As NVIDIA's GTX 980 gradually matures, their board partners are starting to take a few more chances with their custom designs. While cards like the Matrix and Classified series have pushed air cooled options to their max, water cooling has remained persona non grata for the most part. EVGA's GTX 980 Hybrid is meant to bridge the gap between classically cooled options and those which require a pre-existing water cooling loop for optimal performance.

In the grand scheme of things, the Hybrid isn't really unique since ASUS? Poseidon series and EVGA's own HydroCopper attempt to harness the inherent efficiency of water cooling but they require quite a bit of plumbing to get working. EVGA's Hybrid on the other hand takes a page from AMD's R9 295X2 by combining a closed loop 120mm water cooler with a secondary air cooling setup so it boasts a simple, drop-in installation in most cases. While setting up a whole custom water cooling loop may be a bit daunting for some, EVGA's design should allow for the best of both worlds.