With an altered "Big Maxwell" chip, MSI's GeForce GTX 980 Ti Lightning LE Graphics Card is geared towards high resolution gaming at fast frame rates. With its 2816 CUDA cores clocked at 1026 MHz and 6GB of overclocked GDDR5 vRAM coupled with a 384-bit interface, the GTX 980 Ti packs quite a processing punch. The GTX 980 Ti's CUDA cores are arranged using NVIDIA's Maxwell architecture, allowing the GPU to operate using less power while generating less heat than the previous generation Kepler architecture. Operating at full tilt during intense gaming sequences, the card will only draw a maximum of 250 watts of power.

The front panel of the card features a variety of outputs. There are three DisplayPort outputs in addition to an HDMI output and a DVI output. 4K resolution can be output through the DisplayPort and HDMI terminals. Even if the card is connected to a lower resolution display, the GTX 980 Ti can use technologies like DSR and MFAA to leverage the extra resolution for a higher quality image. The GTX 980 Ti is not just about high-resolution gaming. Computationally intensive programs can utilize the GPU's 2816 cores to accelerate tasks using CUDA or other APIs.

To keep cool, even when overclocked, MSI implemented their TriFrozr thermal design on this card. The TriFrozr thermal design uses three TORX fans with dispersion and traditional fan blades to force air through the heatsink and dissipate heat in order to lower the GPU's internal temperature. It also features a large heatsink with fins, which is connected through a number of 8mm thick pipes with a nickel plated copper base at the heart of the thermal design. Because this kind of cooler recirculates air back into the case, this card works best in cases that have unrestricted airflow.