EVGA Introduces the GTX680 FTW

May 8, 2012 Jeremy Vaughan News, Video Cards 13

Some of us were at least a little disappointed with the GTX680’s …well, let’s say slightly under-built first offering. While they are performance behemoths, their intentionally hampered four-phase-with-blank-fifth-phase power section left something to be desired. EVGA has just announced their GTX680 FTW, with “…an 8 Phase PWM design, an 8+6pin Power Input and Vapor Chamber cooling”, which sounds good to us.

EVGA GTX680 FTW
EVGA GTX680 FTW (Image Courtesy EVGA)

EVGA GTX680 FTW
EVGA GTX680 FTW (Image Courtesy EVGA)

EVGA GTX680 FTW
EVGA GTX680 FTW (Image Courtesy EVGA)

These cards come clocked with a 1110 MHz base clock and 1176 MHz boost clock, a substantial increase over the stock offering. There is even a 4 GB version for those that thought the 2 GB initial release was a bit thin on video memory.

You can check out more details at EVGA’s page:

EVGA isn’t the only partner coming out with upgraded cards. ASUS has a GTX 680 DirectCU II that also has upgraded specs. While it has a stronger PWM (10-phase), its default clock is a little lower, at 1084 MHz boost clock.

ASUS GTX680 DirectCU II (Image Courtesy ASUS)
ASUS GTX680 DirectCU II (Image Courtesy ASUS)

Gigabyte and MSI have overclocked versions with upgraded cooling but don’t appear to have any physical PCB advantages over the stock card.

The GTX upgrade wars are under way and it looks like fun! Are any of you planning on jumping on the newly upgraded GTX 680s?

– Jeremy Vaughan (hokiealumnus)

About Jeremy Vaughan 197 Articles
I'm an editor and writer here at Overclockers.com as well as a moderator at our beloved forums. I've been around the overclocking community for several years and just love to sink my teeth into any hardware I can get my paws on!

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Avatar of SupaMonkey
SupaMonkey

Member

408 messages 0 likes
#1 May 09, 2012

Nice looking card, but i don't understand. Why a vapour chamber? They are noisy and not as good traditional heatsinks.

Surely, the first thing to do is rip that off, put on better cooling and then overclock the hell out of it.

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Avatar of I.M.O.G.
I.M.O.G.

Glorious Leader

25,037 messages 3 likes
#2 May 09, 2012

Vapor chamber is similar to heatpipes.

The thin flat looking parts at the top of this heatsink are the ends of the vapor chamber, with heatpipes just outside them:
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2654

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t
thebski

Member

163 messages 0 likes
#3 May 09, 2012

Jacob over at EVGA said the vapor chamber cut 6C off the temps.

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L
Loggitt

Registered

87 messages 0 likes
#4 May 09, 2012

I might as well ask my wife if I can buy a Ferrari. I'd get the same answer as I would attempting to purchase one of these! You lucky Joe's go for it, though!! :D I'll just get by with my EVGA GTX550 ti.

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Avatar of MattNo5ss
MattNo5ss

5up3r m0d3r4t0r

8,808 messages 0 likes
#5 May 09, 2012

:drool:

classified.jpg

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Avatar of TsunamiJuan
TsunamiJuan

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#6 May 09, 2012

one of the party pieces of the Direct CU line has been the upgraded cooling and power control capabilites, while they don't usually up the clock they leave it to the end user or enthusiast to do that bit, and usually with quite good results. Having a few of the early directCu offerings pass through my hands. I can say the results are usually quite pleasing and easy to work with.

Though at the same time EVGA continues to have a very appetizing offering. TiN is a freak of nature, and you know that anything he puts work into is gonna perform quite a bit above expectations. I would be surprised if TiN didn't have at least some input into the design of this card. Since VGA power seems to be one of his party pieces.

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Avatar of jazon1
jazon1

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1,900 messages 0 likes
#7 May 09, 2012

looks like a nice card will be awhile before i can afford one for my system tho=( just broke down and ordered a sabertooth x79 and a 3820 a good GTX 680 is defiantly the next upgrade heading my way tho=)

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Avatar of Bobnova
Bobnova

Senior Member

20,964 messages 1 likes
#8 May 09, 2012

Vapor chamber is like a big, single, heatpipe.
Vastly more efficient than multiple small heatpipes.

The EVBot port on there looks promising :D

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M
Metlcub

Member

907 messages 0 likes
#9 May 10, 2012

Nice cards, I just HATE that stock Nvidia reference cooler. it's so F'ing loud it sounds like a hair dryer in your computer. I love the MSI twin frozer and Asus DCII coolers. Can not wait for these better cooled cards to really roll out.

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Avatar of SupaMonkey
SupaMonkey

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408 messages 0 likes
#10 May 10, 2012

Ok, but i'm still not convinced. Can anyone show me a test where a vapour chamber outperforms arctic's accelero extreme (or any other decent heatsink)?

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