We were foiled in our quest to find the best vendor-provided GPU cooler for Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560. But out of the ashes sprung a round-up of cards armed with those very same solutions. Which of these five GF114-based boards is right for you?
This story was conceptualized as a means to compare graphics card coolers from different vendors. Because no two GPUs have the exact same overclocking headroom, we wanted to take one GeForce GTX 560 and drop solutions from Asus, ECS, Galaxy, MSI, and Zotac onto that bare board. With thermal, acoustic, and performance data, we would have been able to give you a definitive answer as to whose heat sink and fan combination does the best job of pulling heat away from Nvidia's GPU. Surely, this would have been great information to have when overclocking.
Unfortunately, that plan was foiled by a number of variables that we simply couldn’t overcome to our satisfaction. For example, the cooler designers employ a surprisingly diverse range of fan power cable plugs, which aren't interoperable with any one card's connector. Moreover, fan temperature profiles vary from one card's firmware to another's, affecting our thermal and acoustic results.
With five GeForce GTX 560 cards in-hand, though, we still had the makings of a respectable round-up. So, we abandoned the idea of isolating cooler/fan effectiveness and forged ahead to bring you a comprehensive look at five examples of Nvidia's roughly-$200 contender.
| Asus GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP | ECS Black GTX 560 | Galaxy MDT4 GeForce GTX 560 | MSI N560GTX Twin Frozr II OC | Zotac GeForce GTX 560 AMP! | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics Clock | 925 MHz | 870 MHz | 830 MHz | 870 MHz | 815 MHz |
| Shader Clock | 1850 MHz | 1740 MHz | 1660 MHz | 1640 MHz | 1630 MHz |
| Memory Clock | 1050 MHz | 1000 MHz | 1002 MHz | 1020 MHz | 1025 MHz |
| GDDR5 Memory | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Cooler | DirectCU II | Reference | Custom | Twin Frozr II | Custom |
| Size | 10.25" x 5" | 9.5" x 5" | 8.75" x 5" | 10" x 5" | 9.5" x 5" |
| Connectors | 2 x DL-DVI, 1 x mini-HDMI | 2 x DL-DVI, 1 x mini-HDMI | 4 x DVI, 1 x mini-HDMI | 2 x DL-DVI, 1 x mini-HDMI | 2 x DL-DVI, 1 x mini-HDMI |
| Form Factor | Dual-slot | Dual-slot | Dual-slot | Dual-slot | Dual-slot |
| GPU Voltage | 0.192 V Idle 1.012 V Load | 0.950 V Idle 0.987 V Load | 0.912 V Idle 0.987 V Load | 0.912 V Idle 0.987 V Load | 0.912 V Idle 1.15 V Load |
| GPU Voltage Adjustment | Asus Smartdoctor | Not supported (MSI Afterburner) | Galaxy Xtreme Tuner HD | MSI Afterburner | Not supported (Stock 1.15 V) |
| Special Features And Software | N/A | N/A | Quad-Display Support | Includes game: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light | Includes game: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood |
| Warranty | 3-Year parts & labor | 2-Year labor 3-Year parts | 2-Year labor 3-Year parts (if registered in 30 days) | 3-Year parts & labor | 2-Year Standard, Limited Lifetime Extended (if registered in 30 days) |
| Newegg Price | $219.99 | $192.99 | $229.99 | $199.99 | $219.99 |
As you can see, there’s a wide range of specifications applied to these cards, none of which match Nvidia’s reference 810 MHz core and 1002 MHz frequencies. The Galaxy model comes closest with its 830/1002 MHz clocks, but Zotac's AMP! edition goes all the way to 950/1100 MHz.
There’s a lot more distinguishing one board from the others than operating clock rates, though, as all of the coolers are unique as well. There's only one that matches the reference design. Some cards also include value-adds like games, and the Galaxy MDT supports as many as four display outputs and triple-monitor surround gaming. Of course, we also have to gauge how far our samples can be overclocked.
The Asus GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP is one of the test samples we had on-hand for the GeForce GTX 560 launch back in May of last year, and it remains Asus’ premium GeForce GTX 560-based offering.
With a 9” x 4” PCB and 10.25” x 5” total size (including bezel and cooler), it’s the largest card in our round-up. The sturdy metallic fan shroud and metal reinforcement lip on the top edge give the card a very solid, inflexible feel.
The company's premium GTX 560 model can be found on Newegg for $219.99.
Asus flagship is overclocked compared to the reference design, sporting 925 MHz core and 1050 MHz memory frequencies. That's a notable improvement over Nvidia's 810/1002 MHz clocks, giving this card the second-highest factory overclock in today's story. The two auxiliary six-pin power connectors sit on the top of the card where we like to see them, rather than the side, where they'd add additional length.
The DirectCU II cooler employs three 6 mm flattened heat pipes to draw thermal energy away from the GPU and into the aluminum fins. It’s interesting to note that the two 3" radial fans are not identical, but rather have a different number of blades.
Two DVI ports and a single mini-HDMI output mirror Nvidia's reference model. Of course, because Nvidia's GPU only includes two independent display pipelines, you're only able to utilize a pair of digital outputs at any given time.
Asus includes a DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, a driver disk, and user manual. That's a little modest given a price tag in the upper range of boards with this GPU. It might have been nice to receive a game as well.
Bundled SmartDoctor overclocking software is able to increase GPU voltage on the GeForce GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP for more aggressive overclocking. The stock 1.012 V setting can be scaled up as high as 1.112 V.
At those settings, we were able to achieve a 970 MHz core and 1152 MHz memory setting with complete stability in our Battlefield 3-based benchmark. That's not a huge jump over the card’s factory overclock, but it is again quite significant compared to the 810/1002 MHz reference speeds that Nvidia originally shipped to press for its GeForce GTX 560 launch.
With a 9” x 4” PCB and 10.25” x 5” total size (including bezel and cooler), it’s the largest card in our round-up. The sturdy metallic fan shroud and metal reinforcement lip on the top edge give the card a very solid, inflexible feel.
The company's premium GTX 560 model can be found on Newegg for $219.99.
Asus flagship is overclocked compared to the reference design, sporting 925 MHz core and 1050 MHz memory frequencies. That's a notable improvement over Nvidia's 810/1002 MHz clocks, giving this card the second-highest factory overclock in today's story. The two auxiliary six-pin power connectors sit on the top of the card where we like to see them, rather than the side, where they'd add additional length.
The DirectCU II cooler employs three 6 mm flattened heat pipes to draw thermal energy away from the GPU and into the aluminum fins. It’s interesting to note that the two 3" radial fans are not identical, but rather have a different number of blades.
Two DVI ports and a single mini-HDMI output mirror Nvidia's reference model. Of course, because Nvidia's GPU only includes two independent display pipelines, you're only able to utilize a pair of digital outputs at any given time.
Asus includes a DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, a driver disk, and user manual. That's a little modest given a price tag in the upper range of boards with this GPU. It might have been nice to receive a game as well.
Bundled SmartDoctor overclocking software is able to increase GPU voltage on the GeForce GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP for more aggressive overclocking. The stock 1.012 V setting can be scaled up as high as 1.112 V.
Overclocking
We went ahead and used Asus' SmartDoctor utility to increase the GF114's voltage to 1.112 V (the highest setting). Although that's a notable jump on a graphics card, it's worth mentioning that we were able to use MSI's Afterburner software to apply 1.15 V to most of the other cards in this round-up. Asus' tool has no option to alter memory voltage, although it does allow us to manually increase fan speed. For this test, we set the fans to run as fast as possible, if only as a gauge of peak overclocking potential.At those settings, we were able to achieve a 970 MHz core and 1152 MHz memory setting with complete stability in our Battlefield 3-based benchmark. That's not a huge jump over the card’s factory overclock, but it is again quite significant compared to the 810/1002 MHz reference speeds that Nvidia originally shipped to press for its GeForce GTX 560 launch.
At $192 (on Newegg), ECS’ entry is the lowest-priced option in our round-up, though not the least-expensive GeForce GTX 560 available. This model closely follows Nvidia's reference design with a 9” x 4.5” PCB and a 9.5” x 5” total size, including its bezel and cooler.
Despite the relatively low price ECS asks for its Black Edition card, the company applies a factory core overclock of 870 MHz core, though the 1000 MHz memory setting is almost identical to Nvidia's 1002 MHz reference spec.
Its two six-pin power inputs sit on the side of the card, just like the reference version. If you own a smaller chassis without much room behind the graphics cards, plugging in stiff power leads can be problematic. Admittedly, that's more of an issue for folks who own longer boards, though.
ECS’ reference GeForce GTX 560 cooler uses three 8 mm heat pipes to transfer heat to aluminum fins positioned radially away from the GPU cooling block. A single 3” fan pushes air through the plastic shroud.
Based on Nvidia's reference model, the presence of two DVI connectors and a single mini-HDMI outputs are no surprise. Again, though, you're only able to use two displays at a time.
A DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, a driver disk, and user manual are included with ECS' card. Given its value-oriented price, the bundle makes sense. Basically, you don't get any frills aside from the core overclock.
This card's memory wasn't as accommodating, though the 1200 MHz we managed to push is still quite respectable.
Despite the relatively low price ECS asks for its Black Edition card, the company applies a factory core overclock of 870 MHz core, though the 1000 MHz memory setting is almost identical to Nvidia's 1002 MHz reference spec.
Its two six-pin power inputs sit on the side of the card, just like the reference version. If you own a smaller chassis without much room behind the graphics cards, plugging in stiff power leads can be problematic. Admittedly, that's more of an issue for folks who own longer boards, though.
ECS’ reference GeForce GTX 560 cooler uses three 8 mm heat pipes to transfer heat to aluminum fins positioned radially away from the GPU cooling block. A single 3” fan pushes air through the plastic shroud.
Based on Nvidia's reference model, the presence of two DVI connectors and a single mini-HDMI outputs are no surprise. Again, though, you're only able to use two displays at a time.
A DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, a driver disk, and user manual are included with ECS' card. Given its value-oriented price, the bundle makes sense. Basically, you don't get any frills aside from the core overclock.
Overclocking
We’re happy to report that this model cooperates with MSI’s freely-available Afterburner software, which let us push the card’s 0.987 V default setting to 1.15 V. This facilitated an astounding 1010 MHz core clock, which was the highest seen from any vendor. Is it likely that our sample was hand-picked for its scalability? Quite possibly. Should you expect similar results? As with any exercise in overclocking, your mileage will almost assuredly vary.This card's memory wasn't as accommodating, though the 1200 MHz we managed to push is still quite respectable.
Galaxy’s entry is quite unique; it is the only GeForce GTX 560 that supports four monitors from a single dual-slot board, and it doesn’t require a second card in SLI to enable three-screen gaming.
Priced at $230 on Newegg, it is the most expensive card in our round-up, but not my much. It’s only $10 more than the Asus and Zotac offerings with their own factory overclocks.
Despite its ability to accommodate additional display connectivity, Galaxy’s MDT x4 is actually the smallest card, with a PCB that measures 8.25” x 4.5” PCB and overall dimensions of 8.75” x 5”, including the bezel.
In an apparent compromise for the unique output configuration, Galaxy's card sports the lowest operating frequencies of our five tested boards. Although an 830 MHz core still counts as overclocked, it's only 20 MHz higher than Nvidia's reference. A 1002 MHz memory clock matches the first GeForce GTX 560 we received from Nvidia exactly. Fortunately, this card's twin six-pin power inputs are up on top of the PCB, where we prefer them.
Galaxy’s small, unique cooler employs three 6 mm heat pipes to transfer thermal energy away from the GPU and into an array of aluminum fins. A single 3.5” radial fan facilitates heat dissipation from there.
As a multi-display card, Galaxy’s MDT x4 boasts the most interesting I/O panel on our bench. Four DVI connectors and a single mini-HDMI output leave no room back there for additional ventilation. This really isn't a problem, though, because none of the other GeForce GTX 560s we've tested force air down a closed shroud and out the back of the card. Zotac seems to be the only company designing 560s that exhaust heated air from your PC.
Let’s talk a little more about the card’s unique multi-display functionality. Galaxy taps the IDT VMM1403 multi-monitor controller to translate one dual-link DVI signal into three single-link DVI outputs. Unfortunately, bandwidth limitations prevent you from running the three screens attached to the IDT chip at 1080p/60. Instead, the card maxes out at 1080p and 50 Hz, yielding one 5760x1080 surface.
You could encounter issues with screens that don't appreciate 50 Hz refresh rates. In that case, you'd need to back down to 5040x1050 (using three 1680x1050 displays) to enable 60 Hz. This happened to us with the 285.62 driver from Nvidia's site. The problem was fixed, however, by reverting to driver 285.54 from Galaxy.
We need to reiterate, though: you're still limited to two independent display pipelines from Nvidia's GF114 graphics processor. IDT's ViewXpand technology simply allows you to turn one of them into a single larger surface. If you use three or more 2560x1600 displays requiring dual-link DVI connectors or are not willing to compromise on lower refresh rates, you'd need two Nvidia cards in SLI or any number of AMD-based products with Eyefinity support instead.
Keep in mind that even though the card supports four monitors, the fourth cannot be made a part of the three-screen setup coming from IDT's chip.
Included with the card are two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, A DVI-to-VGA adapter, a driver disk, a software disk, and instruction pamphlets.
As we already know, this card is designed for three or four screens. However, Nvidia's driver isn't designed with that many displays in mind. As a result, Galaxy includes WinSplit's Revolution software, which lets you assign an application to a preset screen position using Control+Alt+Number pad keys. Alternatively, the company also offers a download for Galaxy MDT EZY Display, a little app that allows you to choose the display configuration you want, and automatically maximizes windows within the display on which they appear. Both pieces of software do a good job of managing windows where you want them to appear, but MDT EZY Display is simpler and more elegant.
With a peak 1.15 V setting and fan duty cycle dialed in to 100%, we managed to hit 1000 MHz core and 1250 MHz memory frequencies. That's an impressive overclock given Galaxy's more moderate shipping clocks.
Priced at $230 on Newegg, it is the most expensive card in our round-up, but not my much. It’s only $10 more than the Asus and Zotac offerings with their own factory overclocks.
Despite its ability to accommodate additional display connectivity, Galaxy’s MDT x4 is actually the smallest card, with a PCB that measures 8.25” x 4.5” PCB and overall dimensions of 8.75” x 5”, including the bezel.
In an apparent compromise for the unique output configuration, Galaxy's card sports the lowest operating frequencies of our five tested boards. Although an 830 MHz core still counts as overclocked, it's only 20 MHz higher than Nvidia's reference. A 1002 MHz memory clock matches the first GeForce GTX 560 we received from Nvidia exactly. Fortunately, this card's twin six-pin power inputs are up on top of the PCB, where we prefer them.
Galaxy’s small, unique cooler employs three 6 mm heat pipes to transfer thermal energy away from the GPU and into an array of aluminum fins. A single 3.5” radial fan facilitates heat dissipation from there.
As a multi-display card, Galaxy’s MDT x4 boasts the most interesting I/O panel on our bench. Four DVI connectors and a single mini-HDMI output leave no room back there for additional ventilation. This really isn't a problem, though, because none of the other GeForce GTX 560s we've tested force air down a closed shroud and out the back of the card. Zotac seems to be the only company designing 560s that exhaust heated air from your PC.
- Geforce GTX560 1GB DDR5
You could encounter issues with screens that don't appreciate 50 Hz refresh rates. In that case, you'd need to back down to 5040x1050 (using three 1680x1050 displays) to enable 60 Hz. This happened to us with the 285.62 driver from Nvidia's site. The problem was fixed, however, by reverting to driver 285.54 from Galaxy.
We need to reiterate, though: you're still limited to two independent display pipelines from Nvidia's GF114 graphics processor. IDT's ViewXpand technology simply allows you to turn one of them into a single larger surface. If you use three or more 2560x1600 displays requiring dual-link DVI connectors or are not willing to compromise on lower refresh rates, you'd need two Nvidia cards in SLI or any number of AMD-based products with Eyefinity support instead.
Keep in mind that even though the card supports four monitors, the fourth cannot be made a part of the three-screen setup coming from IDT's chip.
Included with the card are two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, A DVI-to-VGA adapter, a driver disk, a software disk, and instruction pamphlets.
As we already know, this card is designed for three or four screens. However, Nvidia's driver isn't designed with that many displays in mind. As a result, Galaxy includes WinSplit's Revolution software, which lets you assign an application to a preset screen position using Control+Alt+Number pad keys. Alternatively, the company also offers a download for Galaxy MDT EZY Display, a little app that allows you to choose the display configuration you want, and automatically maximizes windows within the display on which they appear. Both pieces of software do a good job of managing windows where you want them to appear, but MDT EZY Display is simpler and more elegant.
Overclocking
Galaxy supports voltage manipulation in its Xtreme Tuner HD utility. Keep in mind that you have to use the version bundled with the card, or wait until the version on Galaxy's website is updated to release 3016. Although the software lets you specify core voltages as high as 1.3 V, it drops down to a 1.15 V when you try to apply the setting. That's not entirely bad news; we wouldn’t want to push voltages much higher than 1.15 V on air cooling anyway.With a peak 1.15 V setting and fan duty cycle dialed in to 100%, we managed to hit 1000 MHz core and 1250 MHz memory frequencies. That's an impressive overclock given Galaxy's more moderate shipping clocks.
MSI’s factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 560 is available on Newegg for $200, which is a fairly typical price point given the GF114 graphics processor. The board's PCB measures 9” x 4.5”, but an extra-large cooler extends the total dimensions to 10” x 5”, from end to end.
By default, MSI sets Nvidia's GPU to 870 MHz and the on-board memory to 1020 MHz. That's 60 MHz higher than the reference core speed and 18 MHz higher than Nvidia's GDDR5 spec. Both of the six-pin auxiliary power inputs are on the back of the card, which could be problematic for builders without much space between installed graphics cards and their hard drive cages.
MSI’s Twin Frozr II cooler employs two 6 mm and two 8 mm heat pipes, the larger pair pulling thermal energy to the outside edges of the card. Two 3” radial fans push air past the cooling fins, surrounded by a metal shroud.
There’s not much to discuss with regard to the board's suite of output connectors. MSI’s card supports the same single mini-HDMI and twin dual-link DVI outputs as three of the competing cards. And again, you can only use two of the three connectors at any given time.
MSI's bundle includes a DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, a driver disk, and a user manual. Despite its relatively low price, MSI goes so far as to include a game with the card (actually, a voucher for Lara Croft And the Guardian Of Light). This is a well-reviewed game we've admittedly never played, but from what we've seen, it mixes classic tomb-raiding with a Diablo-esque fixed perspective.
In any case, we managed to push this board's graphics core to 990 MHz and its memory to 1250 MHz, both of which are respectable results.
By default, MSI sets Nvidia's GPU to 870 MHz and the on-board memory to 1020 MHz. That's 60 MHz higher than the reference core speed and 18 MHz higher than Nvidia's GDDR5 spec. Both of the six-pin auxiliary power inputs are on the back of the card, which could be problematic for builders without much space between installed graphics cards and their hard drive cages.
MSI’s Twin Frozr II cooler employs two 6 mm and two 8 mm heat pipes, the larger pair pulling thermal energy to the outside edges of the card. Two 3” radial fans push air past the cooling fins, surrounded by a metal shroud.
There’s not much to discuss with regard to the board's suite of output connectors. MSI’s card supports the same single mini-HDMI and twin dual-link DVI outputs as three of the competing cards. And again, you can only use two of the three connectors at any given time.
- N560GTX Twin Frozr...
Overclocking
MSI’s own Afterburner overclocking software works with the card, of course. Ironically, though, its 1.087 V ceiling is lower than the 1.15 V setting available on GeForce GTX 560 cards from other manufacturers.In any case, we managed to push this board's graphics core to 990 MHz and its memory to 1250 MHz, both of which are respectable results.
Zotac’s PCB measures 9" x 4.5", which increases to about 9.5" x 5" when you include the bezel. This card costs $220 on Newegg, which is comparable to Asus' DirectCU II/TOP.
Zotac’s AMP! moniker is used to designate its highest-end overclocking effort, and its 950 MHz core and 1100 MHz memory clocks are 160 and 98 MHz higher than Nvidia's reference spec, making them then most aggressive in our round-up.
Both six-pin auxiliary power connectors face the outside edge of the card, which could create space issues in enclosures without much room between add-in boards and hard drive trays.
Two 3” fans blow through a plastic shroud to keep the GPU cool. A trio of 8 mm heat pipes pulls heat away from the graphics processor and speeds up transfer to the aluminum cooling fins on the right edge of the card.
As with three of the competing cards seen already, Zotac's AMP! edition board gives you access to two dual-link DVI ports and a single mini-HDMI connector.
The bundle includes a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a driver disk, user manual, and Zotac Boost software bundle. This is the only card other than MSI’s to come with a game: a download voucher for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
Zotac’s AMP! moniker is used to designate its highest-end overclocking effort, and its 950 MHz core and 1100 MHz memory clocks are 160 and 98 MHz higher than Nvidia's reference spec, making them then most aggressive in our round-up.
Both six-pin auxiliary power connectors face the outside edge of the card, which could create space issues in enclosures without much room between add-in boards and hard drive trays.
Two 3” fans blow through a plastic shroud to keep the GPU cool. A trio of 8 mm heat pipes pulls heat away from the graphics processor and speeds up transfer to the aluminum cooling fins on the right edge of the card.
As with three of the competing cards seen already, Zotac's AMP! edition board gives you access to two dual-link DVI ports and a single mini-HDMI connector.
The bundle includes a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, DVI-to-VGA adapter, two dual Molex-to-six-pin power adapters, a driver disk, user manual, and Zotac Boost software bundle. This is the only card other than MSI’s to come with a game: a download voucher for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
Overclocking
With a very high stock 1.15 V voltage setting, we didn't see the need to push power any further. Nevertheless, we were still able to overclock this card's core to 990 MHz and its memory to 1250 MHz, both of which are solid results.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar