EVGA GTX 580 FTW Hydro Copper 2 Review

I'm seeing fewer liquid cooled cards in the market recently. It's such a niche market. EVGA puts them out like clock work though.

This card is seriously badass.  Wish I had three or four in SLI

I find it kind of funny really that the 5970 still beats this card as well as everything else. Then you look at the price's of course. I have not looked at the exact price, but being that it is an Nvidia card, and they always up charge to the greatest amount for the top of the series cards I imagine expensive, then on top of that it is a specialized liquid cooled card to boot.

So why would I not just get a 5970, and if I have a liquid cooling system which I would have to have to make this card operational anyway on top of what I am sure is a premium price, I can also liquid cool my 5970 for right around if not lower price, and better performance.

Or heck if I wanna get real crazy get 3 6970's which would probably use less energy than this one, and they run cooler than anything else as well as supposedly the Crossfire is much, much improved for most likely cheaper than 1 of these and the liquid cooling for it, or the 5970, and a liquid cooling setup for either.

This card beats the 5970...

Ok; I went and checked the pricing on the EVGA GTX 580 FTW Hydro Copper 2 it is listed at $699.00, with no shipping  etc, and then add say 150 on top for a low end water cooling system we are talking roughly $900.00 for a single card. Umm I can buy a 6870 x3 for $615.00 - x4 $820.00  w/free shipping at Newegg, and a 6950 x3 for $840.00, and a 6970 x3 for for $1050.00. I know this is up as a review, and everything, but I can guarantee you 2 of any of the cards I listed will eat this card for dinner, much less 3. Yes I know it has adapters for water cooling, but you still have to get a water cooling system to feed it. I could buy 3 6870's and the best GPU water cooler on the planet for less, and at the least double my benchmarks Vs. this card easy.

Two or three of this card in SLI would be the absolute bomb! It's all much more cash than I can muster and far too much work for me too.

But it's bad to the bone.

If a person is doing tri sli with these cards i would love to see the rest of their computer. 

Maxishine has videos on youtube of these in tri-SLI on the EVGA SR-2.

fat78:

If a person is doing tri sli with these cards i would love to see the rest of their computer. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppGA3sMp2_Y

I'm still waiting for Digital Storm to send in this Monster to HotHardware for Dave or Marco to cook up some benchmarks!!

SammyHayabuza:

I'm still waiting for Digital Storm to send in this Monster to HotHardware for Dave or Marco to cook up some benchmarks!!

Yes, and after that they can give it to me in a contest! I like the way you think Sammy!

your absolutely right, the amount of money that can be put elsewhere, great. Also, 700$, i was looking can get you a decent gaming rig on its own. But, niche market it is.

It would be more practical if they produced a stand alone pump and radiator for this! This is a niche market so they probably wont see much profit from this since full water systems are still pricey and hard to maintain.

If they made an adaptive H50 pump/radiator that is simple and can be manufactured in various sizes for multiple cards and pluged in without the need to go full water! Then they will probably see more profit from the extra sales of the add on components from making things simpler for their customers. I am sure they can easly adapt thier current CPU pump system to these cards at little or no cost for the conversion. Since more people ar switching to the sealed liquid coolers for the CPU's having a similar system for the GPU Would be the next logical step!

I've got 3 of these running in SLI with an Intel i7 with a standalone LC system for the CPU, ASUS Rampage III Black Ed MB, 24G RAM (getting it all recognized was a trick), and modified Thermaltake Xaser VI case, with the 3 inch bays removed to make room for a 3-fan radiator and LC tubing.  Just finished getting it all put together, but it screams even before any OC.

Hints for anyone considering GTX 580 Hydro Copper - multiple card setup - you NEED a huge case, the Thermaltake I got still needed to be torn apart to fit everything.  Don't plan on using the PCI slots for much of anything else (though I was able to squeeze in the specialized sound card that came with the MB, JUST under the 3rd GPU).  Also, buy a bunch of extra clamps, and do not overtighten the valves, you'll bow the washers and create a drip.  Finally, don't get cheap on the pump.  The thing is there to protect your $2,100 worth of GPUs (3 x $700 newegg)...