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We've raved around the GF11X that lives underneath the vapor-cooled copper and aluminum block of each the GeForce GTX58X and GTX57X; it's the finest pieces of Nvidia's Fermi (GF100), with the unwanted heat (largely) removed and racket just about entirely silenced. Other GF11X adjustments involve the capacity to filter two times the FP16 pixels per cycle as opposed to the GF 100, and it has a brand new Z-culling/rejection algorithm for superior rendering in video games. The transistors that construct the very complex GTX58X and 57X GPUs are also substantially less leaky than the ones of the GF100. Like Nvidia's current DX11 graphics cards, this pair supports Nvidia Surround multi-display technology and 3d Vision (SLI mandatory for both), as well as PhysX, SLI, and CUDA-based GPU processing.

Fermi 2. 0 Numbers

The GF11X in Nvidia's reference GeForce GTX58X includes a full supplement of 16 Sms enabled, which allows it 512 CUDA processors, 64 texture units, and 48 ROPs. The GeForce GTX57X employs the same GF11X, but with 15 active Sms, for 480 CUDA processors, 60 texture units, and 40 ROPs. Ram bandwidth on the GTX58X is 192. 4GBps, in comparison to the GTX57X's 152GBps. The former owes its larger spec to the 384-bit bus and quicker 1536MB GDDR5 frame buffer, cycled at 1002MHz. The GTX57X's 1280MB frame buffer runs on a 320-bit bus and is cycled at 950MHz. The reference GTX58X and 57X feature processor cycles of 772MHz and 732MHz, respectively, but as you'll find, there's still space for development. The GTX58X is presently the quickest single-GPU graphics card a person can purchase, and, in spite of a somewhat slower ram subsystem, the GTX57X performs right on par with GTX 480 but is priced considerably less. At this time, there weren't many non-reference GTX58Xs and 57Xs obtainable, but the ones we could get our fingers on performed very well. Continue reading to see if any of these graphics gorillas meet your needs.

How Did We Test?

Our screening computer consists of a 3.33 Gigahertz Intel processor i7-980X (Extreme-Edition), Gigabyte X58, 6 Gigs of Patriot Sector 7, a 128 Gig Patriot Zephyr Drive, and an Antec TruePower Quattro 1200 power supply. The computer runs Windows 7 64-bit. We ran the cards' raw tessellation abilities using Unigine Heaven; synthetic gaming prowess with 3DMark 11's Extreme setting; and real-world DirectX 9/10.1/11 gaming functionality using Left 4 Dead 2, Just Cause 2, and Aliens versus Predator. We used the most current Nvidia drivers out there at the time of this article, ForceWare version 263.09.

Evga GeForce GTX57X “Supercycled”

Evga's GeForce GTX57X Supercycled doesn't appear to be much of a contender at first glance, and like Zotac's GTX58X AMP!, its PCB design and cooling device are centered on Nvidia's reference style. That doesn't hold it back, however; the stock GTX57X is cool, noiseless, and a great performer. Evga did a little messing around when it comes to the processor and ram cycles, increasing them to 797MHz and 975MHz, respectively. As with the original cards, the backplane includes twin DVI ports and a mini HDMI port. A couple of SLI fittings and two 6pin PCIE power fittings can be uncovered on the top edge of the card. Evga packages the GTX57X Supercycled with a driver cd, Evga Precision overcycleing application, a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, DVIto-VGA adapter, and a couple of 6pin PCIE power adapters. With this one, you even get Evga's 24/7 technical assistance and a limited life time warranty. In the benchmarks, Evga's 65MHz processor push is sufficient to show substantial gains on the reference card and also outpace the lower-cycled GTX57X from M.S.I. Selling for noticeably less than the initial MSRP, Evga's Supercycled 57X is a good buy for gaming lovers.

M.S.I N57XGTX TwinFrozer 2

M.S.I was able to deliver us its TwinFrozer 2 edition of the GTX57X, which uses, as far as we know, Nvidia's reference PCB, but M.S.I saddled it with an awesome nickel-plated copper and aluminum heatsink bristling with five heatpipes and protected with an appealing plate of gunmetal dull aluminum. There are a pair of 80mm fans and a low-profile heatsink for the ram and other parts. M.S.I used only solid capacitors for this product. According to M.S.I, the innovative cooling device is accountable for a 20 degrees Celsius and 8.4 dB noise decrease, compared to the reference GTX57X. From where we're sitting, this card runs as peaceful as any enthusiast card we've examined. M.S.I also tuned the processor and ram cycles to 786MHz and 1050MHz, respectively. Included extras consist of a driver cd, mini HDMI adapter, DVI-to-VGA adapter, and dual PCIE power adapters. The incorporated M.S.I Afterburner application lets you increase the processor and ram cycles even more, and the three-year warranty is a good incentive. Though the higher-overcycled GTX57Xs from Evga and Palit marginally outperformed M.S.I's card in 3DMark 11, they each fell to the N57XGTX TwinFrozer 2 in Aliens versus Predator, at each resolution. With its beefy cooling device and overcycleing program, M.S.I's GTX57X gives you the resources to destroy the opposition.

Palit GeForce GTX57X Sonic Platinum

We've tested a variety of Sonic Platinum cards from Palit, and as a result, we had substantial anticipation for the GeForce GTX57X Sonic Platinum; Palit didn't fail. Of all the cards in this roundup, Palit's was the only one with a remodeled PCB. Though a PCB revamp will often indicate price reducing, Palit seems to have been at minimum somewhat inspired by the drive to pump more power to the GF110; there are 6pin and 8pin PCIE power fittings on the top edge of the card, like the ones located on the GTX58X. The cooling device in the GTX57X Sonic Platinum is really comparable to M.S.I's, but there's a less exposing plastic shroud on it. We equally adore that Palit found it fit to incorporate DisplayPort and full-sized HDMI ports. Palit pushed the processor cycle higher than each Evga and M.S.I-to 800MHz. The ram cycle also got pushed to 1, 000MHz. Palit included a driver cd, DVI-to-VGA adapter, and a PCIE power adapter. In the benchmarks, Palit topped the rest of the GTX57Xs in our collection of synthetic benchmarks, including 3DMark 11 and Unigine Heaven. Real-world results were really similar, but Palit's card only split from the bunch in Just Cause 2 at 2560 x 1600. While priced similarly to Evga's offering, we think overcyclers will get more performance for their money with this one.

Sparkle Calibre GTX58X

Sparkle's quite boastful of its take on Nvidia's GeForce GTX58X, and rightfully so. The GeForce GTX58X Calibre is one of the most enormous cards we've actually had our paws on. The three-PWM-fan-equipped Accelero Xtreme cooling device buckled to the GTX58X reference PCB is entirely three slots wide, and the copper heatpipe/aluminum fin set up reaches an additional inch past the PCB at the end and a quarter inch on the top. Remarkably, Sparkle claims that the cooling device is capable of successfully cooling up to 240 watts, but the reference GTX58X is a 244-watt graphics card. In spite of the difference, we didn't notice any performance problems, and the card ran plenty quiet for our likes. If you plan to SLI a couple of these, use flexible fittings and a motherboard with broadly divided PCIE slots. Sparkle cranked the processor and ram cycles to 810MHz and 1008MHz, respectively. Bundled add-ons include a driver cd, 8pin PCIE power adapter, DVI-to-VGA adapter, and HDMI cable. As you can guess, the GTX58X Calibre outpaced the reference 58X by a good margin in all assessments and was only bested by the higher-cycled Zotac GTX58X AMP! card. With such an impressive cooling device, we'd be stunned if you couldn't bump the cycles even more, which might help warrant this card's similarly striking cost.

Zotac GeForce GTX58X AMP!

With GeForce GTX58X AMP!, Zotac argues that a lot can be achieved with Nvidia's reference PCB and the original cooling device. Zotac's correct: This card may not seem like a lot, but they were able to boost the processor and ram cycles further than Sparkle, to 815MHz and 1025MHz. All other characteristics, save the fire-breathing dragon label, reflect those of the reference model, such as the two DVI ports and mini HDMI port on the backplane and the 6pin and 8pin PCIE power fittings on top of the card. Accessories include 6pin and 8pin PCIE power adapters, a mini HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, and DVI-to-VGA adapter. The 58X AMP! also ships with Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and the Zotac Boost Premium program bundle, which consists of the Cooliris browser plug-in, XBMC, Kylo browser for HTPCs, and CUDA-accelerated demonstrations of vReveal and Nero Vision Xtra. In the benchmarks, Zotac's card pushed and shoved its way to the top of the stack, thanks mainly to better processor and ram cycles. Though it's priced substantially higher than the stock card, Zotac's remarkable overcycle and included extras make it a deserving choice for gaming fanatics.

Nvidia's Enthusiast Selection

Having got our mitts on some overcycleed reference boards and even a few overhauls from the PCB on up, we can certainly declare that the graphics cards structured on the GF110 are a serious gamer's treat. There's a broad price variety here, as well, so any major game addict should be able to find something that works at their price point. The GTX58X and 57X won't make you better at games, but with any of them, you simply can't lose.

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Source by Brendan F Finn