MSI Lightning Graphics cards, a trip down memory lane

Discussion in 'Frontpage news' started by Hilbert Hagedoorn, May 23, 2019.

  1. Hilbert Hagedoorn

    Hilbert Hagedoorn Don Vito Corleone Staff Member

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  2. fantaskarsef

    fantaskarsef Ancient Guru

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    GTX 580 Lightning XE all the way!
     
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  3. AndyMutz

    AndyMutz Master Guru

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    I still have my good old MSI R5870 Lightning :)

    -andy-
     
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  4. Unwinder

    Unwinder Ancient Guru Staff Member

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    Hehe, it was nice and productive 10 years. I still have engineering samples of most of those cards here, in my collection.
     
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  5. Undying

    Undying Ancient Guru

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    R9 290X and GTX780 are best looking.
     
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  6. airbud7

    airbud7 Guest

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    I like the 5870...kinda like a chromed-out sports car

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. kings

    kings Member Guru

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    I had a HD7970 and R9 290X Lightning back in the day, both fantastic cards with a huge OC margin.
     
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  8. Legacy-ZA

    Legacy-ZA Master Guru

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    Great article, I would have loved to see the prices at the time included.
     
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  9. Undying

    Undying Ancient Guru

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    Thats the thing. They work and look great but price is only controversial thing about these cards (overpriced).
     
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  10. JaxMacFL

    JaxMacFL Ancient Guru

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    HH, left a “n” out of lightning.
     
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  11. jbscotchman

    jbscotchman Guest

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    MSI is a great company. I've used their mainboards in my last two builds and current video card. I've used EVGA specifically for years when it comes to video cards, but I was not a fan of their triple slot, single fan 1660 Ti design. If I remember correctly my first MSI product was a Geforce 4 Ti4400.
     
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  12. Petr V

    Petr V Master Guru

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    Can you show release prices of them?
     
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  13. Legacy-ZA

    Legacy-ZA Master Guru

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    Yes, the lightning cards have always had the price premium, however, I also want people to see and note how much more nVidia has been charging them for the latest generations over the years. If things keep going as they are, by the time I am 60 I will pay $20 000 for a new GPU.
     
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  14. Solfaur

    Solfaur Ancient Guru

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    The MSI Lightning line will always have a special place in my hardware nerd heart. I always drooled at them with each generation, then I finally got to buy not one, but two GTX 680 Lightnings in SLI back in 2012. It was one of those moments where I bragged shamelessly for about a year every time I had the occasion, haha. Congratulations MSI, for many years now, my favorite GPU AIB brand!

    Fun fact, I still have one of them to this day, as a "back-up" GPU. Who am I kidding though, it's mostly because I can't part with this beautiful peace of over-engineering hardware for peanuts, and it's actually in a pretty pristine condition too! Who knows, maybe 10 years from now it will be worth something to collectors.
     
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  15. fantaskarsef

    fantaskarsef Ancient Guru

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    I might try if I can bake mine to work properly again... I'm looking at it currently
     
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  16. H83

    H83 Ancient Guru

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    The Lightning editions are very cool but they can´t beat my Duke!... :)
     
  17. Undying

    Undying Ancient Guru

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    I thought lightning editions are above duke and gaming.
     
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  18. H83

    H83 Ancient Guru

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    They are but my card is special...
     
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  19. chispy

    chispy Ancient Guru

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    I love those lightning cards :) , i still have a few of them around.
     
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  20. cowie

    cowie Ancient Guru

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    275 lightning was THE card to get if you wanted the best overclocked for benching 275.

    remember ali was just getting there with the 260 if I remember right and airforce pinel sucked before he got there.
    was the bomb great hardware AND really kick ass software wit no limits he he,I was still running rt thou :D
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2019
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