Wednesday, June 20th 2012

Colorful Unveils Fanless GeForce GTX 680 Graphics Card

Now see this: a fanless, passive-cooled GeForce GTX 680! Chinese graphics card designer Colorful unveiled the world's first passive-cooled GeForce GTX 680 graphics card, the iGame GTX 680 passive. The card uses a pair of detachable, dense aluminum fin heatsinks, which draw heat from the 3.5 billion transistor GPU using seven heat pipes, and dissipate it using two aluminum fin stacks on either sides of the PCB. The two stacks are joined by six 8 mm-thick heat pipes.

The cooler cumulatively has 20 heat pipes, a surface area of 2 square meters across 280 aluminum fins. The second module is optional, and is only recommended if the operating environment is warm, or if the end user is overclocking. The card is said to use a complex VRM design that draws power from two 8-pin PCIe power connectors, though we suspect the idea behind that to be heat spreading. The design guarantees reliable silent operation at reference clock speeds or mild overclocking. Display outputs include one each of dual-link DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Colorful is still assessing the marketability of the design. Watch this space for more.
Source: Expreview
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54 Comments on Colorful Unveils Fanless GeForce GTX 680 Graphics Card

#1
Ikaruga
I just became a Colorful fan.
Posted on Reply
#2
Vancha
I think they'd be better off doing this for the 670, both price-wise and temps-wise. I imagine this would carry a pretty hefty premium which would only make it that much less accessible on a 680.

I love it either way though. They just need to make sure that "top" heatsink doesn't get obstructed by motherboard/CPU heatsinks...I could see this having trouble with a Biostar TZ77XE4, for example.

Edit: Actually I could see that being blocked by the motherboard I/O on all motherboards. I think I'd rather they made it two slots down, instead.
Posted on Reply
#3
okidna
Wow.. That thing must be heavy :D
Posted on Reply
#4
froxic
"surface area of 200 square meters" Realy? Thats place like my flat! :) Correct number is 2 m2 (20 000 cm2).
Posted on Reply
#5
theubersmurf
This thing would be worth it even if you had to run it at (slightly) lower clocks to get the passive cooler to work.
Posted on Reply
#6
dj-electric
Colorful never stop surprising me with their weirdness
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#7
theo2021
no sli

i find it bad that you actually can't use sli because if you buy the same card you can not fit them both on your pc and there is no point buying it if you want to do sli with another card because the other card will make noise.
Posted on Reply
#8
Ikaruga
theo2021i find it bad that you actually can't use sli because if you buy the same card you can not fit them both on your pc and there is no point buying it if you want to do sli with another card because the other card will make noise.
Sorry, but I don't really get your point. A system with two GTX680s with a strong CPU what can properly feed them would need a "noisy" PSU anyway, so why worry about that?
Posted on Reply
#9
RejZoR
They would need way smaller cooler if they'd just leave the damn cooler fins open (and not covering them with stupid sheets of metal just to write the card model on it). When will they learn...
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#10
jamsbong
It definitely looks heavy but they should make it as light as possible with fins similar to air-con fins or car radiator fins. Although that would mean it is as sharp as razor.

lighter = better since there will be less heat energy accumulated on heatsink.
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#11
seronx
It... it... looks beautiful...
Posted on Reply
#12
KissSh0t
I would imagine that to be quite heavy..

The black and blue color theme is nice.
Posted on Reply
#13
No_Asylum
theo2021i find it bad that you actually can't use sli because if you buy the same card you can not fit them both on your pc and there is no point buying it if you want to do sli with another card because the other card will make noise.
There are Motherboards + Cases that it would fit in. Tho SLIing a passive cooled 680 would be asinine.
Posted on Reply
#14
LTUGamer
IkarugaSorry, but I don't really get your point. A system with two GTX680s with a strong CPU what can properly feed them would need a "noisy" PSU anyway, so why worry about that?
Should be enough for GTX 680 www.fsp-europe.com/aurumxilenser500.php
Posted on Reply
#15
rpsgc
LTUGamerShould be enough for GTX 680 www.fsp-europe.com/aurumxilenser500.php
That's a negative.

According to TPU, GTX680 SLI consume around 440W maximum. And that's only the cards, it doesn't include CPU, motherboard, HDD, etc.

A 500W PSU for that? Madness.
Posted on Reply
#16
ice_v
"a surface area of 200 square meters across 280 aluminum fins" :eek:

that's no graphics card! it's a "Occupy Your Motherboard" movement! :D
Posted on Reply
#17
InnocentCriminal
Resident Grammar Amender
I like the look of it, but if I was seriously considering this card I'd have to have a workbench style set up as I'd be very worried of the weight.
Posted on Reply
#18
LTUGamer
rpsgcThat's a negative.

According to TPU, GTX680 SLI consume around 440W maximum. And that's only the cards, it doesn't include CPU, motherboard, HDD, etc.

A 500W PSU for that? Madness.
Sorry. I was talking about single card
Posted on Reply
#19
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
The GPU itself my be passively cooled, but it will overheat without any airflow whatsoever. You will still need a fan somewhere on the case to move away stagnant and already heated air. When I think high-end, I don't think passive cooling. :wtf:
Posted on Reply
#20
farquaid
froxic"surface area of 200 square meters" Realy? Thats place like my flat! :) Correct number is 2 m2 (20 000 cm2).
200 square meters surface area in the size of those coolers would almost be as impressive as the surface area of the alveolus in your lung.
Posted on Reply
#21
neko77025
theo2021i find it bad that you actually can't use sli because if you buy the same card you can not fit them both on your pc and there is no point buying it if you want to do sli with another card because the other card will make noise.
lol , No SLI, No Physx , NO X-Fi card, No PCI SSD, No Raid Controler ... No room.

I get mad at asus for making 3x slot-ed cards .. who the hell wants this.

I really dont see what the big deal is with quite fans .... I have 2x 6970 MSI Lightnings @ 1000mhz Ea .. both with fan speeds at min of 60% (goes up to 75%) ... i dont here them with my headphones on.
Posted on Reply
#22
rpsgc
LTUGamerSorry. I was talking about single card
But Ikaruga was talking about SLI :p
neko77025lol , No SLI, No Physx , NO X-Fi card, No PCI SSD, No Raid Controler ... No room.

I get mad at asus for making 3x slot-ed cards .. who the hell wants this.

I really dont see what the big deal is with quite fans .... I have 2x 6970 MSI Lightnings @ 1000mhz Ea .. both with fan speeds at min of 60% (goes up to 75%) ... i dont here them with my headphones on.
People who value silence? People who don't care for SLI? What, you think the majority cares for or uses SLI?

What's the problem with "quiet" fans? They're not quiet, that's what. Bullshit marketing claims. Plus, I already noticed most enthusiasts are deaf as a bat considering they claim everything is quiet or silent.
Posted on Reply
#23
badtaylorx
for the love of GOD Colorful.....

PLEASE BRING YOUR PRODUCTS TO THE STATES!!!!!!!!
Posted on Reply
#24
Animalpak
yeah you can do 4 way sli too !


what means ODB ? Old dirty bastard ? :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#25
pantherx12
I Freaken love Colorful!


So OTT, it's like what I would do if I built components XD ( although like others have said, I'd have no stupid pointless bits of metal to block airflow)



*edit*


I really hope the heatsink gets sold separately. I want one just for the lulz.
Posted on Reply
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