GeForce GTX 1080 also uses a new video RAM built by Micron called GDDR5X, which is currently the fastest GDDR memory on the marketįounders Edition details aside, all GeForce GTX 1080s use Nvidia’s new Pascal architecture, which leverages bandwidth reduction, preemption, and memory compression techniques to become the company’s most efficient architecture to date. Under load, I saw the fan rev up to 1,342rpm, which was still near whisper quiet.Īnother feature that makes the Founders Edition different is its removable low-profile backplate, which is useful for snug SLI configurations. The two-slot card’s radial blower fan is also aided by Nvidia’s vapor chamber cooler.
What makes the Founders Edition stand out? For starters, the 4.3x10.5-inch chassis uses a die-cast aluminum body. For what it's worth, personally I find the card’s jagged edges look pretty sharp. The extra $100 is merely for the superior materials and craftsmanship. Having said that, the Founders Edition graphics card does not use a higher-quality binned GPU. So it has revamped its own design by using higher-quality materials that will no doubt resonate with the most devoted enthusiasts. While previous iterations from Nvidia were known as “reference designs,” it appears the corporation wants to show it designs more than baseline graphics cards. I'm reviewing the “Founders Edition” of the card, which cost $699 ($100 more than the 1080’s starting price).