14 DAY TRIAL // NVIDIA has been working hard on developing its Fermi architecture and hopes to score big on the graphics-card market with its DirectX 11-capable models. However, while wresting away the performance crown from AMD might have been quite possible until now, the emergence of ASUS' latest top-tier adapter might actually provide a strong competition to NVIDIA's next-generation CUDA. Known as the ROG Ares, the graphics card is a customized version of the ATI Radeon HD 5970.
When AMD released its dual-GPU card, it could have pushed the clock speeds higher, but, instead, had to lower them in order to stay under the 300W limit of the PCI Express interface. In its new card, however, ASUS strove to circumvent this limitation by outfitting its product with no less than three PCI Express power connectors. With the power issue out of the way, the hardware maker was then able to make the GPU run 17.20% faster than the stock card. The memory also operates 20% faster than that of the reference model.
As more detailed specifications (provided by Muropaketti) go, the GPU of the ASUS ROG Ares runs at 825MHz. What is more noteworthy about the card, however, is the fact that it comes with no less than 4GB of GDDR5 memory. This VRAM operates at 4800MHz (compared with the stock 4000MHz). The graphics adapter also boasts a 2x256-bit interface and 3,200 stream processors.
While the three PCI Express power connectors supply the card with enough power, the special and massive cooling mechanism ensures that the product doesn't die from overheating. The large cooler has eight copper heatpipes and uses a 100mm fan to dissipate heat. This graphics adapter will, obviously, be aimed at hard-core enthusiasts and will require a matching PSU. The likely massive price of the product has, for better or worse, not yet been disclosed.