Custom GTX 1080 PCB run down

A quick look and analysis of all the GTX 1080 PCB pictures uploaded to Videocarz.

[Mickulty]

00:00 intro + sources
00:34 Asus Strix
03:22 Colorful
05:05 EVGA Classified
08:41 EVGA FTW
09:02 Galax HOF
10:13 Inno3D
10:23 MSI Gaming X
11:50 MSI Armour X
12:37 Zotac "16+3-phase"
15:46 Like Share Subscribe + blog & donation plug

[briancook]

Here is a link to the pics for the EVGA GTX 1080 FTW without the top thermal plate on:

I'm trying to decide between this and the Asus Strix variant.

If you can break it down it would be great if not, its all good. You've already been a great source of info.

[AceStrife]

I thought the Classified card was stupid in its design, but the Zotac one.. jesus christ.

The 1080 isn't the card for this stuff; these companies are insane.

[RGEcraft]

only 5 000 views ? It deserves 1 000 times more. Easy

[emanuelemassimodipace]

5:05 a smile on my phase, i'm dying😂

[orlandogonzalez]

Liked and subscribed.
Idk how the fuck you dont have subs
THIS IS REAL IT TECH GUYS

[blivak]

How much more do the partner boards overclock with all this power phases etc etc...what other true advantage exists apart from cleaner power? Cos I've got an FE card on a block and it oC's and sticks doggedly to 2100Mhz on load. So tell me why I may fancy one with more.

[evilmarc]

I understand about half to one third of what you said in this video but enjoyed it nonetheless. I hope you'll do more (like the 1070) in the future! Your off-the-cuff style is very entertaining!

[SlyMaelstrom]

Since you seem to have a good understanding of everything you're looking at on the video card, I'm wondering if you have any opinions on whether or not the 1070 (or maybe even 1080) PCBs may eventually be able to be laid out in an ITX length card. Do you think they can squeeze all the required components down into a 7" package? If not, how small do you think these cards can go?

P.S. Sorry, I'm sure this is a boring thing to even think about for someone more focused on extreme overclocking, but I'm just looking for an opinion from someone knowledgeable.

[johnlaborx]

Nice video. Usually I never go Evga, so Asus and MSI will be my obvious choice. Do you think this time Asus will be better than MSI consider it has better factory OC and maybe a better PCB? Thanks.

[kurtenglish]

I don't do LN2, but I do do a lot of mods to improve card overclocking so here's my reaction:

You are right in ignoring the number/type of PCI-E power connectors. Those have zero impact on overclocking and more just makes the card more power efficient.
You did properly identify phases, which many people don't, but you annoyingly use the recent Nvidia nomenclature defining phases which is misleading. Ex. when saying 8+2 you're saying there's 8 core phases and 2 memory phases. This is only the recent meaning of that phrase according to Nvidia marketing. In the past 8+2 meant you have 10 core phases, with 8 switching in sequence plus another 2 switching in their own sequence, both summing up to deliver current to the core. For example the ATI 4890 was a 3+2 configuration for the core. Minor thing, but using Nvidia's misleading marketing terms annoys me.

You ignored capacitor quality and vdroop, which can be a big deal and vary greatly between these cards. Many "overclocking" cards try to have big impressive looking phases with big electrolytic caps that look cool. The problem is of the 3 main cap types you can have the big radial electrolytic caps are the lowest quality. Surface mount electrolytics tend to have superior ESR (effective series resistance. this matters for sudden load changes, or a phase switch) than the round radial electrolytics, but are more expensive and look less cool. Radials do tend to have higher capacitance than SMD, but usually electrolytic capacitance is overkill by nearly an order of magnitude on "overclocking" desktop cards, with ESR being more of a limiting factor. Even better ESR are ceramic caps, but these are the smallest and most expensive. Many of these boards completely lacked ceramic caps for the core on the front of the pcb. Maybe they made up for it on the back, but its obvious that many manufacturers are trying to make their boards look cool.

As for vdroop, many of these boards screwed over the memory and indirectly the core. All high phase count cards except the zotac threw the memory phases way to the right of the card. This gives the current a long distance to travel, and even worse is the current needs to travel under the core phases, which will already be using many pcb layers. This also hurts core vdroop because pcb layers that the core would otherwise receive are needed to route the memory power. Then add in that 3 memory chips also have data and address lines between the core and power phases, and you have one overly worked pcb. They might have very good vdroop detection and compensation, but there will be efficiency issues at the very least.

In short, the ASUS looked like crap to me. No top side ceramic caps and no SMD electrolytics. The powercolor card looked good for air and H20 with a good ceramic cap count, but seemed to lack the FETs to push the current or LN2. The EVGA should be good for LN2 if the backside makes up for the front side's lack of ceramics. Its electrolytic count is insane with tons of SMD caps, but it looks like it will have vdroop problems. The MSI looks decent with a good chunk of ceramics and high phase count, but lacks SMD electrolytics.

I don't get why you gave the Zotac so much crap. This card looked to be the best to me. That memory phase location is great. The PCI-E slot can route current up the left side so it can get a strong 12V connection that avoids messing with the core power side of the card and memory data and addressing. The Zotac will have the best vdroop of any card. It has a good count on ceramics and a few SMD electrolytics. Yes the FETs COULD be poor, but they could also potentially be better than the high/low combo chips on most cards.

Honestly the 25A high/50A low chip that you said Nvidia is using sounds like crap. Having a lower high side current limit than low side makes no sense. Yes high side conducts current way less often than low side so you want a smaller faster switching FET, but if you exceed that 25A the FET can still blow up. If the low side conducts 50A when it is on, then the high side also conducts 50A, so this chip is only rated for 25A due to the high side. I can see why manufacturers would avoid this chip. I'm surprised I didn't see the TI 83750 high/low combo chip on any cards as this has a 40A rating and is very commonly used on mobile cards to provide high current using little pcb area.

[axellno]

You seem to be very familiar with the components. I'd love to hear an overall cost estimation for each of the cards, because I have a hunch that the gap between costs and price is just grows and grows each year because they price the cards based on performance to protect older versions on the shelves.

[Mickulty]

Here's something I don't get: how come the low side is rated for twice the current of the high side? Wouldn't they be the same?

[nex_]

Thanks for reaffirming my thoughts on going for the classified 1080