MSI N280GTX OC HydroGen
Introduction
Published: 22nd January 2009 | Source: MSI | Price: £359.99 |
Pre-overclocked graphics cards are nothing new but pre overclocked AND watercooled cards are something of a rarity. MSI have seen a niche in the market they wish to explore with the OC HydroGen model based on the GTX280.
Despite MSI overclocking the GTX280 to 700mhz, a 10c temperature drop is claimed over the stock clocked 602mhz GTX280. This makes the OC HydroGen 280 the fastest pre-overclocked GTX280 available and perhaps more importantly, faster than the recently reviewed GTX285. This is achieved by using a full cover waterblock which cools all the main components while remaining just single PCI thickness.
Obviously adding a copper full cover waterblock is not cheap and thus the price of £359.99 is £50 more expensive than the cheapest GTX285 we could find. However, if all out performance is what you want and you already have a water-cooled system then serious consideration should be given to this card.
Here's what MSI had to say:
10 Degrees C Lower than GeForce® GTX 200 fan thermal solution via the massive contact surface increase brought by micro channel technology, MSI N280GTX OC HydroGen series successfully runs the world highest core clock setting at 700MHz, but surprisingly has 10℃ lower temperature level than normal fan cooling GeForce® GTX 200 series even at full workload.
1-Slot ultra slim tank design Ready for 3-way SLI!
MSI achieves this with only 1-slot thick HydroGen micro channel water cooling tank. This makes a multiple graphics setup in single system possible, even with all the water cooling accessories together.
1-Slot ultra slim tank design Ready for 3-way SLI!
MSI achieves this with only 1-slot thick HydroGen micro channel water cooling tank. This makes a multiple graphics setup in single system possible, even with all the water cooling accessories together.
Specifications
The differences between the three high top end GPU's from Nvidia are small but significant nonetheless and could have a major impact on the results of our benchmarking.
| GTX 280 | GTX 285 | GTX 280 Hydrogen | |
| Fabrication | 65nm | 55nm | 65nm |
| GPU Size | 576 mm² | 470 mm² | 576 mm² |
| GPU Frequency | 602 MHz | 648 MHz | 700mhz |
| Shader Frequency | 1296 MHz | 1476 MHz | 1400 MHz |
| Memory Frequency | 1107 MHz | 1242 MHz | 1150 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 512 Bit | 512 Bit | 512 Bit |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| TMU's | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Stream processors | 240 | 240 | 240 |
| Memory | 1024Mb | 1024Mb | 1024 |
| Memory bandwidth | 140,7 GB/s | 159,0 GB/s | 141,7 BG/s |
As we see, MSI have increased both the memory and shader frequencies to better feed the core. With a whopping 100mhz overclock on the core itself, we expect great things from the HydroGen and it will be interesting to see if the extra 50 MHz is enough to dethrone the GTX285.
Let's take a look at the packaging and the card itself...
Most Recent Comments
Impressive performance for a GTX 280! And the card has an interesting heatsink.
First time I seen a fine machined waterblock from a watercooled ready gpu manufacturer. Looks like it cools well too 
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Originally Posted by name='moogle'
First time I seen a fine machined waterblock from a watercooled ready gpu manufacturer. Looks like it cools well too
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Stunning performance. It's so nice to see proper paste instead of that awful white goop too. But wow what a huge performing card and block.
Shame about the bracket. The devil is in the details.
VB
Shame about the bracket. The devil is in the details.
VB
Have you tried overclocking past the limits?
At 40C that is so cool.
At 40C that is so cool.
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Originally Posted by name='Jim'
Agreed. I'd actually prefer that block (in terms of looks at least) over anything that EK could offer.
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Originally Posted by name='VonBlade'
Shame about the bracket. The devil is in the details. VB |
Or can't you buy a single bracket that will fit on it. Only problem is I think there is an LED indicator on the 2nd grill part of the bracket, so you'd have to take that off.
Those blocks are awesome.. I believe Aqua-pcs may be stocking them soon, not too sure though.
What company manufactured the blocks for them. Reminds me of aquagraFX blocks a bit.
wow, loved that block pretty cool 
, and great performance, +1 for MSi. 
, also wc it wont obviously wont void warrantry 
thanks for the review jim, pretty cool one
Soap.
, and great performance, +1 for MSi. , also wc it wont obviously wont void warrantry thanks for the review jim, pretty cool one
Soap.
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Originally Posted by name='AntiHeroUK'
What company manufactured the blocks for them. Reminds me of aquagraFX blocks a bit.
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Also known as heatkiller.Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='AntiHeroUK'
What company manufactured the blocks for them. Reminds me of aquagraFX blocks a bit.
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Thanks Luigi.
How do you reckon MSI's water cooled 260's compete against the BFG variant? Granted there are marketing terms like MAXCORE and thermointelligence used, but do these actually play any part in making the cards have more bang for their buck?
-HypoG
-HypoG
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Originally Posted by name='HypoglossalXII'
How do you reckon MSI's water cooled 260's compete against the BFG variant? Granted there are marketing terms like MAXCORE and thermointelligence used, but do these actually play any part in making the cards have more bang for their buck?
-HypoG |
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Originally Posted by name='HypoglossalXII'
Granted there are marketing terms like MAXCORE and thermointelligence used, but do these actually play any part in making the cards have more bang for their buck?
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I still prefer choosing your own waterblock because when it comes to selling your card, you're limited to a small market of watercoolers rather than everyone (if you had the original cooler).
Hasn't anybody here at OC3D heard of Zotac? They've got a GTX 280 AMP clocked at CC 700, SC at 1400, and MC at 2300 on air! So MSIs N280GTX OC doesn't really impress me. I purchased two of these Zotacs just recently and current OC is 730/1536/2650...still on air! Fan is set to auto and flucs between 40 - 60 with temps rarely getting above 64C. Things are so steady and quiet, I may try pushing Core a little higher. At my current OC, I've even got the Zotac 285 AMP beat!
Of course we have heard of Zotac - we reviewed a GTX260 from them already.
MSI also have an air cooled GTX280 available which runs at the same clocks as the warercooled version. Somehow though I doubt it would run as cool, silent or indeed overclock aswell as the HydroGen. I am however, happy to be proven wrong
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MSI also have an air cooled GTX280 available which runs at the same clocks as the warercooled version. Somehow though I doubt it would run as cool, silent or indeed overclock aswell as the HydroGen. I am however, happy to be proven wrong
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Originally Posted by name='w3bbo'
Of course we have heard of Zotac - we reviewed a GTX260 from them already.
MSI also have an air cooled GTX280 available which runs at the same clocks as the warercooled version. Somehow though I doubt it would run as cool, silent or indeed overclock aswell as the HydroGen. I am however, happy to be proven wrong . |
"Thermointelligence"... That's what I use when I look out the window and decide to stay inside because it's winter. I have just got myself 2 EVGA GTX280 cards. I would love to get them watercooled at a later stage. And the SLI-Set HEATKILLER® GPU-X² G200 they have at watercool.de seems spot on when the time comes
Thats just sexy, I'll have two please.
Why stop at two? Get TRI SLI and be a man
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Originally Posted by name='w3bbo'
Why stop at two? Get TRI SLI and be a man
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MSI N280GTX OC HydroGen