With a combined 1024 NVIDIA CUDA® architecture cores, 3GB of GDDR5 memory, 6 billion transistors and over 2200 individual components all packed into an 11 inch dual slot card, the GTX 590 delivers a staggering 32 tessellation engines that can power today's cutting edge DX11 games at resolutions of 2560x1600 and higher. With four separate video outputs on each card, consumers can configure their PC with four independent displays, or they can span their gaming across 3 3D displays, at a resolution up to 5760x1080 for an intense, immersive, stereoscopic gaming experience utilizing NVIDIA 3D Vision™ Surround technology.
Like all NVIDIA "DX11 Done Right" GPUs, the GTX 590 delivers the world's fastest performance for DX11 games(i). And with NVIDIA SLI® technology, the industry's most scalable multi-GPU platform, gamers can increase their PC's gaming performance by adding a second GeForce GTX 590, for an incredible Quad SLI gaming mode.
NVIDIA engineered the GTX 590 to be the world's quietest dual GPU product. It features a special cooling system and dual vapor chambers which deliver both astounding performance and acoustics. Measured with a standard decibel meter, the GTX 590 clocks in at 48dB, more than two times quieter than the closest competitive product under full graphics load. To the human ear, this difference means the GTX 590 delivers a 3D gaming experience that is typical of a quiet library. In comparison, the competition's product is more on par with a busy freeway.
"The GTX 590 is the best dual GPU product ever built," said Drew Henry, general manager of GeForce GPU business at NVIDIA. "With leading performance, support for multi-monitor 3D gaming, Quad SLI, and an acoustic envelope that begs to be heard for how quiet it is, the GTX 590 epitomizes what a perfect dual graphics card looks, performs, and sounds like."
With an estimated selling e-tail price starting at $699 USD, the GeForce GTX 590 is available starting today from the world's leading add-in card partners, including Asus, EVGA, Gainward, Gigabyte, Inno3D, MSI, POV, Palit, and Zotac.
However, with the significant improvements afforded by the use of low-leakage transistors for non-performance critical components, the revised Fermi GPUs of the GTX 500-series have offered a marked improvement. With their reduced thermal output, it was only a matter of time before we saw Nvidia returning with a range-topping dual-GPU card again. With AMD having played its top-end hand with the Radeon HD 6990 4GB, it's now Team Green’s turn with the GeForce GTX 590 3GB.
What’s first apparent is that the GTX 590 3GB is smaller than both the competing HD 6990 4GB and its ageing predecessor, the GTX 295 1,792MB. With a PCB length of 28cm (11in) it’s only a little longer than single-GPU GTX 580 1.5GB cards, and at 1,034g it's 112g lighter than the HD 6990 4GB.
Unlike the GTX 295 1,792MB, which used two slightly cut-down GT200b GPUs, Nvidia has chosen to equip the GTX 590 3GB with two full-specification GF110 GPUs; the same as those found in top-end single-GPU GTX 580 1.5GB cards. However, clock speeds have had to be lowered in comparison to the single-GPU card, and run at a much reduced 607MHz compared with the GTX 580 1.5GB’s 772MHz. This is roughly a 20 per cent drop in clock speed, although the obvious advantage of having two GPUs running in tandem makes the GTX 590 3GB considerably faster on paper.
The decision to use such conservative clock speeds might seem odd, but it has allowed Nvidia a good deal of flexibility elsewhere. The most obvious is the card’s cooling system, which shares similarities with both the HD 6990 4GB and Nvidia’s single-PCB version of the GTX 295 1,792MB. The two 520mm² GPUs are arranged symmetrically at either end of the card, with the power delivery circuitry in the middle. Each GPU is topped by its own vapour chamber heatsink assembly, with a single radial fan in the centre of the card blowing air over both. This does mean that half of the card’s heat is exhausted directly into your case, though.
Peeking underneath the cooler, you can see that the card’s power delivery circuitry is suitably meaty. Each GPU is serviced by five power phases, with each GPU’s 1.5GB of GDDR5 memory powered by two phases. This means the card boasts a huge 14+1 power phases, all fed by the pair of 8-pin PCI-E power connectors. Like the HD 6990 4GB, the GTX 590 3GB breaks the PCI-E power spec of 300W combined board power, but it seems as though manufacturers are now attaching less importance to this standard. Nvidia recommends a 700W PSU for systems running a GTX 590 3GB.
With board space at a premium, the card’s 3GB of GDDR5 memory has been split between both sides of the PCB, with six 128MB modules arranged around each GPU, and another six fitted to the reverse, making a total of 24 modules (3,072MB). To cool the memory on the card’s backside, Nvidia has fitted the GTX 590 3GB with two small aluminium backplates. These carry a ‘warning – hot’ label, as they lack active cooling.
One extra flourish that we really like is that the Nvidia logo on the top-side of the card is now back-lit. We’ve thought this would be a great idea for ages, and it certainly looks very smart with the GTX 590 3GB fitted into a case with a side-panel window.
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