Optimal temperature for nvidia gtx 660 card. Video cards
Released in 2012, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 graphics card was considered one of the best budget options for graphics adapters of its time. Enough of its capabilities to launch modern games, although the model is no longer installed on gaming PCs. For the entire time of release, two modifications of the card were created: with 2 GB and 3 GB of memory, however, the 3 GB version was not as popular as the younger one.
Main technical GTX specs 660 are as follows:
- number of CUDA processors: 960;
- number of texture blocks: 80 pcs.;
- memory bus width: 192 bits;
- CPU clock speed: 980-1033 MHz;
- GDDR5 memory: 2048 or 3072 MB.
Among other characteristics of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660, it is worth noting the power consumption level (TDP), which is 140 watts. The model supports simultaneous operation of three monitors. And the resolution of a monitor connected to a PC with this card can reach 2048×1536 pixels for an analog port and 3840×2160 pixels for DisplayPort.
Video card overview
The Nvidia GTX 660 model with 2 GB of video memory is connected to motherboard to the PCI-E slot and allows you to connect peripheral devices via 2 DVI ports, one DisplayPort and HDMI. The digital audio playback device is also part of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 GPU, providing support for HD Audio.
The board also has an SLI connector that allows the card to be used with another video adapter. This makes it possible to increase fps in games and get a better image when playing videos.
The average operating temperature of the Nvidia GTX 660 video card is 60-70 degrees, in idle mode it is about 30-32 degrees. For cooling, in most versions of the adapter, 2 coolers are used, in the Palit brand model - one.
What power supply is needed for the GTX 660
The declared power consumption of the GTX 660 is quite high - even without overclocking the TDP of the video adapter is 140 watts. Although in normal mode (without running resource-demanding games), the card consumes no more than 115-127 watts. However, even such consumption cannot be provided by a PCI-E slot - an additional 6-pin connector is provided in the device design to supply additional power.
The manufacturer recommends using a power supply unit with a capacity of at least 450 W for a computer with such a video card. Although for a system unit that has other high-power parts, it is recommended to use at least a 500-watt PSU.
How to overclock nvidia geforce gtx 660 graphics card
By overclocking the GTX 660, you can increase its performance almost to the level of more powerful models. They do this with the help of special software - for example, the MSI Afterburner utility, the advantages of which are free and versatile. After overclocking, it is possible not only to increase fps in games, but also to mine on the GTX 660 - the extraction of cryptocurrency by participating in cloud computing.
The video card has an adjustable performance limit, which can be increased by about 10%. At a nominal frequency of 1006-1033 MHz, the overclocked GPU received a figure of 1139 MHz. Memory operating at 6008 MHz, after overclocking, was able to provide no more than 6804 MHz.
On the one hand, there is no noticeable increase in the performance of the device, on the other hand, the overclocking of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 video card occurs without increasing the noise and the number of revolutions of the cooler. Fan speed for both normal mode and overclocked card is 2400 rpm, power consumption increased by only 10 watts.
Video card test results in games
One of the most common ways to evaluate the performance of video cards is a test run of modern gaming applications. Tests performed in 2012 in games of the GTX 660 allow us to compare it with two other models of a similar level. The test results were as follows:
- In the game Batman: Arkham City, the GTX 660 showed almost the same fps level as the model (36 vs. 36.4) and better performance compared to the Radeon HD 7950. After overclocking, the performance of the card improved by another 12%.
- In the popular shooter Battlefield 3, this video card model showed 45.3 fps at the standard settings for such tests (FullHD resolution, DirectX 11). A decent level, although the 660 Ti card's performance was almost 20% better. But all AMD video adapters lagged behind in frame rate by 4-30%.
- Warhead again showed the GTX 660's lead over the Radeon HD 7850, but the HD 7870 already delivered 10% more fps. The 660 Ti video card differs for the better by the same level - 20%.
- Crysis 2, which is demanding on computer and video adapter resources, runs at FullHD settings, showing only 16 fps. The same figure for the 660 Ti is 20, for the Radeon HD 7850 - 17.
- In the game Hard Reset, the frame rate characteristics of the video adapter are average - only 40 fps. This is between the Radeon HD 7850 at 36 fps and the HD 7950 at 44 fps.
- In the fifth part of the TES series, the game Skyrim, the video adapter took the last place, providing only 50 fps. Although this indicator is more than enough for a normal immersion in the gameplay.
The video card also shows good results in such demanding games for 2012 as Max Payne 3, Metro 2033 and the second part of The Witcher. This means that at the minimum settings, the GTX 660 will be sufficient for more modern gaming applications. So, for example, the video adapter fully complies with the minimum requirements of the game Fallout 4 and GTA V.
Comparison of parameters from different manufacturers
The video card is currently out of production and out of stock. You can buy it only in the secondary market. To compare versions released by different manufacturers, the price of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2Gb at the time of its release can be used.
The range of brands under which the video adapter was produced is quite large. Among them are almost all well-known brands - from Asus and MSI to Palit and Zotac. Manufacturer Gigabyte is represented by two options with different amounts of memory.
brand | Memory capacity, GB | Memory frequency, MHz | Processor frequency, MHz | Cost at the time of issue, rub. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Palit | 2 | 6108 | 1006 | 7500 |
Asus | 2 | 6008 | 1020 | 7400 |
MSI | 2 | 6008 | 1033 | 7000 |
Inno3D | 2 | 6008 | 1006 | 7100 |
Zotac | 2 | 6008 | 1006 | 7350 |
gigabyte | 2 | 6008 | 1033 | 7300 |
3 | 6008 | 1033 | 10500 |
Answering the question of how much the GTX 660 graphics card costs now is also easy. On sites where used components are sold, you can find it for an amount of 5 to 6 thousand rubles. A small (within 20-30%) difference from the price of a new video adapter is explained by the high service life of video cards, thanks to which they are able to work for more than 10 years.
Latest drivers for GTX 660
Control programs for a video card are usually included with it when you purchase it. However, if the disk has been lost or damaged for a long time, you can download drivers for the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 video card on the official website of one of the manufacturers (for example, on the resource of Palit or Asus).
The need to update the Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 drivers usually occurs during the installation of the operating system. Sometimes an update is also required when problems arise in the operation of the adapter - for example, after exposure to a virus or incorrect user actions.
Today we will continue our acquaintance with new GPU-based video cards from the “green camp”, and this time we are testing a graphics accelerator from ASUS based on the GeForce GTX 660 GPU (NVIDIA Kepler architecture). You can find detailed characteristics of the 28 nm NVIDIA GK106 chip and the GeForce GTX 660 graphics processor in our previous materials, and in the meantime, we will proceed directly to the review of the video card ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5.
Specification:
(ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5) |
|
Graphics core |
NVIDIA GK106 (Kepler) |
Number of universal shader processors |
|
Supported APIs |
DirectX 11 (Shader Model 5.0), OpenGL 4.3 |
Support for proprietary technologies |
GPU Boost, Adaptive V-Sync, PhysX, SLI, NVIDIA Surround, 3D Vision, CUDA |
Graphics core frequency, MHz |
1072 (1137 MHz with GPU Boost) |
Shader unit frequency, MHz |
|
Memory frequency (effective), MHz |
|
Memory size, MB |
|
Memory type |
|
Memory bus width, bit |
|
PCI Express 3.0 x16 |
|
Maximum Resolution |
Digital - up to 2560x1600 (up to 3840x2160 DisplayPort) Analog - up to 2048x1536 |
Image output interfaces |
|
Support HDCP and HD video decoding |
|
Minimum requirements for the power supply, W |
|
Dimensions, mm |
259.08 x 132.08 |
Drivers |
Fresh drivers can be downloaded from the GPU manufacturer's website. |
Products webpage |
As you can see, we have a factory overclocked version of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 graphics adapter. So, instead of the recommended 980 MHz, the graphics core operates at a frequency of 1072 MHz, and taking into account the GPU Boost technology, the GPU frequency can reach 1137 MHz. The effective frequency of video memory is also increased relative to the recommended one, and is 6108 MHz. It is also worth noting that in addition to using an alternative PCB design, ASUS engineers also used a completely redesigned cooling system. Such changes in the design of the graphics adapter should positively distinguish it from competing solutions from other manufacturers. We will dwell on the cooling system and PCB design in more detail in the relevant sections of the review, but for now we suggest studying the packaging and bundle of ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5.
Packaging and equipment
Graphics accelerator ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP falls into the hands of the buyer in a fairly large cardboard box with standard printing for the latest ASUS products. On the front side of the box is the name of the video card, as well as the graphics processor on the basis of which it is made. At the bottom of the package there are marks about the type and volume of memory chips used, the applied DIGI + VRM digital power system, as well as the belonging of the video card in question to the TOP line, which includes only video cards with factory overclocking. In the upper left corner there is a schematic representation of the proprietary DirectCU II cooling system. Also on the package it is noted that the ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP comes with a proprietary utility for overclocking the GPU Tweak in the kit.
On the back of the package, the manufacturer posted the main specifications of the video card in 12 languages, including Russian, brief scheme connecting displays with various interfaces, as well as an advertising description of the key features of the video card.
List system requirements to the computer in which you plan to install ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP is located on one of the sides of the package. Based on the recommendation on the box, the power supply in such a system must have a power of at least 450 W and be capable of delivering up to 24 A along the + 12V line.
The package bundle of the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 video card can perhaps be called corresponding to the final cost of the product. In the box, in addition to the video card itself, we found only a disk with drivers and utilities, a brief manual, and an adapter from DVI-I to VGA. To our regret, the manufacturer did not take care of the adapter from two 4-pin peripheral power connectors to one 6-pin video card power connector.
Compared to the "reference" sample, the set of ports for displaying images on the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 video card has not changed:
1x Display Port.
The following permissions are supported:
Digital - up to 3840x2160;
Analog - up to 2048x1536.
For most operating scenarios, the configuration of the video outputs of the video accelerator in question will be quite enough. And if you want to connect an analog monitor, the user will have to use a DVI-VGA adapter, which, fortunately, is included in the kit.
Appearance and element base
As we mentioned above, the design of the printed circuit board of the ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP video card differs from the reference version proposed by NVIDIA engineers. The following changes were made to the element base in the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 version from ASUS: better components were used and a redesigned power converter was used.
The power stabilization system of the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 video card is made according to the 6 + 1 phase scheme (for the GPU and memory chips, respectively).
The core power system is implemented on the Digi+ ASP1212 controller. Interestingly, this controller is similar to that used on more expensive video cards from ASUS, for example, on the ASUS GeForce GTX 670.
In addition to the PCI-Express 3.0 connector, additional power for the ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP video accelerator is provided through one 6-pin power connector installed on the side of the video card. As we mentioned above, if your power supply does not have such a connector, then try to take care of the necessary adapter before buying a video card, since you will not find it in the package.
Separately, it is worth noting that the use of this connector is very uncomfortable, we managed to disconnect the power cable from the video card only with the help of improvised means, such as a screwdriver. The problem is that the heat sink is located too close to the top edge of the connector, and it is almost impossible to get to the latch with your fingers.
Similar to other versions of video cards based on the GeForce GTX 660 graphics processor, the ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP supports NVIDIA SLI technology. Accordingly, the board contains a connector for the corresponding bridge, which allows you to combine two video cards for joint calculation of graphic effects.
In addition to mounting the cooling system and several components of the power stabilization module, like the "reference" sample, four of the eight memory chips are located on the back of the board.
The ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 is based on the NVIDIA GK106 (Kepler) graphics chip, manufactured using a 28 nm process technology. As we already know, it contains 960 universal shader pipelines (or CUDA cores in NVIDIA terminology) and 24 ROPs. The frequency of the graphics core, as we have already mentioned, has been increased relative to NVIDIA's recommendations and is 1072 MHz. Thanks to the support of the GPU Boost technology in the product under consideration, in turbo mode the frequency of the graphics core can reach 1137 MHz. Data exchange between the graphics core and memory is carried out via a 192-bit bus. The rest of the characteristics are shown in the screenshot above.
Unlike more expensive video cards that use memory chips manufactured by Hynix, the memory of the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 video card, the total amount of which is 2 GB, is recruited using 8 256 MB chips from Samsung. The chips are marked K4G20325FD-FC03 and, according to the documentation, their nominal frequency is 6 GHz.
Cooling system
As we already mentioned in previous reviews of ASUS video cards, the proprietary DirectCU II cooling system is presented by the manufacturer as one of the most important advantages of their products over competitors. And in order to make our testing more interesting, we will try to compare the performance of DirectCU II with the WINDFORCE cooling system from GIGABYTE, which, as you remember from the review of the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 660, left an extremely positive impression.
This version of the DirectCU II cooling system, installed on the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5, occupies two expansion slots and looks quite interesting due to the corporate identity, which echoes other ASUS ROG products. Based on the technical specifications, such a system should cope with the cooling of the NVIDIA GK106 graphics chip without any problems, we will find out if this is so after conducting the appropriate tests. Separately, we note that the manufacturer reports a 20% decrease in temperature compared to the “reference turbine”, as well as more than three times less noise.
The cooler consists of a massive radiator, in the design of which 42 aluminum nickel-plated plates are used, and they are blown by two fans with a diameter of 75 mm, which are mounted on the casing.
For a more even distribution of heat over the entire area of the radiator, three copper heat pipes with a diameter of 8 mm each are used. It is worth noting separately that the heat pipes are covered with a layer of nickel, which will help prevent the rapid oxidation of copper during operation and a drop in heat transfer efficiency. Interestingly, ASUS engineers used a scheme for direct contact of heat pipes with a graphics chip through a small layer of thermal paste.
As you can see, the heat pipes are simply inserted into the radiator fins, there is no solder, which can slightly degrade the efficiency of the cooling system.
The main cooling system, unfortunately, does not come into direct contact with the power elements of the power stabilization module. As for the memory chips, two of the four chips located on the front side of the board are cooled through a special thermal interface applied to the base of the heatsink. Unfortunately, we do not have an answer to the question why only two chips are cooled, and why these particular ones.
We propose to proceed directly to testing the cooling system of the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 video card. To do this, we will run our standard test suite using the MSI Kombustor utility.
With automatic fan speed control, in the maximum load mode, the graphics core heated up to 68 degrees, and the cooler, judging by the monitoring readings, worked at only 55% of its capacity.
In mode top speed fan rotation temperature GPU drops to 60 degrees. At the same time, the noise level can be described as "above average". The results obtained are quite good, but not the best. As we remember, the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 660 cooling system was able to cool the graphics chip up to 58 degrees at maximum cooler speeds and up to 61 degrees with automatic speed control, however, it should be borne in mind that the ASUS version has higher frequencies, and, accordingly, more high temperature.
When there is no load, the frequencies of the graphics core and memory are automatically reduced, allowing you to reduce the power consumption and heat dissipation of the graphics core. In this mode, the GPU temperature does not exceed 36 degrees, and the cooling system is silent.
Testing
When testing, we used the Stand for testing Video cards No. 3
Choose what you want to compare GeForce GTX 660 2GB GDDR5 ASUS DirectCU II TOP
As you can see, thanks to higher factory overclocking, as well as a memory frequency increased by 100 MHz, ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5 was able to demonstrate higher performance than the version we reviewed earlier from GIGABYTE. In comparison with competitors from the "red camp", the new product demonstrates even more interesting results than video cards based on AMD Radeon HD 7870, not to mention the more affordable AMD Radeon HD 7850. However, it should be borne in mind that AMD solutions have a higher overclocking potential, as well as, in the future, lower cost, because Ukrainian retail has not yet had time to respond to the cost reduction and set a more humane price tag for products from AMD. Again, if you are not interested in overclocking experiments, then we advise you to get the ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5, as it is able to show much more than competing solutions in standard use.
Overclocking
Taking into account a fairly efficient cooling system, as well as the fact that the graphics accelerator comes with an overclocked graphics core, the overclocking results, as well as their comparison with the previously reviewed versions of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, are very interesting.
After raising the voltage of the graphics core, using the ASUS GPU Tweak utility, we managed to overclock it to 1130 MHz (an increase of 13% relative to the "reference"), while we managed to accelerate the video memory to a frequency of 6684 MHz (an increase of 11%). It is worth noting that the overclocking results are the best among all the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 versions we have tested so far.
You can evaluate the performance gain due to manual overclocking in the table below:
Test package |
Standard Frequencies |
Overclocked graphics card |
Productivity increase, % |
|
performance score |
||||
performance score |
||||
Crysis Warhead, DirectX 10, Maximum Quality, AA4x/AF16x, fps |
||||
Far Cry 2, DirectX 10, Ultra Quality, NO AA/AF, fps |
||||
Aliens vs. Predator DX11 Benchmark, Maximum Quality, NO AA/AF, fps |
||||
Aliens vs. Predator DX11 Benchmark, Maximum Quality, AA4x/AF16x, fps |
||||
Colin McRae: DiRT 2, DirectX 11, Maximum Quality, NO AA/AF, fps |
||||
Colin McRae: DiRT 2, DirectX 10, Maximum Quality, AA4x/AF16x, fps |
||||
As a result of manual overclocking, performance increased by an average of a little more than 5%. Separately, we note that in this mode of operation, the temperature of the graphics core was only 64 degrees at maximum cooler speed. These results confirm that the cooling system is doing its job well.
conclusions
Summing up the results of testing, we can characterize (ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5) as one of the best versions among all the video cards based on the GeForce GTX 660 graphics core that we have tested to date. If we talk about the performance of the test sample in comparison with other versions of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, then everything is simple, because it differs very slightly and depends directly on the level of factory overclocking. It is logical that if you want to buy yourself a new video card, and opted for solutions based on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, then the choice will have to be made based on the performance of the cooling system, the quality of the element base, as well as trust or distrust for each specific manufacturer. In the case of ASUS GTX660-DC2T-2GD5, we got a kind of pleasant cocktail from a well-known manufacturer, a redesigned and enhanced power system, and a powerful cooling system, which should have a beneficial effect on the success of the video card on the market. The only, at the moment, open question is the final cost for the consumer.
If we talk about the ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP, comparing with the version we reviewed earlier from GIGABYTE, then the overclocking potential and performance quality (reinforced power system) proved to be better on the ASUS video card, while the proprietary cooling system from GIGABYTE is quieter competitor and slightly more efficient.
Of the features worth noting, perhaps, only a modest package and inconvenient connection of the power cable. No critical shortcomings were noticed during the testing process.
Advantages:
Low power consumption and heat dissipation of the graphics chip;
New universal Kepler architecture and 28 nm process technology;
Support for DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.3 and a large number of NVIDIA proprietary technologies;
High performance;
Good overclocking potential compared to other versions of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660;
A mid-range graphics adapter in 2012 with excellent parameters and acceptable power efficiency is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Specifications at the moment, of course, they no longer look so impressive, but such an accelerator has not yet managed to slide down to the level of integrated graphics. He is also able to run most gaming applications, but with not the maximum settings.
Market segment of this graphics accelerator
The mid-range gaming accelerator was the GTX 660. Above in the hierarchy is the NVidia GeForce Specifications were significantly better, but he belonged to the same segment of the video card market. The premium segment at that time was occupied by the GTX670 and GTX680. Their cost was much higher, as was the level of performance. Well, the solutions of the initial gaming segment included the GTX650, GTX650 Ti and GTX650 Ti Boost. The direct competitors of the hero of this review from AMD were the products of the Radeon line with the HD7870 and HD7850 indices. So this article will consider a typical mid-range video card for 2012.
GPU Specifications
The GTX 660 belonged to the Kepler generation of graphics architecture. Specifications its semiconductor crystal indicated tolerance standards of 28nm, and the chip itself was markedGK106.The total number of transistors in this processor was 2540 million pieces. The core frequency could vary from 960 MHz to 1033 MHz, depending on the level of complexity of the task and the degree of heating of the GPU.There are 960 units for processing shaders in this adapter, and they work at the frequency of the GPU. That is, this value can vary from 960 MHz to 1033 MHz. Number of modulesTMUin this case was 80 for each pipeline, andROP-only 24.
RAM and related parameters
AT in combination with the most common type of RAM, the adapter considered in this material should currently function -GDDR5.Recommended chip frequency RAM in this case is 6GHz. RAM busin this case with bit depth yu in 192 bits. As a result, we get a throughput at the level of 144GB / s. Well, the recommended amount of video buffer for this adapter is 2GB.
Thermal characteristics of the adapter
Good thermal parameters by the standards of 2012 in the NVidia GeForce GTX 660. The characteristics of the silicon crystal indicate that the thermal package in this situation is 140W. Accordingly, for a full-fledged power supply to this product, it is necessary to connect an additional 6-pin connector to it from the side of the power supply. The maximum allowable temperature for this accelerator is set at 97 0 C, but the minimum power of such a PC component as a power supply is 450 watts. In combination with a weaker power system, a computer with such an accelerator will definitely fail.
Competing Products
The GTX 660 had 4 competitors at once. The characteristics of some of them were better, and some were worse. But at the same time, the performance, along with the price, changed proportionally. A step down was the GTX 650Ti Boost. Lower frequencies and more modest specifications, even in overclocked mode, did not allow it to compete on equal terms with the solution considered in this review. The same can be said about AMD's HD7850 solution. But the other two graphics cards, the GTX 660Ti and HD7870, were more expensive, but they also had better performance specifications. Later, the GTX760 accelerator with higher performance came to replace it, and the graphics accelerator of the previous generation could no longer be a worthy competitor.
Cost and reviews
In a new state, such an accelerator from warehouse stocks can still be purchased at a price of 7000-8000 rubles. In a used form, this accelerator can be found on various trading platforms of the Global Web at a price of 4000-5000 rubles. Approximately the same as a new and used NVidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti. The characteristics of the latter are better, and it is preferable to buy just such a product. As for the rest, we can say that against the background of current accelerators based on the Pascal architecture, 4-year-old adapters look completely unconvincing. They are already completely outdated, now it is better to turn your attention to more recent solutions in the niche of video cards. Although they are more expensive, they also perform much faster. This is exactly what the owners of such accelerators and computer specialists point out.
Results
One of the best mid-range cards of 2012 was the NVidia GeForce GTX 660. she really had advanced ones at that time. But now there are more recent accelerators with more advanced technical parameters and a high level of performance.
Energy consumption
In the higher price segment of video cards, the spread in terms of power consumption is usually small. Map GeForce GTX 660 Ti does not greatly outperform AMD products in terms of the number of watts expended. The only caveat is Radeon HD 7950 from AMD consumes quite a lot of power during Blu-ray video playback.
Various map modifications GeForce GTX 660 Ti have different characteristics - the Zotac variant has the highest clock speed, while the Galaxy has more memory. However, in terms of power consumption, all models show approximately the same results.
Power consumption of a two-card tandem Radeon HD 7750 in CrossFire, running the game at 1920x1080 with 8x anti-aliasing enabled, MSAA is 98W (or 102W when playing Crysis). This is about 20 W less than it spends in a similar case. GeForce GTX 660 Ti(118W and 124W respectively). In addition, the GeForce card is slower. This card's effectiveness is limited. throughput memory buses. Note that when the FPS decreases, the power consumption does not decrease. So, at average FPS values, AMD cards turned out to be more economical.
Actual clock frequency under full load
The graph below shows the clock speeds of video cards under load. They are slightly different from those we saw in 3DMark 11. Let's take a closer look at the graph to determine the thermal ceiling for each card and the GPU Boost algorithm.
It is also interesting in terms of power consumption. For example, Asus card GTX 660Ti DirectCU II remains at 915 MHz, which makes you look at its acoustic and thermal characteristics from a different angle, because these indicators are much easier to manage, while the GPU of some competitors works as much as 250 MHz faster.
MSI Card N660 Ti PE 2GD5/OC behaves pretty well. , in contrast, does not benefit from GPU Boost. We can conclude that the cards of the "long" form factor, in general, show higher clock rates than those that copy the design of the model GeForce GTX 670 .
Power consumption in different scenarios
Operating Temperature and Noise Measurements
Temperature graphs for all cards when running GPGPU applications
We measured temperatures and fan speeds within 5 minutes of running a compute task. All cards showed different results, from the quiet and cold Asus card to Zotac GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Edition, which overclocked its fans to a very high speed to cope with the increase in temperature.
On the map GTX 660Ti DirectCU II the cooler from Asus is made especially well, but some points require clarification. There is no heat dissipation back pad on this card. Perhaps this is a good solution. However, the temperature of the back side of the card under the voltage control module rises to 80 degrees. As a result, even the chips random access memory after 15 minutes of operation under full load, they heat up to 70 degrees. In general, low noise levels are good, but the organization of cooling could still be better.
The most noisy map of those tested Zotac GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Edition. At the same time, in other respects, this video card outperforms its competitors, especially if you take into account its small size. Its most important advantage is well-overclocked memory. Other cards operate at roughly the same temperatures, so it's hard to pick out winners and losers.
Before watching videos that compare the noise during the operation of the tested video cards, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the graphs that show noise values in decibels. Note that the "table" data and the subjective impression can be very different from each other.
|
|||
|
Energy testing.
As part of this test, we measured the full power consumption of the test bench with and without a connected graphics card, and measured the consumption in idle and under full load. For testing at maximum load and to measure the temperature, we used real computer games, and entered the maximum value for each game into the table. We measured the power consumption of the current using the P3 International Kill-A-Watt device.
To test the entire system, with the exception of speakers and a microphone, it was connected to a Kill-A-Watt device. Therefore, the result displays the power consumption for all components, not just for video cards.
Idle power consumption results were exactly 1W less than the Radeon HD 7950 and HD 7870, and 2W less than the reference GTX 670. Such close idle power consumption values are valid for all four video cards.
At full load with the MSI GTX 660 Ti PE graphics card, the power consumption increased to 321W.
Overclocking the MSI GTX 660Ti PE increased power consumption by 10-25% depending on the specific game, and in this case, the gameplay improved in one of the games.
Temperature
To measure the temperature of this video card, we used the GPU-z program, which allowed us to find the maximum temperature of the adapter during the tests. We came to the conclusion that Battlefield 3 is the "hottest" of all the games in our review. To get the highest temperature values, we played BF3 with a running background program GPU-z, and then chose the maximum numbers and wrote them down in a table. To measure the temperature in idle, we turned on the GPU-z from the desktop, after waiting half an hour with no system activity and without running any other applications.
Well, the Twin Frozr IV cooler installed on the MSI GTX 660 Ti PE graphics card did the job well. It kept the card reasonably cold - 5ºC and 9ºC cooler than the reference GTX 670 with base cooler at idle and under load, respectively. The Radeon HD 7950 is not much warmer than the MSI GTX 660 Ti PE - only 1°C under load. The Radeon HD 7870, on the other hand, ran 3ºC warmer at idle than the MSI GTX 660 Ti PE, but it was 2ºC cooler under load.
After overclocking, the temperature of the MSI GTX 660 Ti PE increased to 77ºС, but the fans also increased noticeably.
During standard operation of the cooler, the noise of the fans is negligible, but once you spin them up to 100%, they start to make noticeable noise. We also noticed strange noise from the graphics card, especially after overclocking in some games, during the loading screen and intros, when the frame rate reached several hundred frames per second. In fairness, it should be said that during the game and in idle time, no noises, crackles and squeaks were heard from the card.