Specifications and PCB:
The technical specifications:
In terms of frequency, the base frequency is stated as 1560MHz and the boost is claimed to be 1920MHz. The 24GB of G-DDR6X memory runs at 1313MHz (1008GB/s) on a 384-bit bus. Our KFA2 RTX 3090 Ti HOF benefits from a very good factory overclock compared to the NVIDIA Founders Edition card, which has a base frequency of 1560MHz and 1860MHz for the Boost frequency. The memory frequency is 1313 MHz. A quick look at GPU-Z to check that the information read is correct. The GPU frequency is 1560 MHz, and the Boost frequency is 1920 MHz. Don’t forget that the latter will be higher during benchmarks depending on the quality of your chip and determined by GPU Boost 4.0. The memory has a frequency of 1313 MHz. We remind you how GPU Boost works here.
Let’s examine the PCB:
Let’s have a look at the PCB of our sample in detail. First of all, no surprise, the chip that equips our model is indeed the GA102 with a size of 628 mm². This is GALAX’s own “in-house” PCB, which is different from the one offered by NVIDIA on its Founders Edition board. Now let’s deal with the VRM, the Voltage Regulator Module. An XDPE10281B controller will supply the GPU with the right voltage and current. Our RTX 3090 Ti HOF has 24 + 4 phases for a total of 28, yes, 28 phases. The number of phases is often determined by the current requirement of the graphics chip. The more current the chip needs, the more phases it has.
KFA2 had the good idea to distribute the power phases on both sides of the GPU. There are twelve on the left and twelve on the right. This will avoid concentrating the heat produced by these phases on a single area of the PCB, and give a more homogeneous distribution. Such a choice should also allow a better stability in the voltage brought to the GPU. The mosfets are Infineon TDA21472. The mosfets are the elements to be kept cool and are often topped by a heat sink. They are the ones that will convert the direct current since our GPU does not work on 12 or 5 volts, but on a lower voltage often located around 1 volt.
The memory chips:
The memory supply stage consists of 4 phases. As far as the GDDR6X memory chips are concerned, there are 12 of them, 2 GB D8BZCs and they are manufactured by Micron. The exact reference is MT61K512M32KPA-21:U with an operating frequency of 1313 MHz. You should also know that this GPU uses ECC (Error Correction Code) memory which can detect and correct errors. This is not relevant for games, but is very important for professional tasks (simulations, 3D design…) where errors can lead to incorrect results.
The 4.3-inch HOF Panel III display:
The bundle includes a removable 4.3 inch (480 x 272 pixels) screen called “HOF Panel III”. This is not connected directly to the graphics card but via a USB port on your motherboard. Two cables are included in the bundle to either connect the USB directly to your motherboard PCB or via a USB connector on the external connectors. You can either place it in your case with the integrated stand or place it on the edge of your graphics card with two magnets.
By default, once the screen is connected to your motherboard, it displays a nice promotional video. If you want to set up the display by changing the video, choosing a photo or enabling monitoring, you will need to download the latest version of the HOF AI software.