The ASUS GeForce GTX 660 Ti appeared a while back, but now it’s joined by a more laid back version of the same NVIDIA GK104 GPU, dubbed GTX 660. With very moderate power demands (it works with a single 6-pin connector), which is quite rare for performance cards these days, and an attractive price tag, the GTX 660 offers an alluring proposition for those who are now building a new PC or considering an upgrade.
It’s a 28nm design, and of course supports all the perks of the current generation, including DX11 and PCI Express 3.0. Considering market position of the GTX 660, it offers a lot: a 3.5 billion transistor GPU, 960 CUDA cores, and support for NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround plus PhysX. This card is well-suited to playing modern games and running high-def multimedia without a hitch. It may not have the raw beast-like power of some of its illustrious and gigantic peers, but if you’re conserving resources for other components in your build, this is a great choice.
The version we’re looking at now isn’t a straight OEM spin-off, it’s a custom ASUS product which once more fields a TOP-selected GPU, running at 1137MHz, or 10% faster than reference (in boost clock). The 2GB GDDR5 memory is set to 6.1GHz, which is impressive, and it uses a 192-bit memory interface.
ASUS puts the DirectCU cooler on the part, resulting in 20% lower temps compared to reference thanks to refined copper heatpipes that touch the GPU directly. The heatsink itself is bigger than reference specs as well, and the dual fans deliver good airflow while minimising noise.
Add to all this DIGI+ VRM, Super Alloy Power durable components, and the flexible quad-focus GPU Tweak utility, and the deal is unarguably sweetened. That TOP GPU with its factory-overclock should be enough of a hint that the ASUS GTX 660 lends itself well to overclocking, and GPU Tweak lets you modify clocks, fan speed, and voltages by simply moving a slider around. You won’t sacrifice stability or longevity as a consequence, since that DIGI+ VRM/Super Alloy Power design was created specifically to support more tuning potential.
Alright, it’s picture time again so let’s begin!
Sure, I miss the knight and horse duo, good friends. But I’m warming up to the newer claw mark design that ASUS graphics cards go for these days.
Here are more shots of the box before we open it up:
The inside of the box also uses a new packaging design, with tough cardboard and shrink wrapping to keep the card in place during shipping. The underside is protected by a layer of foam.
Out in the wild, the card showcases its DirectCU/dual fan style with pride:
The back of the GTX 660 shows the DisplayPort, HDMI, and dual DVI connectors. Perfect for multi-monitor setups, obviously.
While the front of the card leaves some space between the PCB and the shroud for extra dissipation.
Here’s a closer look at the beefy DirectCU all-copper heatpipes used here. Very nice, and the cool part is that it only needs one 6-pin connector to work, so even smaller PSUs will do just fine!
In another close shot, we take a peek at Super Alloy Power capacitors and part of the cool heatsink:
For reference, let me add an overall look at the GTX 660 from the side:
Finally, the PCB’s underside:
The ASUS GeForce GTX 660 DirectCU II TOP is simply an excellent choice for a gaming card on a reasonable budget. It widens the current 28nm generation’s mid-range, which is already strong with the 660 Ti and the HD 7870. These are good times to be a PC fan indeed!
Suds McSoapdish
Thirty years ago, toddler Suds got his first taste of just how enjoyable technology can be when his parents gave him an Atari 2600. He soon picked up on the wonders of the Commodore 64, and the rest is history in the form of a long list of consoles, 80’s home computers and PCs built and assembled with great fervor. Writing and technology gradually moved up from hobbies to professions as Suds became the man he is today, and although he’s worked and traveled the world and experienced many things, technology, especially computing and gaming, has remained a solid constant.