Conclusion
Simply stated, MSI's GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z is top-notch in every way. It's just too bad that the card is perpetually out of stock. Newegg says it may never be back. B&H calls it discontinued. Amazon Marketplace vendors are asking as much as $1400 for the remaining supply. Let's just call this a piece of exhibition hardware for now, then.
Under air cooling, it's a high-performance flagship with an aggressive factory overclock and a massive heat sink. The unusual PCB is made of high-quality materials. Only one or two other models out there can measure up to its design.
Although the Lightning Z has some overclocking headroom at ambient temperatures, you really need liquid nitrogen to unlock its true potential. After tens of hours under LN2 (not to mention the 200+ liters we burned through), none of our four samples showed even the slightest sign of weakness. In the event that you're able to get your hands on Afterburner Extreme, the only thing holding you back will be talent.
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