NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti Round-Up Review

First up, we’ve got a couple of GeForce GTX 660 Ti cards to show you, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC (Super Clocked) Edition and the MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition with Twin Frozr IV cooler.

  
EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC (Super Clocked) Edition

Physically, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC is very similar to NVIDIA’s reference design. The cards use the same PCB and dual-slot cooler, and both have the same output configuration. EVGA, however, has incorporated a few customizations. The EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC sports a custom fan shroud with a carbon-fiber look, and its GPU and memory clocks have been increased slightly. Whereas stock GeForce GTX 660 Ti cards have base / boost GPU clocks of 915MHz and 980MHz, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC has base / boost GPU clocks of 980MHz and 1059MHz. EVGA’s card does not have higher clocked memory than reference models, however. The frame buffers on both run at 1502MHz (6008MHz effective).

Other than its clocks, the EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC’s features and specifications are similar to the reference design. This particular card has 2GB of GDDR5 RAM and its outputs consist of the same dual DVI connectors, and HDMI and DP connectors. The EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC only requires two 6-pin supplemental power connectors as well.

EVGA’s bundle with the GeForce GTX 660 Ti SC includes a couple of cool “Enthusiast Built” stickers, a large EVGA Gaming poster, a case badge, a quick installation guide and a driver / utility disc, which includes a copy of EVGA’s excellent Precision X overclocking / monitoring utility. In addition, a couple of dual-peripheral to 6-pin power adapters and a DVI to VGA adapter are included.

  
MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition with Twin Frozr IV cooler

Next up, we have the MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition with Twin Frozr IV cooler. Although overclocked and fully custom, the slick Twin Frozr IV cooler is the standout feature on the MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition. The dual-slot Twin Frozr IV sports high-density heatsinks, with dual 80mm cooling fans, and thick copper heatpipes that run from the cooler’s base up through the heatsink fins. We should also point out that the cooler’s base is made of pure copper and the entire assembly is nickel-plated. The Twin Frozr IV’s cooler has also been outfitted with custom “propeller blade” fans that reportedly push 20% more air than previous designs. In a move unique to MSI (at least in this round-up), the cooler also features dust removal technology. The card’s fans will actually spin in the opposite direction (pulling air through up the heatsinks) for 30 seconds upon boot to expel any dust that may have built up within the heatsink assembly. When the 30 seconds is up, the fans will then spin in their normal direction, blowing air down onto the heatsinks.

The customizations on the MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition don’t stop at the cooler. MSI has also overclocked the card, with 1020MHz (base) and 1098MHz (boost) clocks for the GPU. The memory runs at the same speed as reference models, however, at 1502MHz (6008MHz effective). The GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition also has a custom PWM that can handle more current than reference designs and it’s outfitted with MSI’s “Military Class” components, which is to say it has solid caps and supper ferrite chokes on-board. Supplemental power is handled by a pair of 6-pin connectors and the outputs on the card consist of a pair of DVI outputs and single DP and HDMI outputs.

Bundled with the GeForce GTX 660 Ti Power Edition are a quick installation guide and user’s manual, dual peripheral to PCI Express 6-pin power adapters, a DVI to VGA adapter, and of course a driver / utility disc. Also available for the card is a copy of MSI’s Afterburner performing tuning and monitoring tool, which is available for download right from MSI’s website and allows for triple over-voltage adjustments for the card’s GPU, PLL, and memory.