Bear in mind that we are dealing with a 2.5-slot cooler, which isn’t a great choice for all users.

However with widely spaced PCIe slots on latest motherboards it should not be a problem to build an SLI setup using two GTX 970 Phantom cards. In addition to standard dual-SLI, it can also be used in triple- and quad-SLI setups, as it features two SLI connectors. It’s important to note that when connecting multiple displays between more than one card, you may see performance differences (similar to previous GPUs). For example, a 3-Way SLI configuration with one display connected to each card, versus plugging all three connectors into the same card.

As far as video outputs on the reference GTX 970 are concerned, most users should be covered. The reference card features three DisplayPort connectors, an HDMI 2.0 connector (which includes HD audio and Blu-ray 3D movies support and allowing you to run 4K@60Hz), and a dual-link DVI output for a total of five connectors.

The Gainward GTX 970 Phantom features the same number of connectors as the reference card, but it uses mini HDMI and mini DisplayPort connectors. They might not be the best choice for all users. Four video outs can be used at the same time, just like on the reference GTX 970 card, with difference that the reference card provides a different mix of video connectors.

Three G-SYNC displays can be driven by a single GeForce GTX 980 / GTX 970 card.

The I/O bracket also doubles as an exhaust vent, helping reduce temperatures within the chassis. The exhaust vent is much more important on the reference cooler which uses blower style fan (image below).

In order to provide a stable base for the bulky Phantom cooler Gainward decided to use a metal extension on the card, which extends along the top of the card.

The GTX 970 Phantom card has 4GB of GDDR5 memory and all the memory modules are at the GPU side of the PCB.  The memory comes from Hynix (model H5GQ2H24AFR-R0C) and it is specified to run at 1500MHz or 6000MHz GDDR5 effective.