MSI Readies Liquid-Cooled HD 7970 GHz Edition Lightning Graphics Card

btarunr · Jul 19, 2012

The performance lead that MSI's Radeon HD 7970 Lightning maintained over reference HD 7970 was cut down, first by NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680, and then by AMD's own Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, leaving its engineers to go back to the drawing boards, and design an even faster graphics card. The result: a liquid-cooled HD 7970 GHz Edition Lightning graphics card, which could push clock-speeds up even further. The card ships with a pre-installed full-coverage water-block, made by EK WaterBlocks (EKWB). It comes ready for 6-display Eyefinity, with four mini-DisplayPort and two DVI. Here's hoping one of those is a dual-link DVI. More details are awaited.

Update: We've received word that it's not that MSI has a new product in the works, but that EKWB has a water-block tailored for MSI's existing R7970 Lightning.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

btarunr · Jul 19, 2012

Many Thanks to NHKS for the tip.

radrok · Jul 19, 2012

They should just put a switch on the PCB to allow one DVI port to become dual link, like ASUS does on the DCII series, you lose a miniDP/DP but who cares when you can have a proper DVI-DL.

I like the card itself, it's a very strong overclocker, especially when cooled properly but that bloody CSQ theme on EK products is very hard to like with the circles :|

dj-electric · Jul 19, 2012

This. Mine. Soon.

m1dg3t · Jul 19, 2012

This is based off the Lightning correct? Are there any other changes than just the addition of a factory W/B?

the54thvoid · Jul 19, 2012

The block and PCB both have the Lightning (LTG) label. The first factory released watercooled lightning?

EKWB are currently putting the retail Lightning blocks into production.

Fail if it does not have dual DVI.

rpsgc · Jul 19, 2012

EK? Ewww... do not want.

Shurakai · Jul 19, 2012

Personally not a fan of the way EK has taken their blocks, lots of little circles? Sure that looks... nah.

AsRock · Jul 19, 2012

which could push clock-speeds up even further.

WTF, sorry if your paying up for this this late i think they should make sure it does and not could.

Elmo · Jul 19, 2012

Shurakai said:
Personally not a fan of the way EK has taken their blocks, lots of little circles? Sure that looks... nah.

Plain and simple should have been nice.. or rather a brushed aluminum backplate.

kroks · Jul 19, 2012

read your source again.. and msi facebook page...
it's not a new card, just a wb from ek
not even ghz edition, just overclocked 7970

jomama22 · Jul 19, 2012

kroks said:
read your source again.. and msi facebook page...
it's not a new card, just a wb from ek
not even ghz edition, just overclocked 7970

Thanks for this I was just about to post the same thing. Definitely not a new edition, just a block by ek.

neliz · Jul 19, 2012

Lightning is already clocked higher than the GHz edition.. when we have a new card, you guys WILL know

Ravenas · Jul 19, 2012

neliz said:
Lightning is already clocked higher than the GHz edition.. when we have a new card, you guys WILL know

What kind of price are we talking here? Some manufactures tend to over charge for the water block and the OC... I would be willing to pay at a max of $599. Powercolor just lowered the price on their 7970, it is now $669.

D007 · Jul 19, 2012

Ug, here we go again.... Oh it's not fast enough, lets liquid cool it and overclock it like anyone who buys the card could of done themselves anyway... Fail...

Ravenas · Jul 19, 2012

D007 said:
Ug, here we go again.... Oh it's not fast enough, lets liquid cool it and overclock it like anyone who buys the card could of done themselves anyway... Fail...

Yes but at the right price it is actually worth it, granted the water block is worthy of the cost. The problem is most manufactures are substantialy over charging for these things due to two main aspects:

Overclocking
Water block

Right now I can get a well reviewed reference card (PowerColor AX7970 3GBD5-M2DHG Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card) for approximately $429 and buy a laundry list of water blocks here for aprroximately $100-$130.

$429+$119= $548

This power color card water block card is $669:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131463

They are charging that kind of money for a block, a OC, and putting it on... It absurd. Ridiculous.

Filiprino · Jul 19, 2012

Oh god, why. Double slot backplates and liquid cooling.

the54thvoid · Jul 19, 2012

Ravenas said:
$429+$119= $548

This power color card water block card is $669:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131463

They are charging that kind of money for a block, a OC, and putting it on... It absurd. Ridiculous.

The pricing disparity across the globe is simply weird.

The LCS 7970 in UK started at £600 (about £150+ over basic card). Now the LCS is £400 in some places (on offer). That's only £100 over basic, so selling at an excellent price.

jomama22 · Jul 19, 2012

How are you guys not getting this? This is NOT A NEW CARD BEING SOLD BY MSI. It is merely a block made by ek for the 7970 lightning.

And the double slots are obviously necessary because the lightning has stacked dvi ports.

Again not a new card, just a block iv been waiting for since late march.

(Awaits for "how much will this card cost? $600?!?!?!")

techtard · Jul 19, 2012

@jomama22

We got that it wasn't a new card a few posts ago, when an MSI Rep posted.

No need to get your panties in a bunch.

MasterInvader · Jul 19, 2012

Until I see a 7970/GTX680 Single Slot full-cover WB my setup still remains the same.

dj-electric · Jul 19, 2012

Why does it matter? its just a connector sticking out anyway...

MasterInvader · Jul 19, 2012

Dj-ElectriC said:
Why does it matter? its just a connector sticking out anyway...

lol... compare the two block´s and you will see why:

Oberon · Jul 19, 2012

MasterInvader said:
lol... compare the two block´s and you will see why:

Soooo, what you're saying is that it still doesn't make a whit of difference?

Casecutter · Jul 19, 2012

radrok said:
should just be switch on the PCB to allow one DVI port to become dual link, like ASUS does on the DCII series,

Amen!

And it can’t be at $600… :wtf:

The Lightening is $520 at Egg right now, and the MSI Twin Frozr IV heatsink/fan unit is probably no more than $20 unit to produce; IdK? The EK-FC7970 DCII (Acetal+EN/Nickel) is a $120 (retail), so MSI could be getting what's just a slightly custom at their volumes for like $30. If MSI markets this and still include the backing plate with the GPU Reactor, for $560-570 tops it will peak peoples interest. $600 or more forget about-it. :shadedshu

When there's the reference VisionTek 7970 right now at TigerD is $378 (and 6-games including BF3). I’d work from that and then the HEATKILLER Full Coverage Water Block along with their backing-plate that's still only $153. And, just see what OC's I could wring out of that… for like $530 altogether. :twitch:

System Name	RBMK-1000
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling	DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory	2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s)	Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage	Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s)	BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case	Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s)	ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply	Cooler Master MWE Gold 650W
Mouse	ASUS ROG Strix Impact
Keyboard	Gamdias Hermes E2
Software	Windows 11 Pro

System Name	RBMK-1000
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling	DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory	2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s)	Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage	Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s)	BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case	Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s)	ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply	Cooler Master MWE Gold 650W
Mouse	ASUS ROG Strix Impact
Keyboard	Gamdias Hermes E2
Software	Windows 11 Pro

Processor	8700k Intel
Motherboard	z370 MSI Godlike Gaming
Cooling	Triple Aquacomputer AMS Copper 840 with D5
Memory	TridentZ RGB G.Skill C16 3600MHz
Video Card(s)	GTX 1080 Ti
Storage	Crucial MX SSDs
Display(s)	Dell U3011 2560x1600 + Dell 2408WFP 1200x1920 (Portrait)
Case	Core P5 Thermaltake
Audio Device(s)	Essence STX
Power Supply	AX 1500i
Mouse	Logitech
Keyboard	Corsair
Software	Win10

System Name	m1dg3t \| DeathBox \| HairPi 3
Processor	3570k @ 4.0 1.15v BIOS \| q9550 @ 3.77 1.325v BIOS
Motherboard	Asrock z77e iTX \| p5q Dlx 2301 BIOS
Cooling	Custom Water \| D-14 & HR-03gt \| Passive HSF
Memory	Samsung MV-3V4G3D 4g x 2 @ 1866 1.35v \| OcZ RpR 2g x 4 @ 1067 2.2v
Video Card(s)	MSi 7950 tf3 @1000 / 1350 \| Asus 5870 V2 @ 900 / 1275
Storage	Adata sx900 256Gb / WD 2500 HHTZ \| WD 1001 FALS x 2
Display(s)	BenQ gw2750hm \| 46" Sharp Quatron
Case	BitFenix Prodigy - m0dd3d \| Antec Fusion Remote MAX
Audio Device(s)	Onboard Toslink > Yamaha HTR 6290 \| Xonar HDAV1.3 > Yamaha DSP z7
Power Supply	Ocz mXp700w \| Ocz zx850w \| Cannakit 5v 2.5a
Mouse	Logitech G700s \| Logitech G9x - Cable Repaired
Keyboard	TT Meka G1 - Black w Cherry Blacks\| Logitech G11
Software	Win7 Home \| Xp sp3 & Vista ultimate \| Raspbian
Benchmark Scores	Epeen!! Who needs epeen??

Processor	Ryzen 7800X3D
Motherboard	MSI MAG Mortar B650 (wifi)
Cooling	be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
Memory	32GB Kingston Fury
Video Card(s)	Gainward RTX4070ti
Storage	Seagate FireCuda 530 M.2 1TB / Samsumg 960 Pro M.2 512Gb
Display(s)	LG 32" 165Hz 1440p GSYNC
Case	Asus Prime AP201
Audio Device(s)	On Board
Power Supply	be quiet! Pure POwer M12 850w Gold (ATX3.0)
Software	W10

MSI Readies Liquid-Cooled HD 7970 GHz Edition Lightning Graphics Card

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

radrok

dj-electric

m1dg3t

the54thvoid

Intoxicated Moderator

rpsgc

Shurakai

AsRock

TPU addict

Elmo

kroks

jomama22

neliz

Ravenas

D007

Ravenas

Filiprino

the54thvoid

Intoxicated Moderator

jomama22

techtard

MasterInvader

dj-electric

MasterInvader

Oberon

Casecutter

System Name	Quiet Gaming PC v5
Processor	AMD Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard	Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite V2 (rev. 1.2)
Cooling	Thermalright TRUE Rev. C
Memory	2x16GB TeamGroup Vulcan Z Red DDR4-3600 CL18
Video Card(s)	XFX Speedster SWFT 309 RX 6700 XT
Storage	WD Blue SN550 1TB NVMe // TeamGroup MP34 4TB NVMe // Crucial MX100 512GB
Display(s)	MSI G27CQ4 E2
Case	Fractal Design Define R4
Audio Device(s)	Realtek ALC1200
Power Supply	Corsair RM850x
Mouse	Logitech G502 Hero
Keyboard	MKPlus Slayer M3 RGB Mechanical Keyboard
Software	Windows 11 Pro

System Name	Computer MkVIII
Processor	2500K @ 4.5ghz
Motherboard	ASUS Sabertooth P67
Cooling	CPU: 212+ EVO GPU: Stock
Memory	16gb G.Skill Ares @2133mhz
Video Card(s)	EVGA GTX 980 SC
Storage	1x Samsung 840 EVO 1TB
Display(s)	24" Asus VE248
Case	Corsair Carbide 300R
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Corsair HX-650
Software	Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

Processor	AMD 3900X \ AMD 7700X
Motherboard	ASRock AM4 X570 Pro 4 \ ASUS X670Xe TUF
Cooling	D15
Memory	Patriot 2x16GB PVS432G320C6K \ G.Skill Flare X5 F5-6000J3238F 2x16GB
Video Card(s)	eVga GTX1060 SSC \ XFX RX 6950XT RX-695XATBD9
Storage	Sammy 860, MX500, Sabrent Rocket 4 Sammy Evo 980 \ 1xSabrent Rocket 4+, Sammy 2x990 Pro
Display(s)	Samsung 1080P \ LG 43UN700
Case	Fractal Design Pop Air 2x140mm fans from Torrent \ Fractal Design Torrent 2 SilverStone FHP141x2
Audio Device(s)	Yamaha RX-V677 \ Yamaha CX-830+Yamaha MX-630 Infinity RS4000\Paradigm P Studio 20, Blue Yeti
Power Supply	Seasonic Prime TX-750 \ Corsair RM1000X Shift
Mouse	Steelseries Sensei wireless \ Steelseries Sensei wireless
Keyboard	Logitech K120 \ Wooting Two HE
Benchmark Scores	Meh benchmarks.

System Name	AM5
Processor	AMD Ryzen R9 7950X
Motherboard	Asrock X670E Taichi
Cooling	EK AIO Basic 360
Memory	Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600 64 Gb - XMP1 Profile
Video Card(s)	AMD Reference 7900 XTX 24 Gb
Storage	Samsung Gen 4 980 1 TB / Samsung 8TB SSD
Display(s)	Samsung 34" 240hz 4K
Case	Fractal Define R7
Power Supply	Seasonic PRIME PX-1300, 1300W 80+ Platinum, Full Modular

System Name	HAL
Processor	Core i9 13900k @5.8-6.1
Motherboard	Z790 Arous master
Cooling	EKWB Quantum Velocity V2 & (2) 360 Corsair XR7 Rads push/pull
Memory	2x 32GB (64GB) Gskill trident 6000 CL30 @28 1T
Video Card(s)	RTX 4090 Gigagbyte gaming OC @ +200/1300
Storage	(M2's) 2x Samsung 980 pro 2TB, 1xWD Black 2TB, 1x SK Hynix Platinum P41 2TB
Display(s)	65" LG OLED 120HZ
Case	Lian Li dyanmic Evo11 with distro plate
Power Supply	Thermaltake 1350
Software	Microsoft Windows 11 x64

System Name	Grond
Processor	Ryen 5 3600x PBO ~ 4.4GHz / fabric at 1900
Motherboard	MSI b550 Tomahawk
Cooling	XSPC Raystorm CPU w/ am4 mounting bracket+ 2 RX360 radiator + xspc Razor R9-290 w/ backplate
Memory	32gb Crucial Ballistix @ 3800
Video Card(s)	XFX R9 290 w/ XSPC Razor full cover block and backplate
Storage	WD SN850 1tb-OS, SN750 1tb, Samsung 860 Evo 1tb, WD blue hdd 4tb
Display(s)	Samsung 23" 120hz 3d LCD w/ 3d glasses, using 'lightboost' trick
Case	NZXT H630 white watercooling case
Audio Device(s)	Onboard realtek ALC 1200+ Sennheiser HD 598
Power Supply	XFX Pro 850 XXX semi-modular
Mouse	Logitech G703 Wireless
Keyboard	Steelseries 6 v2
Software	Windows 10 Pro (Had some mystery error on Win7 and decided to go W10)

System Name	GameRig / Server
Processor	Ryzen 5800X3D / Threadripper 2920X
Motherboard	ROG Strix X570-E / ROG Zenith Extreme
Cooling	Dual OCCOOL 360 XT45 / Single EK 360 KIT
Memory	Trident Z 16GB / Trident Z 32GB 3600MHz
Video Card(s)	RTX 3080 / Quadro P2000
Storage	WD Black SN770 2TB / WD Re 12TB SAS
Display(s)	LG 34" UltraWide 34GN850-B / Samsung CF391
Case	Corsair Obsidian 800D / 700
Audio Device(s)	Onboard / Onboard
Power Supply	Corsair HX1000i / HX850
Software	Win11Pro x64 / Vmware vSphere
Benchmark Scores	420 6969.....

Processor	AMD Ryzen 5900X
Motherboard	MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk
Cooling	Dual custom loops
Memory	4x8GB G.SKILL Trident Z Neo 3200C14 B-Die
Video Card(s)	AMD Radeon RX 6800XT Reference
Storage	ADATA SX8200 480GB, Inland Premium 2TB, various HDDs
Display(s)	MSI MAG341CQ
Case	Meshify 2 XL
Audio Device(s)	Schiit Fulla 3
Power Supply	Super Flower Leadex Titanium SE 1000W
Mouse	Glorious Model D
Keyboard	Drop CTRL, lubed and filmed Halo Trues