There are several things that set this MSI GTX 980 Ti LIGHTNING apart from the previous two custom GTX 980 Ti video cards we reviewed. We will cover these attributes in more depth momentarily. The first thing we notice is the price differential between these. The ASUS GTX 980 Ti STRIX DCIII goes for $689, which is a premium compared to the 980 Ti $649 MSRP, but not as large of a premium as the MSI GTX 980 Ti LIGHTNING. Because the two video cards should provide somewhat equal performances, we will use the ASUS GTX 980 Ti STRIX DCIII with its highest stable overclock as a comparison video card in this evaluation. This will help us determine what advantage the MSI GTX 980 Ti LIGHTNING poses with the higher price.
