14 DAY TRIAL // There are quite a few DirectX 11 graphics cards running rampant on the market right now, and Sparkle figured it wouldn't hurt to add another one, especially if it was a high-end model bearing its Calibre brand.
Now that the string of phone and tablet releases from MWC (mobile world congress) in Barcelona, Spain, has more or less concluded, other hardware makers are returning to the spotlight.
After both Sony and iiyama revealed new display solutions, Sparkle is now expanding its own product portfolio with the addition of a new video card.
Essentially, it is a reiteration of NVIDIA's now well known high-end graphics card based on the GF110 GPU (graphics processing unit).
The card in question is the GeForce GTX 570 and Sparkle's version is dubbed simply Calibre X570,
As is customary for this type of hardware, it comes with a different cooler than the stock model, meaning that its maker could afford to throw in some factory overclocking.
That said, the GPU works at 772 MHz, while the shaders and memory (1280 MB GDDR5 VRAM) operate at 1,544 MHz and 4,212 MHz, respectively.
The number of CUDA cores, 480, did not suffer any modifications, of course, while support for DirectX 11, 3-way SLI, PhysX and 3D Vision Surround, among other things, is present as well.
Other specifications include an interface of 320 bits and three video outputs (dual-DVI and mini HDMI).
The company, of course, did not clack off when it implemented the cooling mechanism either, throwing in the Accelero Xtreme, which has five heatpipes, 107 aluminum fins and three PWM fans.
All in all, the Sparkle Calibre X570 should be faster and about 15 degrees cooler than NVIDIA's reference board.
Unfortunately, even though the outfit formally launched the video controller, it did not disclose any information in regards to its availability and pricing.