MSI has added a new graphics card series to its roster mixing a small form factor with great looks and build quality. Targeting creatives and professionals looking for a clean and space-efficient machine, the RTX 5070 Ti Inspire 3X lineup has all you need.
Inspire 3X Series cards measure 288mm (L) x 112mm (H) x 50mm (W), rocking a triple fan setup made of dual-ball bearings motors and four heatpipes spreading heat over the fins. This allows it to meet Nvidia’s SSF-Ready standard, which sets size rules for manufacturers to simplify compact PC builders’ life. MSI claims that this design delivers both superior and quieter cooling. Plus, as usual, you will find a zero dB mode, keeping the fans off when temperatures are low.
MSI lists four variants for RTX 5070 Ti alone, including Inspire 3X, Inspire 3X Plus, Inspire 3X OC, and Inspire 3X OC Plus. All share the same general design with a sleek golden shroud that wraps around the edge, giving it an elegant and sober look. Same goes for the backplate; no obnoxious flashy logos or RGB, just a plain brass/gold finish with a massive flow-through cutout that should help with cooling. Likewise, the backplate also wraps around the card’s edge near the power connector and PCIe areas, giving the card more rigidity and style. In my opinion, this cooler is right up there with the Asus ProArt series – fancy without going overboard.
Regarding specs, all variants are based on the same GPU and memory capacity. This means you can expect the same overall performance as any other RTX 5070 Ti. That said, there are some minimal changes between each Inspire 3X variant, mainly in frequency and cooler. The former is set up to 2,452MHz boost on Inspire 3X and Inspire 3X Plus, reaching 2,482MHz on Inspire 3X OC and Inspire 3X OC Plus. As a reminder, Nvidia’s official specs target 2,452MHz. On the cooler side, Inspire 3X and Inspire 3X OC tip the scale at 904g against 962g for Inspire 3X Plus and Inspire 3X OC Plus.
To put it simply, those marked as Plus seemingly feature a slightly better cooler, considering their extra weight, whereas those marked as OC boast a tiny factory overclocking. Based on this, I would go with the cheapest one available at the moment of purchase, assuming said price didn’t stray too far from MSRP.
All versions come bundled with a screw-like pillar to support your card and avoid unnecessary strain on the PCIe slot. You will also find a dual eight-pin to 12V-2×6 power adapter in case you own an older PSU.
MSI lists RTX 5070 Ti Inspire 3X OC Plus at $849.99 in its store, but this model is currently out of stock. A noticeable premium over Nvidia’s official $749 MSRP, but that’s how things are going nowadays.
