We’re going to discuss about the features,
functionality and quality, as well as system-cooling performance and sound of
Asus’s very-interesting graphics accelerator. Above all, we will perform some
tests by using the new 3DMark software.
Following the recent news, the next
generation of graphics processors from AMD and Nvidia won’t come out soon. We
won’t be able to have the new graphics card products until the 4th
quarter, so manufacturers continues to expand their current product family at
all price segments, trying to make them more compelling to the latter
generation of users. Competition here is fierce. It’s not enough to make unique
cooler and pre-overclocked graphics cards become the bestseller. In this
review, we will see how ASUS has solved that problem with their GeForce GTX 660
DirectCU II OC. ASUS has 4 original versions of GeForce GTX 660s and the
version we’re reviewing isn’t yet the fastest one. But like everything, it’s a
fascinating product, as you will see right above here.
Packing and accessories
Asus GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II OC is
packed in an eye-catching large box, the scratches on the box surface look like
they are made from the claws of the wolverine.
The
box covering the product
The main features of the product are
displayed below. To have extra detailed info about the product, you can take a
look at the back of the product for reference.
There’s a plain black cardboard box inside
the colorful container. The graphics card is additionally packaged with a
plastic pack.
Picture
of the card packed inside the box
The packaging way looks very reliable, but
the card might have been fixed better inside the box. The accessories include a
CD with drivers and utilities, a quick installation guide book, and a
DVI->D-Sub adapter:
Unfortunately, there is no power cable here
and no extra companion things like free games or something.
Manufactured in China, Asus GeForce GTX 660
DirectCU II OC costs 239 USD, only 20USD more expensive than the reference GTX
660. It’s a fellow-traveler with 3-year warranty.
Design and functions
Asus graphics card can be distinguished
easily thanks to the one-and-only DirectCU II cooler, which cover the entire
surface of PCB. We’re really fond of this precise design:
The cover of the cooler has red-printed wavy
lines that match perfectly the matte blades of two fans. The heat pipes slightly
jut out the top edge of the PCB but don’t make the product look bulky, even
though ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II OC is remarkably larger than the
reference card from Nvidia. Its sizes are 259x132x38 millimeters.
We have a standard selection of video
interfaces here: DVI-I and DVI-D (dual-link), HDMI and DisplayPort. There’s a
grid of vent in the bracket of the device to get rid of the hot air from the
cooler.
Connection
ports
An MIO port to form 2 SLI configurations
and a 6-pin power connector can be found in fixed locations.
ASUS details the highest power consumption
of this card at 150 watts, 10 watts higher than Nvidia’s standard. But the
recommended PSU norm hasn’t changed. This card is supposed to be used with a
450-watt PSU.ASUS or better.
Like in its latter products, ASUS makes the
card friendly to overclocking people by using a custom PCB with an enhanced
power system.
Corresponding to GPU, memory and PLL will
have 6 electric current, two and one phrase.
Power
system on PCB
Combined with Super Alloy technology also
means the use of high-quality and high-durable components, ASUS’s DIGI+ voltage
regulator ensures lowering 30% EMI, saving 15% electrical energy and lasting services
2.5 times longer compared to the reference card. It is based on an ASP1212
controller
DIGI+
voltage regulator
So, we hope that this graphics card will
have higher overclocking-ability and be able to last the services at an
increased clock rate.
Asus GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II OC was
manufactured in Taiwan at the 32th week of 2012 (about early
August). This is an A1-version chip.
A1
Chip
Combined with 2540 million transistors, GPU
has a standard GeForce GTX 660 circuit configuration with 960 uniform processing
blocks, 80 texture-mapping units, and 24 raster operators. Pre-overclocked rate
is 1020 MHz (1085 MHz in advanced mode). The 2D frequency is 324 MHz.
ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II OC is
equipped with eight FCBGA-packaged GDDR5 chips, with a total capacity of 2
gigabytes. Manufactured by Samsung Semiconductor, the chips are branded
K4G20325FD-FC03:
The chips are preset with 6000 MHz and are
indeed to have that frequency. Matched with a 192-bit bus, the memory bandwidth
is 144.2 GB/s, quite similar to the reference GeForce GTX 660.
Here are the standard technical specs of Asus
GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II OC in brief:
Technical
standards
