MSI UK has posted a mystery teaser on their Facebook page showing a silhouette of a very compact Mini-ITX sized graphics card and behind it is a blurred image of a larger video card, implying the original, full-size version. The page posted the image with the caption “They say good things come in small packages. Can you guess what we’re introducing next week? Hint: Small package, BIG punch.” The blurred graphics card is in the background is rather easily identifiable as an MSI GeForce GTX 1070 or 1080 Aero 8G graphics card.
The GeForce GTX 1070/1080 Aero 8G uses a blower style cooler and has a distinct black with white trim pattern towards the front end. A compact GTX 1080 does not sound too far fetched considering Zotac was already first to market with their GTX 1080 Mini whose PCB size is similar in length to the mystery MSI video card. Zotac outfitted their GTX 1080 mini with a 90mm and a 100mm fan heatsink so the cooler hangs a bit further than the actual PCB however so the total card length clocked in at 211mm instead of just 170mm which is the PCB length. If MSI can pair that 170mm PCB with a capable cooler that doesn’t overhang, they are definitely winning the most compact crown. The last time MSI created an ITX sized video card that only measured 170mm long was way back in the 700-series era with the MSI GTX 760 ITX.
There are also other possibilities of course such as a GTX 1070 or a special edition video card, but if I was a betting man, my money is on the GTX 1080. Either way, MSI will be revealing what the video card actually is within the next few days.
