The GeForce GTX 660 Ti Review, Feat. EVGA, Zotac, and Gigabyte
by Ryan Smith on August 16, 2012 9:00 AM ESTMeet The Zotac GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Edition
Our next GTX 660 Ti of the day is Zotac’s entry, the GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Edition. As indicated by the AMP branding (and like the other cards in this review) it’s a factory overclocked card; in fact it has the highest factory overclock of all the cards we’re reviewing today, with both a core and memory overclock.
| GeForce GTX 660 Ti Partner Card Specification Comparison | ||||||
| GeForce GTX 660 Ti(Ref) | EVGA GTX 660 Ti Superclocked | Zotac GTX 660 Ti AMP! | Gigabyte GTX 660 Ti OC | |||
| Base Clock | 915MHz | 980MHz | 1033MHz | 1033MHz | ||
| Boost Clock | 980MHz | 1059MHz | 1111MHz | 1111MHz | ||
| Memory Clock | 6008MHz | 6008MHz | 6608MHz | 6008MHz | ||
| Frame Buffer | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB | ||
| TDP | 150W | 150W | 150W | ~170W | ||
| Width | Double Slot | Double Slot | Double Slot | Double Slot | ||
| Length | N/A | 9.5" | 7.5" | 10,5" | ||
| Warranty | N/A | 3 Year | 3 Year + Life | 3 Year | ||
| Price Point | $299 | $309 | $329 | $319 | ||
Zotac will be shipping the GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP at 1033MHz for the base clock and 1111MHz for the boost clock. This represents a sizable 118MHz (13%) base overclock, and a 131MHz (13%) boost overclock. Meanwhile Zotac will be shipping their memory at 6.6GHz, a full 600MHz (10%) over the reference GTX 660 Ti. The latter overclock will stand to be very important, as we’ve already noted the GTX 660 Ti is starting off life as a memory bandwidth crippled card. Power consumption willing, the GTX 660 Ti AMP is in a good position to pick up at least 10% on performance relative to the reference GTX 660 Ti.
Like the EVGA card we just took a look at, Zotac’s GTX 660 Ti is based on NVIDIA’s reference board, so we’ll skip the details here. Rather than using a blower like EVGA however, Zotac is using an open air cooler – dubbed the dual silencer – that is well suited for a board of this length. The cooler uses a pair of 70mm fans, mounted over an aluminum heatsink that runs nearly the entire length of the card. Attaching the heatsink to the GPU itself is a trio of copper heatpipes, which transfer heat from the GPU to various points on the heatsink. Meanwhile the VRMs are cooled by a smaller, separate heatsink that fits under the primary heatsink; given the size and the location, it’s hard to say just how well this secondary heatsink is being cooled.
Altogether the card measures just 7.5” in length, an otherwise itty-bity card made just a bit longer thanks to some overhang from Zotac’s cooler. Zotac advertises their dual silencer as being 10C cooler and 10dB quieter than the competition, and while this may strictly be true when compared to some blowers, it’s not appreciably different than the dual-fan open air heatsinks that are extremely common on the market today. In fact among all of the cards we’re reviewing today this is unquestionably the most standard of them, as Zotac and several other NVIDIA partners will be shipping reference clocked cards built very similar to this. For this reason we’ll be using Zotac’s card as our reference card for the purpose of our testing.
Moving on, power and display connectivity is the same as with the GTX 670 and other cards using NVIDIA’s PCBs. This means 2 PCIe power sockets and 2 SLI connectors on the top, and 1 DL-DVI-D port, 1 DL-DVI-I port, 1 full size HDMI 1.4 port, and 1 full size DisplayPort 1.2 on the front.
Rounding out the package is the usual collection of molex power adapters and quickstart guides, along with a trial version of Trackmania Canyon. However the real star of the show as far as pack-in games goes will be Borderlands 2 through NVIDIA’s launch offer.
Wrapping things up, Zotac is attaching a $329 MSRP to the GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP, which makes it a full $30 more expensive than reference-clocked cards and reflecting the greater factory overclock. This also makes it the most expensive card in today’s review by $10. Meanwhile for the warranty Zotac is offering a base 2 year warranty, which is extended to a rather generous full limited lifetime warranty upon registration of the card.
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CeriseCogburn - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/08/16/nvidia...ROFLMAO - the ONLY REASON you say you wanted the 7950 and it LOSES.
There's the level of "your cred", you freaking loser.
Galidou - Saturday, August 18, 2012 - link
This is only the point of the iceberg when we speak about credibility. Anandtech was nice enough to have a stock clocked part, we can't say that for most of the reviews on the internet.I even got on a website ''not gonna say it, could be too much shame for them'' that was comparing a non reference 660ti overclocked with... suspense... a 7850. And then some times in the review offered an ''alternative analysis'' against a 6870, who's dirty now?
I won't name any but of all the review sites I usually read, they were all testing overclocked cards (plus the included Nvidia boost) against stock clocked AMD cards, ALL of them... Only one included minimum frame rates to all of the games tested which was interesting to see the limiting bandwidth acting at certain points. One can only wonder if the games released won't have any problem with that.
I first came here on anand and almost pulled the trigger buying one RIGHT after finishing reading. Then I visited my other sites and it got all messed up. Anand didn't have minimum frames everywhere, others had different results, the games I play switch from one brand to another for the ''best bang for my bucks''.
With all that mixed up mess, one can only wonder where the ''real'' truth is. I'll probably just end up buying a 7950 overclocking it 40-50% higher and not wonder about future games. At least I waited long enough to see the 660ti. Anyway the other reviewers had quite good result with the 7950 and it was STOCK omg 40-50% overclock can't give a bad performance...
CeriseCogburn - Sunday, August 19, 2012 - link
*OC 660ti's on newegg and only 3 Stock.The author pointed out there is no default version, and Partners have a somewhat free reign on released clocks.
Now be a good person and go look for yourself, you'll have a hard time finding a stock card vs an OC oob card.
I'd also like to see that 40-50% 7950 OC....(methinks you really spewed overboard there)
Reviews are noting a 17%-22% max performance gain on maximum 7950 OC, and that does not mean it's stable, except on a sole rider, non internet server, spanking clean, just defragged, built for benching, top of the line components, reviewer super massive rig.
So, can we get that 50% OC bench set from you ?
NO, of course we can't.
Galidou - Sunday, August 19, 2012 - link
My friend bought the Twin frozr 3 while it was on special on newegg(300$ a week ago). overclocked 1150/1700 stable that's a 44% overclock and he could go higher, with the stock cooler. We reported gains of around 30 to 36% performance gain in games.On newegg, there's plenty of people reporting 1150 to 1200 core overclock, because it is in fact a 7970 board at a very cheap price. If you really can't accept one good thing about AMD that's where I differ from you.
The thing is, Nvidia won this round for the average user, most of us don't overclock and are not fiddling with voltages and such. Including a nice boost is good for those average users, the fact is and whatever you might say, overclockers know it. AMD is very overclocker friendly this gen, end of the line, cry about it some more, it doesn't change the fact that they already know it, sorry. If you tried to misinform the people, you're too late, it's already circulating on the internet my friend.
Now you shall say and I've heard it: ''People have been able to get their gtx680 overclocked to 1300 core in some cases so they are..........''. I know the drill, 680 has for the most part, a boost clock of around 1100 - 1150 boost clock. Lemme translate that, 200mhz overclock on a 1100 boost clock, 18% overclock on the cherry picked 680, because I'm comparing it with a 7950 which didn't pass the 7970 requirement.
CeriseCogburn - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
Oh look at that, I didn't use a single fact again.you're pathetic.
CeriseCogburn - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
the 660Ti's are hitting 1300+ cores.you're losing at stock out of the box in your highest triple monitor rez dummy
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/08/16/nvidia...
Keep attacking like the fool you are.
Now you may apologize profusely and thankme for saving you from your brainwashed amd embolism you claim to have acquired at overclock net
thebluephoenix - Monday, August 20, 2012 - link
Cerise, as a punishment i would make you read few nvidia related articles at site called Semi Accurate to see why is so wrong to be biased idiotic crazy fanboy.CeriseCogburn - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
Charlie is a liar, I am not. Deal with it.Galidou - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
Everyone is a liar but you Cerise, all hail to you ohh great hardware god, I'm still waiting for news of you on Overclock.net you almighty owner of all the knowledge.Come and teach the nitrogen overclockers of the world about your so great knowledge about video card.
CeriseCogburn - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
Yes, time for you to bow down, then thank me for having to correct you three times already, on the FACTS.