Review-Galaxy GTX 560 Ti GC: Cooler, Faster and (maybe) Better than Reference

Conclusion

Like what we expected before the test, the Galaxy GTX 560 Ti GC isn’t too far off from the standard GTX 560 Ti in terms of performance. After all, the 13 MHz frequency increase is too small to yield a noticeable difference. In some of our tests, such as in Batman: Arkham Asylum and Lost Planet 2, the GTX 560 Ti GC even lags behind the reference card although only by a meager 1 FPS. Perhaps this is because of the lower memory frequency?

If you’re still unsatisfied by the amount of “extra” performance the Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti GC offers, overclocking the card yourself is the way to go. Fortunately, Galaxy provides an exclusive software tool called the Extreme Tuner HD that could aid you in your overclocking attempts. With this software, you can manually adjust the core and memory frequencies. We managed to further increase the frequencies to 935/ 1200 MHz (core and memory, respectively) using this software without increasing the base voltage of 1.0 V. To go beyond 1000 MHz, you will need to raise the voltage to 1.15 V, but of course, we don’t recommend you to go that far without carefully considering the risks involved.

As for the Twinblade HSF, it turned out to be not only good in its appearance, but also in its ability to dissipate heat. It’s definitely doing a better job compared to the reference HSF in suppressing the temperature during full load conditions. The two fans on this HSF are also relatively silent when set at “auto”. Galaxy’s graphics cards are unique in that their hinged fans can be lifted up to allow users to clean the heatsink fins below.

The card’s custom design increased its overall power consumption to 21 watts higher than that of the reference GTX 560 Ti. But that only does little to reduce its overall appeal. In our opinion, the benefits offered by Galaxy’s GeForce GTX 560 Ti GC, such as the good quality Twinblade HSF and good sales package, still outweigh that minor disadvantage,

Pros

• Good custom design
• Non-reference HSF (Twinblade)
• Lower operating temperature compared to reference cards
• Exclusive overclocking tool
• Good overclockability

Cons

• Small factory overclock
• Higher power consumption compared to reference GTX 560 Ti

Galaxy GTX 560 Ti GC

• Manufacturer : Galaxy
• Info : www.galaxytech.com
• Indonesian Distributor: Misuco Elektronik
• Phone : 021 – 6293040

TECHNICAL DATA

• Chip : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti
• Interface : PCI Express 2.0 x16
• Memory Size : 1024 MB
• Core Clock : 835 MHz
• Shader Clock : 1700 MHz
• Memory Clock : 4000 MHz
• Stream Processorr : 384
• D-Sub Output : N/A
• DVI Output : Yes (x2)
• HDMI Output : Yes (mini-HDMI)
• Display Port Output : N/A
• Memory Type : GDDR5
• Memory Interface : 256-bit
• Bundled Accessories: User’s Manual, Quick Installation Guide,Driver Disc, 2x Molex to 6-pin and DVI to D-Sub converters, mini-HDMI to HDMI cable.