics card could be just around the corner as the company has been teasing us with abstract images via twitter using the hash-tag #2betterthan1. The latest Tweet is a little bit more revealing stating “it’s coming. Do you have what it takes?” Accompanying that tweet is the image seen below. What we have here is either the design for the upcoming air cooler shroud or a full-coverage water block. Now if I am correct and this is a water block, this would mark the first time that a reference design card ships with a liquid cooler instead of traditional air cooling. Whatever the case the 295X2 has its work cut out for it as NVIDIA recently threw a monkey wrench into AMD’s game plans by releasing a dual chip monster of their own, the TITAN Z. Honestly I don’t know if the 295X2 will be as fast as the Z but one thing is for sure even if it is faster, it’s definitely not gonna cost $3,000!!! 

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Cut the Rope 2 now available on Android

So Cut the Rope 2 is finally out on Android but man oh man is it filled to the brim with in app purchases! I sure hope Zeptolab releases a paid version because this freemium model could be the death of a very creative and entertaining game. Every few rounds you have to sit through ads & more ads! Now ads in mobile games are nothing new however the latest trend is to have full on video ads for different products between gameplay. It’s sad really and I almost uninstalled the game because of how annoying these ads are! Now I’m not against in app purchasing, not at all but when publishers try to nickel and dime me out of my hard earned cash it annoys me. I will gladly pay for DLC such as additional stages, characters etc. but locking away key gameplay elements behind a pay gate is just cruel.

Cut the Rope is a great game and, it’s been one of my favourite mobile games since the very first version hit Android and I have all the subsequent mini sequels. I just hope that this freemium model doesn't ruin the wonderful series.

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AMD Unleashes R9 Series Graphics Cards (270X & 280X)

AMD today launched AMD Radeon™ R9 270X and AMD Radeon™ R9 280X, GPUs engineered from the bottom up to enable a new era of hyper-realistic ultra resolution gaming. AMD Radeon™ R9 Series graphics cards are designed for enthusiast gamers who demand high-performance hardware that shatters the boundaries of realism and performance.

Based on AMD’s award-winning Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, the AMD Radeon R9 Series graphics cards receive a boost from Mantle¹, an industry-acclaimed technology developed by AMD to enable today’s top game developers to harness the GCN-powered cores of both PCs and consoles.  Mantle delivers a streamlined development process and games enabled with Mantle will be able to speak the native language of the GCN architecture, benefiting from hardware optimization that unlocks revolutionary performance and image quality.

“With GCN architecture and now Mantle, fully unlocked graphics performance and unrivaled quality is entrenched in the DNA of all AMD-powered GPUs and soon all of our APUs as well,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit, AMD. “With our new line of R9 Series graphics cards, tailor-made to perform with the next generation of PC games, AMD has proved that Radeon™ is gaming.”

AMD Radeon R9 Series graphics cards enable ultra-resolution gaming through both UltraHD (4K) and AMD Eyefinity technology, providing industry-leading visual experiences for gamers playing current and upcoming PC titles. AMD Radeon R9 270X graphics card is ideal for 1080p gaming with the highest quality settings. AMD Radeon R9 280X graphics card is ideally suited for 2560x1440 resolution and loaded with 3GB of memory, built to play graphically demanding upcoming titles like “Battlefield 4”.

Product Specifications

Product Model	R9 270X	R9 280X
Price	$199 (2GB) $229 (4GB)	$299
Stream Processors	1,280	2,048
Engine Clock	Up to 1.05 GHz	Up to 1 GHz
Compute Performance	2.69 TFLOPS	4.1 TFLOPS
Memory Configuration	2GB or 4GB GDDR5 / 256-bit	3 GB GDDR5 / 384-bit
API Support	DirectX® 11.2 OpenGL 4.3 Mantle	DirectX® 11.2 OpenGL 4.3 Mantle

See more at: http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/r9/Pages/amd-radeon-hd-r9-series.aspx

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AMD Releases R7 Series Graphics Cards

AMD today launched AMD Radeon™ R7 240, AMD Radeon™ R7 250 and AMD Radeon™ R7 260X, new GPUs for a new era in gaming. AMD Radeon™ R7 Series graphics cards are an ideal solution for everyday gamers looking to boost the graphics performance of their PCs.

Based on award-winning AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, the AMD Radeon R7 Series graphics cards all support Mantle, technology developed by AMD to enable game developers to harness the GCN-powered cores of both PCs and consoles for a streamlined development process¹. Games enabled with Mantle will be able to speak the native language of the GCN architecture, offering an unmatched level of hardware optimization that unlocks revolutionary performance and image quality.

 “Built on GCN architecture, AMD Radeon R7 Series GPUs are designed to deliver optimal performance and quality for users looking to enhance the graphics performance of their PCs,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit, AMD. “We have winning products at every price point and AMD is proud to be able to deliver affordable hardware designed for performance to suit the needs of every gamer.”

AMD Radeon R7 240 and AMD Radeon R7 250 graphics cards deliver stunning graphics performance, from web browsing to video editing. With AMD App Acceleration, users can accelerate application performance with the powerful parallel computing capabilities of the GCN architecture². In addition, AMD Radeon R7 Series graphics fully support DirectX® 11.2 and enable users to unlock incredible graphics performance and new features in Windows 8.1.

AMD Radeon R7 260X graphics card packs the performance and enthusiast-class features at a spectacular price. A signature feature of the AMD Radeon R7 260X graphics card is the new AMD TrueAudio technology, which enables revolutionary audio experiences through stereo headsets and speakers³. Equipped with a dedicated audio processor right on the GPU, AMD Radeon R7 260X graphics card will deliver a richer and deeply immersive soundscape for gamers, including true to life echoes, convolution reverbs and fuller sounding environments. AMD Radeon R7 260X is the epitome of performance, efficiency and value for gamers in the market for a mid-range graphics card.

AMD Radeon R7 240, AMD Radeon R7 250 and AMD Radeon R7 260X graphics cards will be available on Oct. 11, 2013.

Product Specifications 

Product Model	R7 240	R7 250	R7 260X
Price	$69	$89	$139
Stream Processors	320	384	896
Engine Clock	Up to 780 MHz	Up to 1.05 GHz	Up to 1.1 GHz
Compute Performance	499 GFLOPS	806 GFLOPS	1.97 TFLOPS
Memory Configuration	1GB GDDR5 or 2GB DDR3 / 128-bit	1GB GDDR5 or 2GB DDR3 / 128-bit	2GB GDDR5 / 128-bit
API Support	DirectX® 11.2 OpenGL 4.3 Mantle	DirectX® 11.2 OpenGL 4.3 Mantle	DirectX® 11.2 OpenGL 4.3 Mantle

See more at:http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/r7/Pages/amd-radeon-hd-r7-series.aspx

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AMD Releases the Catalyst 13.10 Beta2 Driver

Latest Catalyst Beta is live.

Feature Highlights of The AMD Catalyst 13.10 Beta2 Driver for Windows

• AMD Catalyst 13.10 Beta2 includes all of the features/fixes found in AMD Catalyst 13.10 Beta
• Includes a 32-bit single GPU, and a AMD Crossfire game profile for Battlefield 4
• Total War: Rome 2 AMD CrossFire profile update
• AMD CrossFire frame pacing improvements for CPU-bound applications
• Resolves image corruption seen in Autodesk Inventor 2014
• Resolves intermittent black screen when resuming from a S3/S4 sleep-state if the display is unplugged during the sleep-state on systems supporting AMD Enduro technology
• Updated AMD Enduro technology application profiles for AMD Radeon HD notebook users

Profile Highlights:
Total War: Rome 2
Battlefield 4
Saints Row 4
Splinter Cell Blacklist
FIFA 14

Latest Catalyst Beta is live, go get em! This latest beta features support for the HD 5000-HD 7000 series desktop cards and also has support for HD 5000M-HD 8000M Mobile GPUs.

DOWNLOADS

Desktop Graphics Windows 7 64bit

Mobile Graphics  Windows 7 64bit

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Next Gen Radeons incoming!

AMDs line up of next gen radeons are in the house, well sort of as they aren't available for purchase just yet. But we now know that the names that have leaked over the past few days are official! So what we will be getting is the Radeon R9 290X, that will go head to head with Nvidias GTX TITAN, the Radeon R9 280X that will compete with the GTX 780 and the Radeon R9 270X will compete with the GTX 770. The R7 Series will represent the mid-range and will feature the R7 250 and R7 260X.

The R9 290X is based on second generation GCN2(Graphics Core Next) architecture while the 280X is simply a rebadged Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition. I wouldn’t expect anything drastically different in the case of the 280X maybe a slightly higher clock speed and a new cooler slapped on top, but from what I see so far it’s just a HD 7970 with a new track suit. The 290X on the other hand is shaping up to be a titan slayer (get it TITAN slayer.........…...never mind). The 290X sports a whopping 6 billion transistors and has a bandwidth of 300GB per second pumping out 4 billion triangles per second. The 290X will sport 4GB of GDDR5 memory and also signals the return of a 512bit memory interface, reminds me of the 512 bit monsters of the past. The 290X is also the first card to support Direct X 11.2. Unfortunately no info is available on exact stream processor counts but from what I hear it’s somewhere in the range of 3,000.

The R7 250 will be priced at US $89. The R7 260X will come in at US$ 139. The R9 270X and 280X will be priced at US$ 199 and US$299 respectively. Unfortunately no prices have been announced for the 290X as of yet. 

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Nintendo Pioneer Hiroshi Yamauchi Dead at 85

To anyone outside the gaming circle this may not mean a thing to you but to us gamers especially the 80s and 90s babies who grew up playing super Mario Bros. and the Legend of Zelda, it hits a little closer to home. Ex Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi died this morning of Pneumonia at a hospital in Japan.

Yamauchi was at Nintendo's helm when they single handedly resurrected what was a dead video games industry after the video game crash of 1977. In fact, If it wasn't for him the Nintendo we know and love today probably would not exist! He took over the then 60 year old playing card company (yes, Nintendo is old………real old) from his grandfather in the late 1940s and set out on his mission to modernize and diversify the company. This led to many different ventures, a Taxi company, a food company (selling instant rice) , a TV network and; get this, a “love hotel” yea you read that right! Eventually all these ventures failed and in 1966 Yamauchi moved Nintendo into the toy industry launching a number of successful products designed by Gupei Yokoi who would go on to invent the Game Boy.

The stage was now set as Yamauchi led Nintendo into the arcade industry releasing a number of light gun shooter games. This eventually led to Nintendo securing the rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey video game console in japan. Nintendo would eventually manufacture their own hardware, known as simply the Colour TV Game. All this led to the NES/Famicom and the rest is history! The Nintendo we all know and love was born.

Yamauchi left Nintendo in 2002 and reportedly did not accept his retirement pension worth something in the area of $14 million, stating that Nintendo could put the money to better use. Yamauchi’s net worth is estimated at around $2.1 billion and was ranked the 13^th richest man in japan.

Yamauchi is survived by his wife and 3 kids.

Now if you will excuse me, I shall go forth and stomp as many Koopa Troopas in his honor!

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Gaming TraxX: Dirt 3

Music Info
Track: Ok Luv
Artist: Starkey

Game Info
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Genre: Racing
Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

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New Physics sandbox game: Space Engineers

A new game has got my attention called space engineers. According to the developers Space Engineers will be a physics based sandbox style game that will allow you to create, maintain and well...destroy your own spacecraft and space stations if you so desire. Any game that allows me to get creative and just build stuff is always a plus in my book so I can’t wait to see what this game will offer. I have been playing a ton of Kerbal Space program and I have also been messing about with Space Engine these past few weeks so this, hopefully should be a nice addition to my ever growing digital space toy box!

The game is still in development and is not yet available but should see a PC beta demo real soon. More info can be found at the Space Engineers website.

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Mirrors Edge Tribute Video.

What do you get when you take a runner, strap on a helmet cam and set him loose on the rooftops? An amazing tribute to mirrors edge 2, produced by Parkour enthusiasts AMPISOUND, that’s what! Now in all honesty the runner in the video got off easy as he didn’t have armed law enforcement on his tail like our young heroine Faith has to constantly deal with but he does pull of some pretty sweet stunts so hey we’ll give him a pass none the less. Check out the tribute video below and the original E3 teaser trailer for Mirrors Edge 2.

Source: AMPISOUND Source: EA

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Killer Instinct Developers show of alternate character colours.

Micheal Willette of Double Hellix gives us a look at the new colour options for the characters that have been revealed so far. Killer Instinct hits on November 22nd exclusively on the Xbox One. Hey Microsoft how about a PC release? Just saying, PC gamers play fighting games too.

Source: Shoryuken.com

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Blur Multi-player mayhem Episode 1

Yup! I still play Blur, 3 years after its release, me and my friends still go at each other in some of the most fun multi-player arcade racing you can find anywhere! The official servers are basically dead now so we have to rely on tungle or meet up for LAN parties to get our game on! Yes Actual LAN parties. 

Stay tuned to my youtube channel for more updates.

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Video game soundtrack of the week

F1 2010

Music info

Track Name: F.E.A.R(UNKLE REMIX)

Artist: Ian Brown

Album: The Greatest

Game info
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters
Genre: Racing
Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

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BitFenix Unveils Shadow Mid-Tower

Press Release

Today, acclaimed PC hardware designer BitFenix is proud to reveal the latest chassis in its award-winning lineup - Shadow. Featuring a clean, modern design and a multitude of DIY-friendly features, Shadow represents a trifecta of style, functionality, and value.

With a completely uncluttered façade and monolithic design, Shadow fits perfectly in virtually any environment. The magnetic door, which deftly hides away optical drives, is covered with signature BitFenix SofTouch™ Surface Treatment for added stain resistance and a premium matte finish. This smooth surface is complimented by a brushed aluminum BitFenix logo, along with acustomizable LED accent. Located at the bottom of the front door, this LED accent can be changed to red or blue to match your build, or turned off with the press of a button on the I/O panel.

On the inside, Shadow shows it's more than just a pretty face. This ATX design fits long graphics cards up to 320mm in length, and tall CPU coolers up to 165mm in height, ensuring full compatibility with today's high-octane hardware. Shadow comes with plenty of storage capacity, equipped with three 5.25" drive bays and no less than seven 3.5" bays - perfect for users with massive media collections. To speed the installation process along, each of these bays come with tool-free drive locking, and single 2.5" drive mount means Shadow users can enjoy lightning-fast boot times by installing an SSD.

To keep things running cool, Shadow offers four 120mm fan locations, including two in the front, one on the bottom and one in the rear, and two premium 120mm Spectre™ fans are pre-installed for superb out-of-the-box cooling. Not only that, but all fan intakes, including the front, bottom, and PSU area come with removable dust filters to help keep your system dust-free.

Along with two USB 2.0 ports, two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports have also been included for fast file transfers and accelerated mobile device charging. A large CPU cutout ensures quick swapping of CPU coolers, while cable management features and black ribbon cabling helps facilitate a clean and tidy build. With features like these and superb styling to match, Shadow makes a tremendous base for any modern PC.

BitFenix Shadow will be available on store shelves in October.

For more information on Shadow, please visit http://www.bitfenix.com.

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Razer Ouroboros Gaming Mouse Now Available

Press Release

Razer™, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, announced the availability for sale in North America of the award-winning Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse.

The Razer Ouroboros features fully customizable ergonomics, allowing users to configure the mouse to comfortably fit their hands regardless of hand shape, size or grip-style. The mouse can be custom configured with an adjustable arched palm rest that allows a user to choose from various angles. The Razer Ouroboros also features a retractable back panel that can be set to any one of three positions, as well as four interchangeable side panels.

“The interest for the Razer Ouroboros has been so incredible that we’ve had to increase production far beyond what we had forecasted,” said Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “I ask for patience from Razer fans as we work to meet this insane demand and increase the availability throughout North America; the experience will be worth it. When creating the Razer Ouroboros, our goal was to design an all-in-one, ultra-performance product. We achieved that by giving gamers complete control to configure the mouse, from how it will perform in-game to its customizable form factor, ensuring it comfortably fits to specific users. The international media recognized its merits; now, our loyal fans in North America will get that opportunity as well.”

The Razer Ouroboros employs a cutting-edge 8200 dpi 4G laser sensor capable of accurately calibrating the mouse to any surface. This provides improved tracking responsiveness and allows users to customize lift-off tracking, creating precision control.

With wireless capabilities, the Razer Ouroboros features 1000 Hz Ultrapolling between mouse and computer, ensuring that a user’s actuations are instantly translated in a game. In its wireless mode, the Razer Ouroboros is powered by a single rechargeable AA battery capable of at least 12 hours of continuous gaming.

About the Razer Ouroboros:

The Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse is designed for both right- and left-handed gamers looking for total control over every feature on their mice. The Razer Ouroboros lets players configure various ergonomics components, – from its adjustable arched palm rest to its retractable back panel and interchangeable side grips – to get the best fit for their own hands, regardless of shape, size or grip-style. This ensures users can game for hours on end in complete comfort while minimizing fatigue. 

Razer’s latest 8200 dpi 4G laser sensor powers this mouse, for ultra-precise tracking with its surface calibration and lift-off tracking features.  Its dual wired/wireless capability guarantees gaming-grade performance of 1000 Hz Ultrapolling in either mode. While wireless, the Razer Ouroboros is powered by a single AA battery that promises a minimum of 12 hours of continuous gaming.

To learn more about the Razer Ouroboros, please visit www.razerzone.com/ouroboros.

Price: US$149.99

More info can be found here

Product features:

• Customizable ergonomics to fit all hand sizes and grip-styles
• 8200 dpi 4G laser sensor
• Gaming-grade wireless technology with dock
• Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled
• 11 programmable Hyperesponse buttons
• 1000 Hz Ultrapolling
• Up to 200 in per sec. / 50 g acceleration
• Runs wirelessly on a rechargeable AA battery
• Battery life: (Approx) 12 hours continuous gaming
• Approximate size and weight:
o Length: 122 mm (at shortest length) - 134mm (at longest length) / 4.80 in. - 5.28 in.
o Width: 65 mm / 2.6 in.(with Finger grip panels)
o Height: 39 mm / 1.5 in.
o Weight: 135 g / 0.3 lbs. (with battery)

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Nintendo cuts WiiU price to $299: Will it be enough?

Nintendo announced today that it is cutting the price of the deluxe model Wii U to $299.99 for the holiday season. That’s a $50 price cut. This comes as no surprise as the Wii U hasn’t been exactly lighting the sales charts on fire. The system has sold 3.6 million units since it launched back in fall 2012 and that may sound like a pretty good haul but trust me……..it isn’t. In fact, Nintendo only managed to sell 160,000 units globally in the past 3 months! Because of the systems poor sales figures, it’s no wonder why third party publishers are shying away, some completely abandoning the console all together. 

The Wii U is already at a disadvantage when compared to the upcoming XBOX ONE and PS4 in terms of raw graphical power. It would have been pretty difficult to market the Wii U at its original $350 price when the much more powerful PS4 will be available for only $399. Let’s face people like shiny new things, gamers are no different.

The big N is relying on upcoming titles such as Wind Waker HD, Pikmin 3, The wonderful 101 and Super Smash Bros. WiiU to bolster the systems sales. Add the now official price cut into the mix and this could be the recipe that Nintendo needs to get the Wii U train rolling.

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MSI announces the GeForce GTX 780 LIGHTNING graphics card

Press Release

 MSI, world renowned graphics card and motherboard manufacturer, has officially announced the release of the GeForce GTX 780 LIGHTNING. This product uses the new exclusive Triple Force Architecture and is equipped with a Triple Level signals LED. The card, from the inside out, represents the next revolution thermal design. The combined power of the Twin BIOS and the card's Enhanced Power Design equip gamers and extreme overclockers with the ultimate weapon. This superior performance is accompanied by a 20-phase power design that can unlock the limitless potential of the graphics card. Also featuredis the patented GPU Reactor powered back plate design which filters power supply noise and improves overclocking stability. The MSI GeForce GTX 780 LIGHTNING is built using Military Class 4 components that have passed rigorous certification testing in third party laboratories. With such powerful components, this graphics card is guaranteed to have an impressive service life and excellent overclocking stability. Additionally, the popular 3x3 OC Kits allow for gamers to effectively monitor the status of the graphics card. MSI products are renowned for leading the industry due to the company's innovative R&D, excellent performance, streamlined thermal design, and quality components and software. The MSI GeForce GTX 780 LIGHTNING is once again the most powerful graphics card.

Exclusive Triple Force Architecture – The Ultimate Weapon
The latest generation of MSI's GeForce GTX 780 LIGHTNING uses Triple Force Architecture. Equipped with a Triple Level Signals LED function, TriFrozr Thermal Design with independent fan control system, and Pure Digital PWM control. The Triple Level Signals LED features green, blue, and red lights that represent light, medium and heavy power loads on the device. This ensures that players have complete control over their games or the overclocking process. The innovative TriFrozr Thermal Design with independent fan control far exceeds any traditional or custom cooler's thermal performance and ensures better cooling of the GPU, memory and PWM modules. This iteration of MSI’s exclusive design builds upon the Propeller Blade fans and the Dust Removal Technology of the previous model, alongside seven 8 mm SuperPipes for unrivaled thermal performance. In addition, the Pure Digital PWM control technology provides a more stable and accurate voltage signal than traditional designs. The PWM's reaction time is shorter and helps enthusiasts more achieve a higher stability in the most stressful of environments.

Top Military Class Components and Convenient Overclocking Utility
MSI always emphasizes top quality and stability when pursuing the highest in product performance. When developing products, MSI makes satisfying market demands and expectations its primary goal. The MSI GeForce GTX 780 LIGHTNING introduces the latest Military Class 4 components to the series. The components have gone through rigorous testing by a third-party laboratory to satisfy the MIL-STD-810G standard. Regardless if it is the advantages of the low-temperature, high performance DrMOS 4, the double-sided CopperMOS thermal design, the highly durable and stable tantalum Hi-C Cap cores, the polished surface of the New SFC for added cooling, or the corrosion proof Dark Solid CAP, each aspect of the LIGHTNING ensures the best possible stability.

The 3x3 OC Kits Puts the Information in Your Hands
Designed specifically for overclocking, the 3x3 OC Kits are a must-have for all enthusiasts. The kit allows users to adjust the voltage levels GPU, memory, and PLL through MSI's exclusive Afterburner utility while monitoring GPU, memory, and MOFSET temperatures. V-Check Points also capitalize upon the multi meter measuring of GPU, memory, and PLL voltage levels to give users direct calibration data—a function that guarantees success in the world of extreme overclocking.

Technical Specifications:

• Model name: GTX 780 Lightning
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (GK110)
• Base Clock: 980 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1033 MHz
• Memory Clock / Type: 6008 MHz / GDDR5
• Memory Size / Bus Width: 3072 MB / 384 bit
• Thermal Design: MSI TriFrozr (2x9cm, 1x8cm)
• GPU Reactor: Yes
• Average Power ConsumptionLoad: 250W
• Card Dimensions: 295 x 128.6 x 51.35 mm

MSRP (US): $749.99.

For more information about the GTX 780 Lightning, please visit: 
http://event.msi.com/vga/lightning/

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