The focus of this article is a new product from Nvidia, a gaming-class video accelerator based on the 770 GTX. A potential buyer is given the opportunity to get to know the product better, to learn the technical characteristics of the video adapter and, based on the reviews of professionals, make their own conclusions before purchasing a productive video card for your computer. A review of the available brands on the Russian market will allow the future owner to decide on the manufacturer, which cannot be counted today.
Short excursion
Many readers will agree that over the past few years, Nvidia’s global market policy has been a bit odd. The 770 GTX chipset, which, judging by the marking, should have the performance inherent in the middle gaming class, is a powerful device that can compete with the more expensive high-end segment, even of the previous generation. This is pretty simple to make sure: the graphics core, appearance and performance clearly hint at the legendary GTX 680 and Titan video accelerators.
As Nvidia’s marketers explain, it's pretty simple. It turns out that the struggle is not for increasing productivity, but for the price niche, which is important to occupy as opposed to competitors from AMD. With the release of the inexpensive video adapter HD 7970 GHz Edition from Radeon, the GTX 770 became the analogue in the 400 y niche. e. After all, there were no new chipsets at hand of the manufacturer, the GK 104 core was taken into circulation. The rush to bring the new product to the market led to the fact that the cooling system in the Nvidia laboratory was borrowed from Geforce Titan.
Laughs the one who laughs last
There is already something to think about for owners of top-end devices based on the GTX 680. Indeed, just recently they had to pay a round sum ($ 600) for a top-end model for a very productive video adapter for demanding games. No one even suspected that Nvidia would introduce the same graphics card in the market a year later, only 30% cheaper - the GTX 770, whose specifications are better than the original. But what in common? It:
- technical process 28 nanometers;
- crystal area 294 square millimeters;
- 3.54 billion transistors;
- 1536 stream processors;
- 128 texture units;
- 32 rasterization blocks;
- GDDR 5 memory technology with 2 GB on board (and there are 4 GB from some 770 GTX manufacturers);
- 256-bit memory bus.
The changes affected the clock frequency of the graphics core: the novelty received 1046 MHz (the 680 GTX only 1006 MHz). Also, the clock frequency of the memory (from 6008 MHz to 7010 MHz) succumbed to overclocking. Naturally, this all affected the bandwidth, which increased for the new product - 224, 4 GB / s (680 models have 192 GB / s). About any honesty of the Nvidia manufacturer in relation to customers is out of the question - purely a business.
Good pedigree
A massive radiator with a company logo, which is equipped with a backlight, will certainly delight the buyer. And if you consider that the backlight can be controlled using a regular driver from Nvidia, then the new product does not look so gloomy at first glance. It is worth noting that the 26-centimeter board is perfectly blown with the help of a turbofan, so there can be no talk of any overheating.
Due to the fact that the board, according to the manufacturer, does not require additional power, it is recommended to use a PSU with a power of at least 650 watts. In general, the energy consumption of the Nvidia GTX 770 video adapter is a lot of questions. An increase in the memory clock frequency by 1000 MHz should definitely be accompanied not only by additional power, but also by an improved cooling system. Apparently, the elimination of this problem was given to the giants of the industry, which represent this video adapter on the market.
First off!
The Gigabyte GTX 770 graphics card, presented to the world community, is equipped with the proprietary Windforce III cooling system. The manufacturer completely changed the design of the device, which pleased its fans. Replacing the Nvidia centrifugal fan with three axial fans was clearly more efficient. This is evidenced not only by reviews in the media, but also by the evidence base on the basis of the testing. True, many people are confused by the fact that the opening of the side cavities of the radiator led to the fact that hot air, instead of being brought out (outside the system unit), returns to the inside of the case. I am glad that Gigabyte technologists have taken care of the power system. Instead of a five-phase Nvidia stabilizer, an 8-phase unit was installed.
Pleased with the manufacturer and the technical characteristics of the video card. Overclocking the 770 GTX graphics core is 1137 MHz (in Boost mode 1189 MHz). Judging by the reviews, the video adapter has the potential for overclocking with such a wonderful cooling system. Many owners managed to achieve stable operation at a frequency of 1200 MHz. A tangible performance increase has the other side of the coin - the cooling system at the limit of its capabilities emits a terrible howl, which causes severe irritation to the user.
Dragon Tail
The video card Nvidia GTX 770 from the famous company MSI somehow did not impress users with its appearance. The standard cooling system, at first glance, has long become boring to fans who always want something new from their favorite manufacturer. However, with a detailed study of the radiator, the owner will certainly notice the innovation. The radiator is literally pierced by five copper tubes that converge on the contact pad of the radiator with the graphic core.
Overclocking is quite interestingly implemented by MSI technologists for the GTX 770 graphics card. In the factory version, the video accelerator has the standard core frequencies and memory buses declared by the Nvidia manufacturer. However, bundled with the video card there is a proprietary utility MSI Gaming App, which can independently overclock the graphics core. The most interesting thing is that the increase in frequency is inextricably linked with the temperature sensor on the device’s chipset. That is, in game mode, those who have good air circulation in the system unit will be able to achieve 1180 MHz, for example. And other users will not be able to squeeze more than 1100 MHz out of the core due to poor airflow.
The criterion of "price-quality"
The beloved Taiwanese manufacturer once again pleased its fans with an affordable price by launching the Asus GTX 770 DirectCU II. Hot new product has a dual cooling system. In addition to the standard heat dissipation system in the form of aluminum radiators with copper tubes and two coolers, a warm-water plate is installed at the bottom of the printed circuit board. For an inexpensive device, such a cooling system is clearly a luxury, and accordingly arouses user suspicion.
ASUS innovation is not to everyone's liking. The manufacturer offers its own overclocking system, which is carried out using a proprietary utility and works without user intervention. In normal mode, the core operates at a frequency of 1058 MHz, but at the slightest load the indicator increases, stopping at around 1110 MHz. Judging by the reviews, users do not like such a system, because in parallel with the load, heat dissipation is increasing, which two poor-quality coolers are trying to eliminate (a 65 dB hum clearly hinted at cheap bearings).
Error handling
It is too early to send ASUS retirees. Apparently, after an avalanche of negative reviews about their product, a serious Taiwanese brand decided to rehabilitate, and introduced the world to the silent device Asus GTX 770 ROG POSEIDON. The video card has a hybrid heat dissipation system based on liquid-air cooling. The owner is given the opportunity to choose the mode of operation of the cooler: in air, on liquid, in mixed mode. The cooling system covers the entire board and has a red LED backlight.
Like its predecessor, the video card is offered with a standard core frequency of 1058 MHz, but overclocking the adapter is entirely provided to the user. Judging by the reviews of IT experts, the adapter copes well with overclocking the graphics core up to 1200 MHz. A pleasant moment for the user is the high performance and complete noiselessness of the video adapter. True, the price can confuse some users, because the liquid system is not free, but it’s a penny compared to the real capabilities of the video card. But can they do decent things?
Strange device for overlockers
Pleased fans and the company Zotac. The GTX 770 AMP graphics card appeared in front of customers in all its black and yellow war paint. For representatives of this brand, device owners have never had a question. Cooling system at the highest level: high-quality fans, aluminum radiators, copper tubes, excellent heat dissipation. Even special overlays for memory chips are present under the radiators - all this testifies to the serious approach of the manufacturer to the manufactured products.
Decent cooling is the key to any overclocking. There is something to brag about before competitors. The nominal core frequency is set at 1150 MHz! Automatic acceleration with increasing load has a limit of 1202 MHz. The memory frequency freely reaches 7200 MHz. And the most interesting thing is far from the limit.
You could call the video adapter under the Zotac brand the product of the year, but there is one nuisance. If you continue to overclock on your own over 1202 MHz, the video card starts to get very hot and unstable. As practice shows, the problem is in conventional capacitors, which the manufacturer did not want to change to solid-state capacitors.
"Phantom" - the first after God
Yes Yes! The GTX 770 Phantom video card under the Gainward brand in the factory version is the leader in performance in the global market among analogs. Naturally, such results were achieved by a proprietary cooling system. Three turbocharged coolers are installed not on top of the radiator, but directly in it (between the plates). According to the company's engineers, such a system performed well on the previous model of the GTX 570 video adapter, and judging by the reviews, many users expected the brand to surprise them with something more productive.
The nominal frequency of the graphic poison is 1046 MHz, but in a few seconds the proprietary Expert Tool utility is able to squeeze 1250 MHz out of the core. And this is a regular overclocking, and then everything depends on the owner’s desire and the temperature inside the system unit - if you do not bring it to overheating, there is a potential for raising productivity. It will not be possible to burn the graphics core, because a cutter is installed at the BIOS level, which, at a core temperature of 100 degrees Celsius, resets all settings to the nominal (1046 MHz) and stops the operating system using the driver - the “blue Windows death window”.
Grey Cardinal
A rather strange approach to the release of a video adapter based on the Nvidia GTX 770 from EVGA. Gray box, black driver disks and interface cables. And the video adapter itself is no different from the standard copy of the manufacturer Nvidia. Only the company logo on the radiator casing and the inscription “Superclocked” indicate that the video card belongs to EVGA. The technical specifications of the video adapter correspond to the declared Nvidia data, and during overclocking the device emits an unpleasant hum. Only the price will please users - it is as strange as the video card itself (380 cu).
There is another representative of the EVGA company on the market, made in the same gray style, but instead of the standard Nvidia cooler, the device has a proprietary Active Cooling Xtreme cooling system with two turbo fans. The nominal frequency of the graphics core is 1085 MHz, and in Boost mode - 1137 MHz. Quite a good performance, considering that the cooling system even at maximum is very quiet compared to other products on the GTX 770 chipset. The media reviews for these two devices are more questionable. What these two products are and how they got on the Russian market is still a mystery to many users.
Return of the legend
Judging by the feedback from marketers, Point of View (PNY) has disappeared from the Russian market. The manufacturer introduced a product for overclockers: a video card marked XLR8 OC based on the Geforce GTX 770. The characteristics of the device will definitely attract the attention of many users. The core core frequency is set at 1150 MHz (in Boost mode 1202 MHz). The overclocking potential of the video accelerator is small and, judging by the reviews, is not at all welcomed by the manufacturer, since a whole booklet, which comes with the device, is dedicated to improving productivity on its own. In short: any overclocking is recorded in the BIOS and immediately voids the warranty.
And without user intervention, the video accelerator shows excellent gaming performance. The stability of the device contributes to the proprietary cooling system, consisting of an aluminum radiator and two silent coolers. Fans of the game World of Warcraft will love the gift from the manufacturer - Pandaren Monk, which will help to cope with the enemy in pet battles. The remaining buyers will appreciate the affordable price (390 cu).
The most beautiful video adapter
If we compare the video cards in appearance, then the leader in the nomination "Best Design" would certainly become a device from the manufacturer Palit - Geforce GTX 770 OC Edition. With the naked eye you can see the teamwork of technologists, engineers and designers of the company. Burnished radiators are hidden under a tar-black protective casing with three turbocharged fans. The owners in their reviews note that after opening the package, for a long time they could not admire the beauty of the video card. A true masterpiece!
The manufacturer did not upset his customers and managed to combine beauty with high performance. As it turned out, the cooling system copes with its task 100%, which will please all overclockers. Excellent airflow, minimum noise - what else is needed for a wonderful pastime at your favorite game? The core operates at a frequency of 1085 MHz (in Boost mode - 1137 MHz) and perfectly accelerates to 1160 MHz.
Finally
With the advent of the video adapter based on the 770 GTX, the gaming market is clearly confused. Previously, to run a resource-intensive game at high resolutions, it was necessary to purchase an adapter from a high-end niche, the cost of which is about 1000. e., now, without five minutes, the state employee freely competes with the top-end device. Definitely, some changes will occur on the market, because it should not be that an expensive device was worse in performance than a representative of a cheap niche. On the other hand, this is a great chance for all game lovers to get a decent and inexpensive video adapter that will cope with any loads in the coming years.