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- Date:
- Monday , June 17, 2013
- Author:
- Grady McKinney
- Editor:
- Brent Justice
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ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II Video Card Review
We break down the first custom GTX 770 video card from ASUS. We compare the ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II to a GeForce GTX 680 and Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition in today's most demanding games. With a competitive price, a custom cooler, and vast overclocking capabilities, this just may be the upgrade you have been waiting for.
Introduction
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. is one of the largest and most successful computer hardware manufacturers in the world. A Taiwan-based company, it manufactures a wide variety of computer hardware, including motherboards, video cards, optical drives, notebooks, networking equipment, barebones desktop, and server systems, among many others. In 2008, it sold over 24 million motherboards, grossed 8.1 billion U.S., and won 3,056 awards from various enthusiasts and IT related outlets.
On our test bench today is the ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DIrectCU II (GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5) video card.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770
The GeForce GTX 770 is based on the same GK104 chip as the GeForce GTX 680 and GeForce GTX 670. It is a 28nm chip with 3,540 million transistors. It contains 8 SMX units equaling 1,536 CUDA cores with a base clock frequency of 1046MHz and a boost clock frequency of 1085MHz. There are 32 ROPs and 128 TMUs on board. You can get the GTX 770 in a 2GB or 4GB configuration with 256-bit memory at 7GHz equaling 224GB/s of bandwidth. The TDP of the GeForce GTX 770 is 230W.
It has the same specifications as a GeForce GTX 680 except for the clock speed and memory frequency. A GeForce GTX 680 has a base clock of 1006MHz and a boost clock of 1058MHz. Therefore, the GTX 770 has a 40MHz higher base clock and a 27MHz higher boost clock. The memory of the GeForce GTX 770 got a substantial upgrade. The GeForce GTX 770 is set to run at 7GHz memory frequency by default. This faster memory, on the 256-bit memory bus, give us 32GB/s more memory bandwidth to play with on the 770 than the 680. It brings us up from 192GB/s on the GTX 680 to 224GB/s on the GTX 770.
The GeForce GTX 770 also supports GPU Boost 2.0. This changes the way that the boards frequencies work. Instead of keeping the frequency in a certain window based on power primarily, now the real-time frequency is based on temperature. The temperature target has been set at 80c. Cooler temperatures yield higher real-time frequencies in-games.
ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II
The ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II comes with a small factory overclock. The board ships with the base clock set to 1059MHz and the boost clock at 1111MHz. The factory overclock means the ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DC II has a 13MHz higher base clock and a 26MHz faster boost clock, compared to reference GTX 770 model. The 2GB of GDDR5 memory is not overclocked, and runs at the default speed of 7GHz.
With GPU Boost 2.0 now effectively controlling the GPU frequencies based on temperature, we find a higher need for productive cooling. ASUS has provided us just that with the DirectCU II cooling system. We have seen time and time again this cooling system produce cool temperatures while remaining extremely quiet. The key to achieving high stable overclocks are consistently low temperatures, which we are assured to receive with this cooler. ASUS claims it to be 20% cooler and 3X quieter than the reference GeForce GTX 770 design.
ASUS also has its own overclocking utility, ASUS GPU Tweak. ASUS has also updated GPU Tweak to add support for the ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DC II which utilizes GPU Boost 2.0. This means that we will be able to control the boards temperature target, which is by default 80c. This video card also features DIGI+ VRM and super alloy power components, which means less power noise, better power efficiency, and up to a 2.5X longer life span.
The ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II video card can be purchased for $409.99 with Free Prime Shipping. ASUS also offers a free 3 year limited parts and labor warranty with this video card. You can read more about the ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II's specifications and features here.
ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II Pictures
The ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DC II accessory package includes a dual 6-pin PCIe to 8-pin PCIe power adaptor. It also includes a driver installation CD, which includes GPU Tweak, and a speed setup guide. The video card was snugly and securely packaged, leaving little room for movement while shipping.
The ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DC II is printed on a black PCB, with a black back plating and black heatsink cover. The two fans are extremely lightweight, which helps minimize noise even at higher RPMs. The back plate keeps all rear mounted components safe, and also helps distribute heat buildup along the back of the video card. The video card does seem a little heavy, due in part to the massive heatsink that runs the length of the board. However, it feels very durable and is very well put together.
The ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DC II will require an 8-pin and 6-pin PCIe connector, which is located along the top of the video card. There are small LED's that light up green and red, depending on if each has a solid power connection. There is also a small area at the end of the motherboard where users can directly monitor the voltage of the GPU, memory, and PLL voltage. In order to operate properly ASUS suggests having at least a 600W power supply. The rear I/O panel houses a dual-link DVI-I connector, a dual-link DVI-D connector, an HDMI connector and one DisplayPort connector. The ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DC II measures 10.5 inches in length, 4 and 5/8th inches tall, and 1.5 inches wide. It will take up two slots in your case.
In this evaluation keep in mind these video card prices as we have based our comparisons on:
ASUS GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II - $409.99 (Amazon @ ASUS MSRP)
Reference GTX 770 - $399 (MSRP supplied by NVIDIA)
GeForce GTX 680 2GB – $419 to $539 for custom overclocked cards.
Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition - $399 to $549 for custom overclocked cards.