MSI Readies GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme Edition with 3GB VRAM

MSI is getting ready to add yet another high-performance graphics card that is based on Nvidia's GTX 580 core and will pack no less than 3GB of video buffer. The card is expected to make its appearance at the end of May.

The information was posted on the Chip Hell forum in a thread started by the site's owner who promised that by the end of May it will publish a review of the MSI GTX580 Lightning Xtreme Edition.

While the post was scarce in details, it was mentioned that the card will pack 3GB of video buffer memory, compared to the 1.5GB used by the stock version of the GTX 580.

The increased amount of memory should help the card when running SLI multi-monitor games or in titles such as Metro 2033 or Shogun 2, that use high-resolution textures.

As this is a Lighting series model, the card is expected to come factory overclocked and it will also sport a series of features targeting enthusiast users.

Also in the same thread, an image was posted which depicts the back of a graphics card that is allegedly the GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme Edition.

The card in question is marked as the N580GTX Lighting and appears to be using the MSI Twin Frozr III cooling system, but it comes with an aluminum backplate which isn't a standard fitting for the regular Lighting GTX 580.

Furthermore, the four NEC Tokin proadlizers appear to have been moved from their regular spot and this is also the case with some of the back DIP switches. Other details are not visible in the cropped image.

As mentioned earlier, the MSI built GTX 580 Lightning Xtreme Edition is expected to be announced at the end of May for a yet undisclosed price tag.