ECS Previews GTX 680 Black Series Graphics Card

Since we covered the Club 3D Radeon HD 7870 Eyefinity 6 just a short while ago, we may as well write about an NVIDIA high-end card as well.

The company getting ready to launch a Kepler-powered video adapter is ECS (Elitegroup Computer Systems). The product in question bears the name of ECS GTX680 Black Series and, though it doesn't push the memory any faster than normal, it does drive the GPU a bit beyond the reference parameters. What we mean by that is that the GK104 chip is clocked at 1040 MHz instead of 1006 MHz, even as the 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM stick to the stock 6008 MHz. Since we're on the subject, we may as well specify the other relevant specs: a memory interface of 256 bits, 4-display support (dual-link DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs), PhysX, DirectX 11, Shader Model 5.0, OpenGL 4.2, CUDA, Adaptive VSync, GPU Boost, etc.

Even more important, by virtue of being unusual and new, is the specifically-designed cooler, made up of five heatpipes, a large heatsink and two fans. The aluminum upper cover is even plated with gold, for extra heat dissipation and, of course, aesthetic value. Not only that, but ECS even tossed in the ECS Nonstop Certification, which implies that the video board is built with high-quality component and shielding. It also means that the card has passed through various military-level tests that checked critical components.

For those in need of details, the crash course involved 72-hour-long stress tests at temperatures of up to 50º C (122º F). The GTX 680 Black Series breezed through them, thanks to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection circuitry and solid capacitors. Unfortunately, since this is still a preview, ECS did not say what price the board would have or when sales will start. It did provide a photo, though (the final product will have a normal PCI connection instead of the long, split one).

Posted in: Hardware, Preview