EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SuperClocked Review

Featuring EVGA's 3-Year Global Warranty, Extendable to 10-Years

Manufacturer: EVGA Corporation
Product Name: GeForce GTX 660
Model Number: 2GB SC SuperClocked
Part Number: 02G-P4-2662-KR
UPC: 843368021757
Suggested Retail Price: $229.99 (Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by EVGA.

Of the many platforms available for gamers to enjoy video games, there's no question that the highest quality graphics come from PC. While game developers might not consider PC gaming as lucrative as entertainment consoles, companies like NVIDIA use desktop graphics to set the benchmark for smaller more compact designs that make it into notebooks, tablets, and smartphone devices. NVIDIA's Kepler GPU architecture is an example of this, delivering unprecedented performance while operating cooler and consuming far less power than previous flagship discrete graphics cards. GeForce GTX 660 hits the performance-to-value sweet spot.

When PC gamers upgrade their computer's video card, they want to get as much value as possible from their investment. They also want to be covered in case of failure, and get back into the fight as quickly as possible. NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 660 graphics card delivers impressive performance to the mainstream, pushed into hyper speed by EVGA's factory SuperClocked treatment. A 3-year warranty can be extended to 10-years, surpassing every other brand in the industry. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SC (model 02G-P4-2662-KR) against a collection of DirectX 11 discrete graphics solutions.

Built on NVIDIA's GK106 graphics processor, the GeForce GTX 660 offers all the same high-end features found on the top-end GTX video cards but with a much more affordable price tag. In addition to a new and improved Kepler GPU architecture with NVIDIA GPU Boost technology, the GeForce GTX 660 video card delivers further refinement to the user experience. Smoother FXAA and adaptive vSync technology results in less chop, stutter, and tearing in on-screen motion. Adaptive vSync adjusts the monitor's refresh rate whenever the FPS rate becomes too low to properly sustain vertical sync, thereby reducing stutter and tearing artifacts. NVIDIA TXAA helps deliver a film-style anti-aliasing technique with a mix of hardware post-processing, custom CG file style AA resolve, and an optional temporal component for better image quality.

EVGA further extends GeForce GTX 660 functionality with a stable factory overclocked 28nm Kepler GPU. Equipped with 960 CUDA cores, NVIDIA's reference GeForce GTX 660 has a GPU clocked to 980MHz core/1033 boost which EVGA raises to 1046MHz core/1111 boost with 'SuperClocked' treatment. The card's GDDR5 memory is clocked to 1502MHz (6008MHz realized) is identical to NVIDIA's top-end flagship model: GeForce GTX 680. A 192-bit memory bandwidth matches that of the GTX 660 Titanium model that recently debuted, and produces 144.19 GB/s.

First Look: EVGA GTX660 SC

Packed with everything needed to get up and running, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked kit (02G-P4-2662-KR) includes: the factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 660 SC PCI-Express 3.0 video card, DVI-to-VGA adapter, 6-pin PCI-E to Molex 4-pin power adapter, and EVGA installation DVD with drivers and graphics software.

This review examines the factory-overclocked EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked video card, model 02G-P4-2662-KR. EVGA maintains the reference profile dimensions for their GTX 660 SC, which measures 1.5" tall (double-bay), 3.9" wide, and 9.5" long. The EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SC graphics card is designed to fit into nearly all mid-tower computer case enclosures with plenty of room to spare.

EVGA has adopted the effecient GTX 660 reference design, which operates quietly under normal use. A rear mounted 60mm (2.4") blower m otor fan rests slightly below the plastic fan shroud, allowing sufficient air to reach the intake whenever two or more video cards are combined in close-proximity SLI configurations.

Specified at 140W Thermal Design Power output the GeForce GTX 660 demands much less of the system's power supply unit, allowing NVIDIA to recommend a 450W PSU for single-card installations. GeForce GTX 660 requires power from a single six-pin PCI-E connections. With GeForce GTX 660 the power connection is relocated to the side of the video card, so to better fit into small PC enclosures.

As with past-generation GeForce GTX series graphics cards, the GTX 660 is capable of two-card SLI configurations. Because GeForce GTX 660 is PCI-Express 3.0 compliant device, the added bandwidth could potentially come into demand as future games and applications make use of these resources. Most games work well using medium settings with a single GeForce GTX 660 graphics card, but multi-card SLI configurations are perfect for gamers wanting to experience high-performance video games played at higher quality settings with some bells and whistles enabled.

The EVGA GTX 660 SC offers two simultaneously functional dual-link DVI (DVI-D and DVD-I ) connections, a full-size HDMI 1.4a output, and a DisplayPort 1.2 connection. Only one of these video cards is necessary to drive triple-display NVIDIA 3D-Vision Surround functionality, when using both DVI ports and either the HDMI or DP connection for third output. All of these video interfaces consume exhaust-vent real estate, but this has very little impact on cooling because the 28nm Kepler GPU generates less heat than past GeForce processors, and also because EVGA intentionally enlarged the vents to expel heated exhaust.

The memory subsystem has been tweaked on GeForce GTX 660, allowing the 2048MB GDDR5 video frame buffer to produce 144.2 GB/s total memory bandwidth at an impressive 6008 MHz data rate. Three memory controllers combine six GDDR5 ICs for a 192-bit memory lane, which moves data more efficiently than previous designs to yield a fill rate of 78.4 GigaTexels per second.

The exposed printed circuit board on the backside of the video card reveals an interesting discovery: GeForce GTX 660 uses a much smaller PCB than the profile suggests. Past GeForce products generally use a shroud to cover the entire length of the circuit board, but with GTX 660 the PCB measures only 6.75" of this 9.5" card, with a 2.5" extension to support the cooling fan.

In the next section, we detail our test methodology and give specifications for all of the benchmarks and equipment used in our testing process...

VGA Testing Methodology

The Microsoft DirectX-11 graphics API is native to the Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System, and will be the primary O/S for our test platform. DX11 is also available as a Microsoft Update for the Windows Vista O/S, so our test results apply to both versions of the Operating System. The majority of benchmark tests used in this article are comparative to DX11 performance, however some high-demand DX10 tests have also been included.

In each benchmark test there is one 'cache run' that is conducted, followed by five recorded test runs. Results are collected at each setting with the highest and lowest results discarded. The remaining three results are averaged, and displayed in the performance charts on the following pages.

A combination of synthetic and video game benchmark tests have been used in this article to illustrate relative performance among graphics solutions. Our benchmark frame rate results are not intended to represent real-world graphics performance, as this experience would change based on supporting hardware and the perception of individuals playing the video game.

Intel X79 Express Test System

• Motherboard: ASUS P9X79 Deluxe Motherboard (Intel X79 Express)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition (six cores)
• System Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws-Z 32GB DDR3-1600
• Primary Drive: OCZ Vertex 2 Solid State Drive
• Power Supply Unit: OCZ Z-Series Gold 850W OCZZ850
• Monitor: ASUS VG278H 27" Widescreen Monitor

DirectX-10 Benchmark Applications

• Crysis Warhead v1.1 with HOC Benchmark
  • Settings: Airfield Demo, Very High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF

DirectX-11 Benchmark Applications

• 3DMark11 Professional Edition by Futuremark
  • Settings: Performance Level Preset, 1280x720, 1x AA, Trilinear Filtering, Tessellation level 5)
• Aliens vs Predator Benchmark 1.0
  • Settings: Very High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF, SSAO, Tessellation, Advanced Shadows
• Batman: Arkham City
  • Settings: 8x AA, 16x AF, MVSS+HBAO, High Tessellation, Extreme Detail, PhysX Disabled
• BattleField 3
  • Settings: Ultra Graphics Quality, FOV 90, 180-second Fraps Scene
• Lost Planet 2 Benchmark 1.0
  • Settings: Benchmark B, 4x AA, Blur Off, High Shadow Detail, High Texture, High Render, High DirectX 11 Features
• Metro 2033 Benchmark
  • Settings: Very-High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF, Tessellation, PhysX Disabled
• Unigine Heaven Benchmark 3.0
  • Settings: DirectX 11, High Quality, Extreme Tessellation, 16x AF, 4x AA

PCI-Express Graphics Cards

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (732 MHz GPU/1464 MHz Shader/950 MHz 1280MB GDDR5 - Forceware 304.38)
• AMD Radeon HD 6970 (880 MHz GPU/1375 MHz vRAM - AMD Catalyst 12.7)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (772 MHz GPU/1544 MHz Shader/1002 MHz vRAM - Forceware 304.38)
• EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SuperClocked (1046 MHz GPU/1111 MHz Boost/1502 MHz vRAM - Forceware 306.23)
• ASUS GeForce GTX 660Ti DirectCU-II TOP (1059 MHz GPU/1137 MHz Boost/1502 MHz vRAM - Forceware 306.23)
• AMD Radeon HD 7970 (925 MHz GPU/1375 MHz vRAM - AMD Catalyst 12.7)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (915 MHz GPU/980 MHz Boost/1502 MHz vRAM - Forceware 306.23)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (1006 MHz GPU/1059 MHz Boost/1502 MHz vRAM - Forceware 306.23)

DX10: Crysis Warhead

Crysis Warhead is an expansion pack based on the original Crysis video game. Crysis Warhead is based in the future, where an ancient alien spacecraft has been discovered beneath the Earth on an island east of the Philippines. Crysis Warhead uses a refined version of the CryENGINE2 graphics engine. Like Crysis, Warhead uses the Microsoft Direct3D 10 (DirectX-10) API for graphics rendering.

Benchmark Reviews uses the HOC Crysis Warhead benchmark tool to test and measure graphic performance using the Airfield 1 demo scene. This short test places a high amount of stress on a graphics card because of detailed terrain and textures, but also for the test settings used. Using the DirectX-10 test with Very High Quality settings, the Airfield 1 demo scene receives 4x anti-aliasing and 16x anisotropic filtering to create maximum graphic load and separate the products according to their performance.

Using the highest quality DirectX-10 settings with 4x AA and 16x AF, only the most powerful graphics cards are expected to perform well in our Crysis Warhead benchmark tests. DirectX-11 extensions are not supported in Crysis: Warhead, and SSAO is not an available option.

• Crysis Warhead v1.1 with HOC Benchmark
  • Settings: Airfield Demo, Very High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF

Crysis Warhead Benchmark Test Results

DX11: 3DMark11

FutureMark 3DMark11 is the latest addition the 3DMark benchmark series built by FutureMark corporation. 3DMark11 is a PC benchmark suite designed to test the DirectX-11 graphics card performance without vendor preference. Although 3DMark11 includes the unbiased Bullet Open Source Physics Library instead of NVIDIA PhysX for the CPU/Physics tests, Benchmark Reviews concentrates on the four graphics-only tests in 3DMark11 and uses them with medium-level 'Performance' presets.

The 'Performance' level setting applies 1x multi-sample anti-aliasing and trilinear texture filtering to a 1280x720p resolution. The tessellation detail, when called upon by a test, is preset to level 5, with a maximum tessellation factor of 10. The shadow map size is limited to 5 and the shadow cascade count is set to 4, while the surface shadow sample count is at the maximum value of 16. Ambient occlusion is enabled, and preset to a quality level of 5.

• Futuremark 3DMark11 Professional Edition
  • Settings: Performance Level Preset, 1280x720, 1x AA, Trilinear Filtering, Tessellation level 5)

3DMark11 Benchmark Test Results

DX11: Aliens vs Predator

Aliens vs. Predator is a science fiction first-person shooter video game, developed by Rebellion, and published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Xbox 360. Aliens vs. Predator utilizes Rebellion's proprietary Asura game engine, which had previously found its way into Call of Duty: World at War and Rogue Warrior. The self-contained benchmark tool is used for our DirectX-11 tests, which push the Asura game engine to its limit.

In our benchmark tests, Aliens vs. Predator was configured to use the highest quality settings with 4x AA and 16x AF. DirectX-11 features such as Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) and tessellation have also been included, along with advanced shadows.

• Aliens vs Predator
  • Settings: Very High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF, SSAO, Tessellation, Advanced Shadows

Aliens vs Predator Benchmark Test Results

DX11: Batman Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is a 3d-person action game that adheres to story line previously set forth in Batman: Arkham Asylum, which launched for game consoles and PC back in 2009. Based on an updated Unreal Engine 3 game engine, Batman: Arkham City enjoys DirectX 11 graphics which uses multi-threaded rendering to produce life-like tessellation effects. While gaming console versions of Batman: Arkham City deliver high-definition graphics at either 720p or 1080i, you'll only get the high-quality graphics and special effects on PC.

In an age when developers give game consoles priority over PC, it's becoming difficult to find games that show off the stunning visual effects and lifelike quality possible from modern graphics cards. Fortunately Batman: Arkham City is a game that does amazingly well on both platforms, while at the same time making it possible to cripple the most advanced graphics card on the planet by offering extremely demanding NVIDIA 32x CSAA and full PhysX capability. Also available to PC users (with NVIDIA graphics) is FXAA, a shader based image filter that achieves similar results to MSAA yet requires less memory and processing power.

Batman: Arkham City offers varying levels of PhysX effects, each with its own set of hardware requirements. You can turn PhysX off, or enable 'Normal levels which introduce GPU-accelerated PhysX elements such as Debris Particles, Volumetric Smoke, and Destructible Environments into the game, while the 'High' setting adds real-time cloth and paper simulation. Particles exist everywhere in real life, and this PhysX effect is seen in many aspects of game to add back that same sense of realism. For PC gamers who are enthusiastic about graphics quality, don't skimp on PhysX. DirectX 11 makes it possible to enjoy many of these effects, and PhysX helps bring them to life in the game.

• Batman: Arkham City
  • Settings: 8x AA, 16x AF, MVSS+HBAO, High Tessellation, Extreme Detail, PhysX Disabled

Batman: Arkham City Benchmark Test Results

DX11: Battlefield 3

In Battlefield 3, players step into the role of the Elite U.S. Marines. As the first boots on the ground, players will experience heart-pounding missions across diverse locations including Paris, Tehran and New York. As a U.S. Marine in the field, periods of tension and anticipation are punctuated by moments of complete chaos. As bullets whiz by, walls crumble, and explosions force players to the grounds, the battlefield feels more alive and interactive than ever before.

The graphics engine behind Battlefield 3 is called Frostbite 2, which delivers realistic global illumination lighting along with dynamic destructible environments. The game uses a hardware terrain tessellation method that allows a high number of detailed triangles to be rendered entirely on the GPU when near the terrain. This allows for a very low memory footprint and relies on the GPU alone to expand the low res data to highly realistic detail.

Using Fraps to record frame rates, our Battlefield 3 benchmark test uses a three-minute capture on the 'Secure Parking Lot' stage of Operation Swordbreaker. Relative to the online multiplayer action, these frame rate results are nearly identical to daytime maps with the same video settings.

• BattleField 3
  • Settings: Ultra Graphics Quality, FOV 90, 180-second Fraps Scene

Battlefield 3 Benchmark Test Results

DX11: Lost Planet 2

Lost Planet 2 is the second installment in the saga of the planet E.D.N. III, ten years after the story of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. The snow has melted and the lush jungle life of the planet has emerged with angry and luscious flora and fauna. With the new environment comes the addition of DirectX-11 technology to the game.

Lost Planet 2 takes advantage of DX11 features including tessellation and displacement mapping on water, level bosses, and player characters. In addition, soft body compute shaders are used on 'Boss' characters, and wave simulation is performed using DirectCompute. These cutting edge features make for an excellent benchmark for top-of-the-line consumer GPUs.

The Lost Planet 2 benchmark offers two different tests, which serve different purposes. This article uses tests conducted on benchmark B, which is designed to be a deterministic and effective benchmark tool featuring DirectX 11 elements.

• Lost Planet 2 Benchmark 1.0
  • Settings: Benchmark B, 4x AA, Blur Off, High Shadow Detail, High Texture, High Render, High DirectX 11 Features

Lost Planet 2 Benchmark Test Results

DX11: Metro 2033

Metro 2033 is an action-oriented video game with a combination of survival horror, and first-person shooter elements. The game is based on the novel Metro 2033 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. It was developed by 4A Games in Ukraine and released in March 2010 for Microsoft Windows. Metro 2033 uses the 4A game engine, developed by 4A Games. The 4A Engine supports DirectX-9, 10, and 11, along with NVIDIA PhysX and GeForce 3D Vision.

The 4A engine is multi-threaded in such that only PhysX had a dedicated thread, and uses a task-model without any pre-conditioning or pre/post-synchronizing, allowing tasks to be done in parallel. The 4A game engine can utilize a deferred shading pipeline, and uses tessellation for greater performance, and also has HDR (complete with blue shift), real-time reflections, color correction, film grain and noise, and the engine also supports multi-core rendering.

Metro 2033 featured superior volumetric fog, double PhysX precision, object blur, sub-surface scattering for skin shaders, parallax mapping on all surfaces and greater geometric detail with a less aggressive LODs. Using PhysX, the engine uses many features such as destructible environments, and cloth and water simulations, and particles that can be fully affected by environmental factors.

NVIDIA has been diligently working to promote Metro 2033, and for good reason: it's one of the most demanding PC video games we've ever tested. When their flagship GeForce GTX 480 struggles to produce 27 FPS with DirectX-11 anti-aliasing turned two to its lowest setting, you know that only the strongest graphics processors will generate playable frame rates. All of our tests enable Advanced Depth of Field and Tessellation effects, but disable advanced PhysX options.

• Metro 2033 Benchmark
  • Settings: Very-High Quality, 4x AA, 16x AF, Tessellation, PhysX Disabled

Metro 2033 Benchmark Test Results

DX11: Unigine Heaven 3.0

The Unigine Heaven benchmark is a free publicly available tool that grants the power to unleash the graphics capabilities in DirectX-11 for Windows 7 or updated Vista Operating Systems. It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. With the interactive mode, emerging experience of exploring the intricate world is within reach. Through its advanced renderer, Unigine is one of the first to set precedence in showcasing the art assets with tessellation, bringing compelling visual finesse, utilizing the technology to the full extend and exhibiting the possibilities of enriching 3D gaming.

The distinguishing feature in the Unigine Heaven benchmark is a hardware tessellation that is a scalable technology aimed for automatic subdivision of polygons into smaller and finer pieces, so that developers can gain a more detailed look of their games almost free of charge in terms of performance. Thanks to this procedure, the elaboration of the rendered image finally approaches the boundary of veridical visual perception: the virtual reality transcends conjured by your hand.

Since only DX11-compliant video cards will properly test on the Heaven benchmark, only those products that meet the requirements have been included.

• Unigine Heaven Benchmark 3.0
  • Settings: DirectX 11, High Quality, Extreme Tessellation, 16x AF, 4x AA

Heaven Benchmark Test Results

VGA Power Consumption

In this section, PCI-Express graphics cards are isolated for idle and loaded electrical power consumption. In our power consumption tests, Benchmark Reviews utilizes an 80-PLUS GOLD certified OCZ Z-Series Gold 850W PSU, model OCZZ850. This power supply unit has been tested to provide over 90% typical efficiency by Chroma System Solutions. To measure isolated video card power consumption, Benchmark Reviews uses the Kill-A-Watt EZ (model P4460) power meter made by P3 International. In this particular test, all power consumption results were verified with a second power meter for accuracy.

The power consumption statistics discussed in this section are absolute maximum values, and may not represent real-world power consumption created by video games or graphics applications.

A baseline measurement is taken without any video card installed on our test computer system, which is allowed to boot into Windows 7 and rest idle at the login screen before power consumption is recorded. Once the baseline reading has been taken, the graphics card is installed and the system is again booted into Windows and left idle at the login screen before taking the idle reading. Our final loaded power consumption reading is taken with the video card running a stress test using graphics test #4 on 3DMark11. Below is a chart with the isolated video card power consumption (system without video card subtracted from measured combined total) displayed in Watts for each specified test product:

This article discusses the factory-overclocked EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked video card, our power consumption results are not representative of the entire GTX 660-series products that use the reference design. Both the reference design and the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked require a single 6-pin PCI-E power connections for normal operation, and will not activate the display unless proper power has been supplied. NVIDIA recommends a 450W power supply unit for stable operation with GTX 660, which should include the required 6-pin PCI-E connection without the use of an adapter. In our test results the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked consumed only 12W at idle, and 145W under full load.

If you're familiar with electronics, it will come as no surprise that less power consumption equals less heat output as evidenced by our thermal results below...

EVGA GTX 660 SC Temperatures

This section reports our temperature results subjecting the video card to maximum load conditions. During each test a 20°C ambient room temperature is maintained from start to finish, as measured by digital temperature sensors located outside the computer system. GPU-Z is used to measure the temperature at idle as reported by the GPU, and also under load.

Using a modified version of FurMark's "Torture Test" to generate maximum thermal load, peak GPU temperature is recorded in high-power 3D mode. FurMark does two things extremely well: drives the thermal output of any graphics processor much higher than any video games realistically could, and it does so with consistency every time. Furmark works great for testing the stability of a GPU as the temperature rises to the highest possible output.

The temperatures illustrated below are absolute maximum values, and do not represent real-world temperatures created by video games or graphics applications:

As we've mentioned on the pages leading up to this section, NVIDIA's Kepler architecture yields a much more efficient operating GPU compared to previous designs. This becomes evident by the low idle temperature, and translates into modest full-load temperatures. While EVGA's reference design works exceptionally well at cooling an overclocked GPU, there are a few thermal management features that separate the GTX 660 from the 680 series and in my estimation these differences amount to the same cooling performance but a bit more fan noise from the GTX 660. For a mainstream graphics card that costs half as much as the top-end GTX 680, there's something good to be said about similar GPU-cooling performance.

NVIDIA GPU Boost

Like the CPU found inside most modern desktop computer systems, the GPU inside a video card almost never reaches 100% usage. In fact, the CPU and GPU rarely use more than 10% of their available power, yet consume energy regardless of how much is actually needed. NVIDIA has recognized this, and followed suite with CPU manufacturers to offer variable clock speeds and power consumption. NVIDIA GPU Boost is a combination of dedicated hardware circuitry that continually monitors GPU power consumption along with software technology that works in the background. NVIDIA GPU Boost enables the GeForce GTX 660 video card to dynamically adjust power and clock speeds based on real-time application demands, automatically tweaking these settings several times per second. In some of the more demanding video games and applications there may occasionally be a time when the GPU is being fully utilized, which is when NVIDIA GPU Boost increases clock frequency to deliver improved graphics performance and higher image quality.

GPU Boost clock manipulates the top-end speed for the video card, which is controlled by hardware and software demands. The GPU Boost speed is not the same as the base core clock speed, which is not able to be adjusted as it has been with previous graphics products. GPU Boost works together with the Power Target ratio to determine how often or how high an overclocked 'boost' is established.

NVIDIA GPU Boost is not some marketing gimmick, it's a way for manufacturer's to ensure their product performs well on demand while conserving power whenever it sits idle. GPU Boost also complicates how enthusiasts define their clock speed. There's the core speed, which is a constant clock speed that never changes, and then there's the ever-changing Boost speed. Furthermore, the maximum GPU Boost speed is a target clock range the video card will attempt to operate at if it can maintain the defined power profile.

EVGA Precision X Overclocking Utility

EVGA offers a free software utility to overclocking enthusiasts named Precision X. EVGA Precision X is completely free software, and works with almost every video card on the market regardless of manufacturer. Register and download the utility from here: https://www.evga.com/precision/

This tool can be used to squeeze additional performance from one or more video cards by tweaking GPU and memory clock speeds within defined ranges based on the product. Unlike previous versions of NVIDIA GeForce video cards, the 600-series contain specific overclock ranges that ensure software tools do not adjust outside of safe parameters. These parameters vary between products and are set by the hardware's firmware programming, so not all products of the same model will share the same available range of settings. Voltage can be adjusted using the and power target setting, which helps to unlock greater GPU speeds.

EVGA Precision X is also useful for fine-tuning the cooling fan power profile as well as the temperature response curve. The graphics card uses an auto-tuned fan profile by default, although experienced users may manually tune their fan speed using the sliding fan-power scale to suit their cooling needs. Most GeForce GTX 600-series video cards already operate quietly even at 100% power, but it's better to use a purpose driven profile that reduces noise whenever possible. For this purpose, EVGA Precision enables a feature where users may define their own custom fan power scale with transition points.

The EVGA Precision X utility also allows hardware enthusiasts to monitor various aspects of their computer components, and can be customized to show metrics for every measurable aspect of the graphics card. Once the desired settings have been tested stable, EVGA Precision X can store up to ten custom profiles using buttons 1, 2, 3, etc. Some features such as Frame Rate Target help energy-conscious users conserve power while playing video games or working on the computer.

EVGA GTX 660 SC Overclocking

Because the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SuperClocked comes from the factory with a substantial overclock, it's difficult to imagine having much overclocking headroom out of a GPU that's already been stretched well past the reference speeds. Using the retail kit 02G-P4-2662-KR for testing, I was able to achieve an additional 79MHz to the already-high GPU core clock. This raised the GPU Boost target, and was good for a few more FPS. Here are the results:

*Please note that the actual NVIDIA GPU Boost clock speed will vary, depending on system conditions and application demands. Typical GPU Boost speed shown.

Overclocking Summary: At reference speeds (980/1033*MHz) the GeForce GTX 660 performs well, but when giving a modest factory overclock the EVGA GTX 660 SC really matches up nicely to the more-expensive GTX 660 Ti (see chart above). For the most part, there was an average 1-FPS difference between reference clock speeds, the EVGA GTX 660 SC, and the 660 SC with maximum stable overclock. Every extra frame translates into an advantage over your enemy.

EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SC Conclusion

IMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested, which may differ from future versions of the same product. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

The legendary GeForce 8800 GT was an impressive graphics card, delivering so much performance for the price that no other video card could match its value. Four years later, DirectX 11 video games have forced the GeForce 8800/9800 series into retirement. NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 660 takes a shot at repeating history with value-packed performance and plenty of top-end features. The GeForce GTX 660 easily dominates competing graphics solutions that share the same $200 price point, but with EVGA's SuperClocked treatment the GTX 660 SC boosts graphical power and gets much closer to the $300 GeForce GTX 660 Ti series and ultra-premium $400 Radeon HD 7970 product line. Enthusiast can take things a step further with a maximum overclock that gives the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked a few more FPS across the board in every game.

In the DirectX 10 game Crysis Warhead, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SC trailed behind the premium Radeon HD 7970 at 1920x1080, but came close to performing like a GTX 660 Ti (especially with additional overclocking). DirectX 11 test results continued to keep the EVGA GTX 660 SC well ahead of the Radeon HD 6970 in most tests, while trailing just behind the GTX 660 Ti in others. The ultra-demanding DX11 game Batman: Arkham Asylum made use of Kepler's optimized architecture, helping to deliver a staggering performance lead of 5-FPS over the much more expensive Radeon HD 7970. Battlefield 3 the EVGA GTX 660 SC was only 1-FPS away from the Radeon HD 7970 when given an additional overclock. Lost Planet 2 played well on all graphics cards when set to high quality with 4x AA, allowing the EVGA GTX 660 SC to keep pace with AMD's Radeon HD 7970. In Aliens vs Predator the factory-overclocked EVGA GeForce GTX 660 matched performance with the GeForce GTX 660 Ti. Metro 2033 is another demanding game that requires high-end graphics to enjoy quality settings, and although this benchmark favors Radeon products the GTX 660 and 660 Ti were neck and neck.

Synthetic benchmark tools offer an unbiased read on graphics products, allowing manufacturers to display their performance without optimizations or driver influence. Futuremark's 3DMark11 benchmark suite strained our high-end graphics cards with only mid-level settings displayed at 720p, forcing the $400 AMD Radeon HD 7970 to trail behind the $300 GeForce GTX 660 Ti, but the EVGA GTX 660 SC simply lacked the CUDA cores to keep up. Our Unigine Heaven 3.0 benchmark tests used maximum settings that strained GTX 660's limited 192-bit bandwidth, allowing it still surpass the Radeon HD 6970 but trail behind the GTX 660 Ti. Taking all our benchmark results into consideration, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SC commands a decisive lead past its price-relative competition but also occasionally shadowed AMD's flagship Radeon HD 7970 graphics card that costs twice as much.

Appearance is a much more subjective matter, especially since this particular rating doesn't have any quantitative benchmark scores to fall back on. NVIDIA's GeForce GTX series has traditionally used a recognizable design over the past two years with reward fan and square corners, and EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SuperClocked looks very similar to the GTX 660 Ti or 670. Because GeForce GTX 660 operates so efficiently and allows nearly all of the heated air to exhaust outside of the computer case, we side with EVGA for keeping with the reference cooling design. While looks might mean a lot to some consumers, keep in mind that this product outperforms the competition while generating much less heat and producing very little noise. To their credit, EVGA does give the card a nice brushed metal and carbon fiber appearance.

Regardless of how you perceive this card's looks, construction is the one area where NVIDIA and EVGA continually shine. EVGA GTX 660 SC's extremely quiet operation is due to Kepler's super-efficient cores that consume less energy and emit less heat than previous designs, earning my confidence that GeForce GTX 660 will continue to impress gamers the same way that GeForce 8800 GT did four years ago. Even with a factory overclock, this card requires a single lonely 6-pin PCI-E power connection, which helps to keep this video card compatible with nearly every existing power supply unit. GeForce GTX 660 has one of the shortest PCBs we've seen from a GTX-series graphics card, which further reduces heat output and makes this a product suitable for more robust HTPC applications. Even better yet, now consumers have a single-GPU solution capable of driving three monitors in 3D Vision Surround with the inclusion of two DL-DVI ports with supplementary HDMI and DisplayPort output.

As of launch day, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB SuperClocked 02G-P4-2662-KR video card sells for $229.99 (Newegg). Please keep in mind that hardware manufacturers and retailers are constantly adjusting prices, so expect it to change a few times between now and one month later. The GeForce GTX 660 "Kepler" graphics card demonstrates NVIDIA's ability to innovate the graphics industry while maintaining a firm lead in the mainstream market. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 shares the $200 price segment with AMD's Radeon HD 7850, yet occasionally performs like the $400 Radeon HD 7970. With regard to the $220 EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SC video card, model 02G-P4-2662-KR, there's plenty of value beyond the basic frame rate, as the added Kepler features and functionality run off the chart. Furthermore, only NVIDIA's video cards offer multi-display 3D gaming, Adaptive VSync, PhysX technology, GPU Boost, FXAA, and now TXAA.

I expect that with such high levels of performance for a modest price, GeForce GTX 660 could easily become the best selling DirectX 11 graphics cards of the entire series. With plenty of CUDA cores available and 2GB GDDR5, GTX 660 has plenty of gaming potential. It's unlikely that these core will request more data than the 192-bit memory bandwidth supply, which means two of these cards together in SLI could achieve almost 100% scaling. NVIDIA's 28nm GK106 'Kepler' GPU has made a huge difference in power consumption and heat output, and are benefits that deserve recognition. A fierce factory overclock gives this SuperClocked video card some extra pep, while still saving some headroom for enthusiasts to work with. Best of all, for an extra $20 you can extend the 3-year warranty to an unprecedented ten years!

Pros:

+ EVGA 3-year warranty, expandable to 10-years!
+ Keeps pace with $400 Radeon HD 7970
+ Cooling fan operates at quiet acoustic levels
+ Very low power consumption and heat output
+ Short profile fits into standard size computer cases
+ Triple-display and 3D Vision Surround support
+ Supports cutting-edge DisplayPort monitor connectivity
+ Kepler enables TXAA and NVIDIA GPU Boost

Cons:

- None!

Ratings:

• Performance: 8.75
• Appearance: 8.75
• Construction: 9.50
• Functionality: 9.50
• Value: 8.50

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

So what do you think of the GeForce GTX 660 graphics card, and are you planning to buy one?

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