GIGABYE GeForce GTX 1080 Windforce 3X OC Capsule Review

GIGABYTE GTX 1080 Windforce 3X OC Power Consumption Temperature and Sound

Even though NVIDIA has focused on efficiency as one of their top priorities, a mid to top-range GPU is still going to use a bit of power, so we’ll take a look at just how much the Windforce 3X OC actually uses compared to others, and see how loud and how cool (or not) it happens to run. These things are very important when choosing which brand, and sometimes set each of them apart and can be among the most important factors for some individuals.

Power

To test we ran the Ashes of the Singularity benchmark at the Extreme preset at 2160P. We measured PCIe power using leads connected to the slot itself, as well as the power connector. These are are the peak numbers that were seen.

The custom PCB helps to reduce the power by being more efficient. Obviously it’s very close to any other GTX 1080, but we do see some efficiency gains as a result of the magic of the components they’ve chosen. At full power there is no coil whine or other electronic noise, either.

Temperature

Temperature was taken using readings from HWiNFO64 while playing through the Ashes of the Singularity benchmark at Extreme at 2160P. We then monitored peak temperature throughout and these are those peak numbers.

Temperatures are well controlled here. While idle we see a maximum of 41-degrees, which is more than acceptable considering the heatsink itself, and surrounding airflow, is handling cooling duties. Though there are three sophisticated fans, we saw a maximum temperature of 76-degrees, which is still quite cool considering.

Sound

For sound we measured at 1 meter away from an open chassis while we played the aforementioned Ashes of the Singularity benchmark. We used a Reed R8050 to test. We also used an iPhone 6 Plus just to see if it was accurate.

Perhaps the most surprising was the acoustics. Obviously it’s completely inaudible while idle on the desktop, and even during very light loads,  but during gaming the fans are nearly inaudible. They’re very difficult to discern over the CPU cooling system, and thus one of the most quiet GPUs around. It was quite startling, actually. When measured, it’s quiet, when actually heard, it’s also quiet.

Conclusion

Gigabyte has done an adequate job with the Windforce 3X OC version of their GTX 1080. The custom PCB is more efficient, their cooler is actually very good for the mild overclock that comes standard from the factory, and it even looks good too. At ~$599 it may not be the best deal compared to other manufacturers, however, but sometimes brand preference does play a big role. It’s not a bad card by any means. That extra ~$20-50 is buying you assurance more than anything. Gigabyte does have a penchant for building reliable kit, and have lower(ish) failure rates and relatively nicely engineered cards. Is it worth it? Peace of mind can sometimes be worth even more. Though all brands are nearly equally as reliable. Where the value also lies is in how quiet it is, and how efficient the cooler can be. You don’t need sub-zero temperatures to have a cool running card. The fan structure combined with the surprising amount of engineering put into the heatsink equal a very nice contender.

So what we have is a reasonably good overclocker combined with a generally cool running card with an attractive design. Throw in some good overclocking software (that controls those mostly useless LEDs) and you have a good overall package. Outward appearance and design are always a personal affair, though this does “gamer” without being ostentatious. It’s a good card, looks good and runs well. It’s hard not to recommend it, though it definitely isn’t the best of values. But it is good enough to seriously consider. And thus you should keep it in mind when looking to upgrade to your GTX 1080.