CES 2014: MSI Reveals R9 290X Lightning and GTX 760 Gaming ITX Video Cards

With AMD and NVIDIA having already released the latest generation of GPUs, there was not much in the way of new video card technology (well outside of G-SYNC) on display at CES 2014. However, MSI showed off two new video cards that definitely caught our attention and of course a few other goodies.

Video Cards

First up, the R9 290X Lightning features a stout heatpipe cooler with three fans that MSI claims should outperform most of the other coolers on the market. Due to the robust nature of the cooler, there is a structural support underneath the cooler to maintain the PCB’s rigidity. It will need that extra cooling if you use the optional 6-pin power connector in addition to the two 8-pin connectors when pushed to the limits (thankfully it is not an NVIDIA card!). MSI expects the card to be available sometime in February and retail for about $60 more than reference cards.

A bit less monstrous is the GTX 760 Gaming ITX with the unique RADAX fan, which is a hybrid radial and axial fan. If you look closely you can see the familiar blades of a traditional fan and the vertical fins around the edges like a standard squirrel cage cooler. This combination fan should aid in getting more heat away from the card.

Here is the rest of the GPU lineup:

Motherboards

What would a visit to MSI’s suite be without seeing some motherboards? Not much to report here, except that MSI will be extending their “Gaming” branding over to the AMD side with A88X-G45 and A88XM Gaming motherboards. Other than the traditional red/black dragon color scheme, the boards will feature Killer NIC, OC Genie 4 and Military Class 4 components. With Kaveri rumored to be out soon, these boards will surely make that upgrade more enticing.

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More CES 2014 recaps to follow! Keep an eye on the front page throughout the week.