Yeah, good GeForce performance in DX12, that's surprising ! But it for sure depends on test location as 980Ti can be up to 30% slower like here in 3:10 and later.
what "less detail" means on dx12 path?
There might be an even bigger clock difference.The 980ti PCGH uses is more than 10% higher clocked than the reference 980ti
980Ti's with aftermarket coolers stay much cooler, so the chip leaks less, which saves power and heat so it can boost further.
How does a GPU cooler help a GPU leak less? It has more to do with the ASIC quality of the GPU, than the type of cooler installed. In my experience, higher ASIC chips ran hotter and draw more power (when overclocked) than a lower ASIC counterpart, because there is less leakage. I tested this many time with my 7950's.
Like thesmokingman said, a hot chip has more current leakage, so it'll use more power at the same voltage and clocks compared to the same chip when it's cooler.How does a GPU cooler help a GPU leak less?
The 980ti PCGH uses is more than 10% higher clocked than the reference 980ti
Did they reduce detail because of VRAM limitations?
Probably, it seems to be some kind of "safe memory" mode, ie they can't figure out the memory again so they use crappy textures as a safety net. I don't speak German but that was my initital impression from a quick glance at the translated article.