NVIDIA is one of the leaders in the global graphics card market. This brand delivers high-performance, technological solutions that can satisfy the needs of both ordinary users and those who are interested in computer games and graphic applications that require particularly high efficiency from the corresponding hardware component. Among the video cards that are characterized by optimal performance at an affordable price are NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670. What are its specifics? How productive is it and how is it ahead of the competition?
Video Card Overview
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 is a device related to the 6XX line, which also includes devices such as the GTX 680 and GTX 690. The other two cards are in the higher price range. In this case, the GTX 680 device has one processor installed, in the GTX 690 - two. Cards related to the NVIDIA line under consideration are characterized by IT specialists as combining optimal performance and an acceptable level of energy consumption.
The GTX 670 device, in turn, belongs to the middle price range. It is considered the successor to the GTX 570 device. The structure of the GTS 670 graphics card is a high-performance processor, however, a number of functions are deactivated in it. The device under consideration lends itself well to overclocking, during which the performance of the device can well be brought to a level comparable to that for the top models of the line. This can be seen both in the aspect of testing the capabilities of a video card in synthetic tests, and in the practice of using the device in computer games.
Characteristics
Let's move on to a more detailed study of the capabilities of the GTX 670. The characteristics of the device in terms of individual components will be especially useful for us. The most remarkable facts regarding those can be presented in the following list.
The video card is made according to the 28 nm manufacturing process.
The structure of the main graphic chip contains 1344 processors responsible for processing threads. The number of texture units is 112. The number of pipelines responsible for raster operations is 32. The RAM bus of the video card has a width of 256 bits. GPU frequency - 915 MHz standard, 980 - during overclocking.
The frequency of the video card's RAM is 1502 MHz (effective - 6 GHz).
DirectX support - in version 11.1.
The GPU power system operates when an RT8867A type controller is manufactured by Richtek. The corresponding hardware component supports process control in four phases, as well as active switching between them - in order to reduce the power consumption of the video card in the mode of its minimum load.
In order to stabilize the power supply of the main microcircuit, lines are used that are characterized by a doubled base of structural elements.
Device versions
The NVIDIA GTX 670 graphics card is implemented in several hardware versions. So, there is a standard model, but there is one that is adapted for small PC cases - Direct CU Mini OC. What are the key differences between the two? The standard version of the device has, in particular, two additional power connectors, each of which has 6 contacts. Direct CU Mini OC has one connector, equipped with 8 pins. There is a difference in the power requirements of a computer power supply. In the standard version, the corresponding parameter should be at least 500 watts in the "reduced" - 450 watts. But in the main set of components, the noted technological implementations of the video card are identical. So, for example, with regard to the support of NVIDIA SLI technology, there are connectors on all devices for the subsequent integration of the capacities of several video cards.
All versions of the device have an effective cooling system. Consider its features in more detail.
Power Consumption and Cooling System
The energy consumption level of the GTX 670 device with active use in games is about 141 watts, in overclocking mode - 172 watts. The device is equipped with a modern cooling system. So, a radiator made of aluminum is complemented by a heat sink design. The cooling system on NVIDIA GTX 670 cards is also characterized by specialists as one of the most compact. The basis of the corresponding hardware component is a mounting plate, which acts as a cooling component for both chips and batteries, which interact with it through thermal pads.
Speaking about the practical effectiveness of the cooling system of the video card in question, it can be noted that when the graphic core is heated to about 71 degrees, the cooler rotation speed will be about 43% of the maximum. However, if the device operates at that, then the temperature of the processor will drop to 57 degrees. Thus, the corresponding hardware component of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 can be described as one of the most effective on the market.
It can also be noted that the cooling system of the video card is designed so that heated air is discharged outside the device. One of the possible disadvantages of the corresponding hardware component is in the quiet mechanical noise effects that are observed, as some experts note, even in the normal mode of operation, disappear. By the way, if the graphics core is in the minimum load mode, then their frequencies are automatically reduced (we will consider this feature in more detail below), as a result of which the core energy consumption is reduced, as well as heat dissipation. In this mode, the processor heats up to a temperature of 27 degrees, and the cooling system functions very quietly.
CPU and memory
We will study the features of other hardware components of the GTX 670 graphics card. The characteristics of the graphics processor, in particular, installed in it, as well as RAM, will be very useful for us.
The first component is of type GK104. It operates at a frequency of 915 MHz. It is equipped with 1344 thread processors. It can be noted that both marked indicators of the GeForce GTX 670 graphics card are more modest than the GTX 680 device. So, the “premium” model with 192 processors designed for processing streams has more. The clock speed of the chip is 91 MHz higher.
Regarding RAM, 8 modules with a total volume of 2 GB are installed on the video card in question. There are 4 corresponding components on each side of the device. The characteristics of the RAM modules correspond to those installed on the older model of the line noted above. The RAM bus on the video card operates at 256 bits, the frequency of the modules is 6 GHz.
Comparison with competing solutions
The main competitor of the video card in question is considered to be the Radeon HD 7950 device . They are comparable in their main characteristics . Some experts also rank the Radeon HD 7970 device as competing solutions. There is also reason to talk about the “unofficial” competition of this device with other models of the brand, before all, the GTX 680, which belongs to the same line of devices, as well as the GTX 760 - a newer graphics adapter.
According to IT experts, it is advisable to compare the GTX 670 with three marked devices - a direct competitor and two “unofficial” in two modes - nominal and overclocked. According to experts, in the first operation scheme, the video card in question is ahead of the Radeon HD 7950, in some cases even the HD 7970 (we will study similar modes later in the article), and a bit of the GTX 760. As we know, the GTX 680 belongs to the premium segment of the line , therefore, when comparing the nominal characteristics and performance in normal mode, this device is ahead of the GTX 670. However, in overclocking mode, the performance of two devices becomes comparable. We will study this feature in more detail.
Overclocking device
We noted above that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 is overclocked. It can be noted that the manufacturer of the device has developed its own system for controlling the power parameters and device frequencies. It captures the upper limit for the first indicator, as well as the base frequency of the video card. A special program unit monitors the dynamics of the processor’s resource utilization, its level of energy consumption, temperature and sets the optimal supply voltage and frequency (the corresponding parameter can be significantly higher than the baseline values).
Among the most convenient custom overclocking solutions is the eVGA PrecisionX software. Experts note its optimal compatibility with the video card in question. So, using this software, you can effectively monitor the frequency of the processor. Note that power management is not available for the owner of the GTX 670 graphics card. In principle, this is logical - an inexperienced user can set parameters that will lead to the failure of the video card.
Overclocking temperature and power consumption
It will also be useful to study one significant aspect of such a procedure as overclocking the GTX 670 - the temperature level of the device and the actual power consumption. According to experts, the first parameter of the device under consideration in both modes of normal operation and overclocking is practically no different from that that characterizes the flagship model - the GTX 680. The video card cooling system works at a speed of about 2160 during overclocking and 2130 in normal mode . This allows us to talk about a high level of optimization of temperature indicators by the manufacturer of the device.
Regarding power consumption - the GeForce GTX 670 graphics card is close in this indicator to the flagship model in overclocking mode, and at the same time is inferior to it when working at standard frequencies. At the same time, one of the competitors of the device - the HD 7970 video card - is characterized by a higher level of energy consumption.
Overclocking Practical Results
As noted by experts who tested the device in question during overclocking in modern computer games, it is quite possible to achieve a tangible increase in the real performance of the device. During the launch of the games, as well as the use of synthetic tests, it was revealed that the device could well compete with such video cards as the Radeon HD 7970. In some modes, experts noted that the device in question outperforms the GTX 680 - a premium device in the line. Of course, if it functions at standard frequencies.
Let us examine in more detail what results are shown in specific applications of the GTX 670. In this case, it is advisable to compare with solutions that are positioned as corresponding to a higher price segment, in particular, the unofficial competitor of the video card for the branded line - GTX 680.
Among the most popular programs for testing video cards is 3D Mark 11. This test showed that the device in question is ahead of the marked device from Radeon, and during overclocking it becomes even more effective than the “premium” model of the line - the GTX 680 graphics card. Provided that we noted above that the parameters of the GTX 680 are not artificially overestimated during overclocking. Regarding the operation of devices at standard frequencies - the difference is about 11% in favor of the premium model.
Another popular benchmark is the Heaven Benchmark. Through it, you can determine the level of tessellation of devices. As tests show, in the nominal mode of operation of the video card GeForce GTX 670 results are achieved that are similar to those shown by the Radeon HD 7970 device, and when overclocked - identical to those that reflect the performance of the flagship model.
We will now study the effectiveness of devices in computer games. Among the most popular are Batman: Arkham City. NVIDIA's card performance is higher than when using a competitive Radeon solution. The lag of the GTX 670 from the older model in this game is very small. If you overclock the device, then it is significantly ahead of the flagship.
Battlefield 3 has similar patterns. Moreover, the lag of the premium model from the GTX 670, as IT experts note, becomes more noticeable as the screen resolution increases. It should be noted that in some games the solutions from NVIDIA are inferior to the Radeon graphics card. Among them - Aliens VS Predator. Even the overclocked GTX 670 graphics card lags behind the competing device in performance, while overtaking the flagship model of the line. It is noteworthy that when comparing the performance of video cards of this series with the younger line, in particular, with the GTX 580 device, the lag of the second in the Aliens VS Predator game is not so obvious. Experts attribute this to the fact that the GTX 580 and Radeon HD 7970 video cards use a 384-bit RAM bus, while the GTX 670 device, as we noted at the beginning of the article, has a corresponding figure of 256 bits. Perhaps this is the reason behind the lag of solutions released by NVIDIA from competing ones.
In Dirt 3, NVIDIA devices are much faster than Radeon's graphics card. Thus, the GTX 670 works in this game 45% more efficiently than its competitor. True, at the same time, it is significantly inferior to the flagship - by about 16%. During overclocking, the device in question is ahead of the premium model in only one resolution - 2560 by 1440 pixels.
In the Crysis 2 game, the GTX 670 graphics card is more productive than the GTX 680 only when overclocked, and with a resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels, it shows slightly lower efficiency even at nominal frequencies. However, in the appropriate mode, the device in question is inferior to Radeon. In the Lost Planet 2 game, the flagship device is more efficient than the GTX 670, which in turn is ahead of the video card from Radeon. During overclocking, the device in question works a little more productively than the GTX 680. The video card of the previous line - the GTX 580 - is noticeably inferior to the new models.
In the HAWX 2 game, the device in question is almost twice as fast as the leader of the previous line and is slightly inferior to the flagship. The video card from Radeon also works less efficiently in this game. In overclocking mode, the best is the GTX 670.
Another popular game is Metro 2033. Many IT experts consider it as one of the most demanding graphics card performance. The GTX 670 device in overclocking mode with increasing resolution during tests shows increasing efficiency. In particular, its performance becomes almost identical to that of the flagship, with a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels.
So, in specialized applications and computer games, the video card looks more than worthy - both against the background of competitors, and when comparing its performance with other solutions from NVIDIA.
User and expert reviews
What do users and experts say about the GTX 670 device? An overview of this device is often found on thematic online portals and is often accompanied by the views of computer game enthusiasts and IT solution enthusiasts. Relevant grades can be classified into the following main categories:
- reflecting an opinion about the level of energy consumption and the device cooling system;
- concerning the characteristics of the device, the technologies supported by it;
- evaluating the acceleration efficiency;
- reflecting an opinion on the performance of the device.
Regarding the reviews of the first type, reflecting the position of the owner of the device, an enthusiast of IT solutions or an expert regarding the power consumption of the device, we can note a positive attitude of users. We noted above that the GTS 670 graphics card in all its versions has a balanced and efficient cooling system. Thus, even with a high load on the device, the corresponding hardware component will protect the device from overheating and malfunctions.
The next category of reviews is the characteristics of the device, as well as the technologies it supports. If we consider the first aspect of the opinions about the GeForce GTX 670 - specifications, then the ratings of users and specialists here reflect their high rating of the relevant parameters. At the same time, it is especially noted that the video card can be overclocked, and therefore, the nominal characteristics should be considered in correlation with their potential increase. How much this can be effective, we have seen above, considering the performance of overclocking in various applications and games.
Regarding technology support, users and experts agree that the device fully meets modern market demands in terms of compatibility with advanced standards. Such as, for example, DirectX 11.
The next aspect of the reviews, in fact, concerns overclocking efficiency. And here, users and experts agree in evaluating the respective capabilities of the device. Overclocking the GTX 670, as users note, is easy and incredibly efficient.
Opinions regarding the performance of the device are also generally positive. Many users note that the difference in the test results of the considered video card and competing solutions in practice may not be noticed at all, in particular, during the game. Not every person, therefore, will be able to distinguish between frame rates of 135 units per second and 137, which is recorded in tests when comparing the GTX 670 and competing models.
Users note the excellent ratio of quality and price of the device, which is formed, again, largely due to the overclocking capabilities of the device. But even when using a video card at nominal frequencies, the efficiency of its work is estimated by users and experts as very impressive.
Summary
The video card GTX 670 refers, as we noted at the beginning of the article, to the middle price segment. However, the actual performance of the device is comparable to the performance for the flagship models. If you correctly disperse the device, then its efficiency will not be inferior to premium video cards of the corresponding line, and in a number of tests it will be characterized by higher performance. The same can be said about the comparison of the device with competing solutions, in particular, the line of Radeon. Thus, the described video card is among the most competitive on the market, if we talk about the ratio of quality and price.