14 DAY TRIAL // The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 graphics card, and many custom-designed versions, will be released in three days (September 13), but at least one retailer has jumped the gun, from Malaysia.
What we have in that picture up there is none other than the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC, equipped with the WindForce 2X cooler.
This time around, we at least know two clock speed numbers. While we would not have minded to find all three (GPU base, GPU Boost and memory), we will make do with what we assume to be the GPU Boost maximum (1,098 MHz) and the memory speed (6,008 MHz).
Speaking of which, the GPU, for those who haven't been keeping up with NVIDIA's latest activities, is powered by the GK106 chip. This graphics processing unit features 960 cores, 80 TMUs and 24 ROPs.
Backing the GPU are 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, which communicate with the main chip over an interface of 192 bits.
Furthermore, the display output panel includes two DVI connectors, an HDMI port and, of course, a DisplayPort. Since NVIDIA's video boards can now handle up to four monitors at once, it would not do to lack sufficient interfacing capabilities.
As for the cooler, the WindForce 2X is not that different from the WindForce 2X used on other performance-level and high-end adapters.
The large aluminum heatsink / fin array dissipates the heat brought over to it from the GPU by the four copper heatpipes.
We will learn the full range of specs on September 13. We are particularly interested in the number of PCI Express power connectors. Factory overclocking would suggest two 6-pin, but the Zotac AMP! model only has one, even though it, too, is supposed to have tweaked frequencies.
The price of the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 WindForce 2X OC graphics card shouldn't be much higher than $229 - $249 / 229-250 Euro.