14 DAY TRIAL // Nvidia'a recently released GTX 550 Ti graphics solution has made its way into an important number of video cards until now, and the list just received a new addition with the introduction of the Leadtek WinFast GTX 550 Ti GPU.
Taking a look at Leadtek's creation it becomes apparent that the card doesn't have too much in common with Nvidia's reference design, as the Taiwanese company has decided to go with an improved cooling solution that should provide a 15% improvement in heat dissipation.
In addition, the company also claims that the cooler has improved the acoustics performances of the graphics card and that it can maintain a low noise level even when the GPU is fully loaded.
These feats are achieved by using a pair of 8mm copper heatpipes that transfer the heat away from the core and into an aluminum radiator that is cooled by a 70mm fan.
Judging by the pictures provided by Leadtek, it seems like the card's VRM area is also cooled via a low profile aluminum heatsink.
Considering all the design modifications that have been brought to the card's cooling system, its operating frequencies are somehow of a letdown as the core is clocked only 30MHz higher than Nvidia's stock frequency (900MHz) while the memory runs at the default 1026MHz (4102MHz effectively).
At the heart of the GTX 550 Ti lies the GF116-400 core that is comprised of 192 CUDA processors, 32 texturing units, 24 ROP units, and a 192-bit memory bus that is connected to 1GB of GDDR5 video buffer.
The card's TDP is rated at 116W, 10w higher than that of the GTS 450 it's meant to replace, and, connectivity wise, the GTX 550 Ti packs a pair of dual-link DVI ports as well as a mini-HDMI output.
Pricing has not been announced yet, but Leadtek's solution is expected to retail for $149.99, which is Nvidia's MSRP for the GTX 550 Ti.