Just like the old cliché: It's better late than never. After more than two months since the release of AMD's Radeon RX 590 gaming graphics card, MSI has finally unveiled the brand's custom models.
The MSI Radeon RX 590 Armor graphics cards are based on AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) 4.0 architecture. More specifically, they are built around the Polaris 30 silicon that's produced by GlobalFoundries under the 12nm process node. MSI's offerings adhere to AMD's reference specifications, which include 2,304 Stream Processors and 8GB of GDDR5 memory clocking in at 2,000MHz (8,000MHz effective) that communicates across a 256-bit memory interface.
The MSI Radeon RX 590 Armor 8G comes with a 1,545MHz boost clock that is identical to the Radeon RX 590 reference model. On the other hand, the MSI Radeon RX 590 Armor 8G OC is equipped with a higher boost clock that reaches 1,565MHz, 20MHz higher than the reference boost clock. Both models share the same 1,469MHz base clock.
As the name suggests, the MSI Radeon Rx 590 Armor graphics cards use the brand's dual-slot Armor cooler. On this occasion, the shroud boasts a black and white finish and lacks RGB lighting of any sort. The Armor cooler uses a pair of MSI's Torx 2.0 cooling fans. They employ double ball bearings, which improves longevity and minimizes operating noise. The fans' blades also have a steeper curve to stimulate more airflow.
A gigantic heatsink is hidden under the Armor cooler for heat dissipation. According to MSI, the copper heatpipes are directly infused into the baseplate itself to improve cooling while the numerous aluminum fins on the heatsink are designed to maximize airflow in the direction of the heatpipes.
The MSI Radeon RX 590 Armor graphics cards draw power from two external 8-pin PCIe power connectors. They provide two DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, two HDMI ports, and a dual-Link DVI-D port. The graphics cards also support two-way CrossFire.
MSI didn't reveal availability and pricing for its Radeon RX 590 Armor graphics cards.
