# ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU Mini 2 GB



## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

The ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini promises to revolutionize the small-form-factor gaming market. It finally enables you to build a powerful mini-ITX gaming rig that can handle all the latest titles in full HD at highest settings. Our testing shows that there are no compromises to be made in terms of noise and performance.

*Show full review*


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## dj-electric (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard f*cking DELIVERED!


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## erocker (Apr 4, 2013)

Very nice card... I'd just feel weird spending $400 bucks on a card so small.


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## MxPhenom 216 (Apr 4, 2013)

Jesus, that card is so much win!

Run that little guy on a small water loop in a Mini ITX case would be sweet!


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## cadaveca (Apr 4, 2013)

Is it bad that I want two?



Another killer GTX670 from ASUS, no surprise there!


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## Crap Daddy (Apr 4, 2013)

Again a great review for one hell of a little big card.


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## MxPhenom 216 (Apr 4, 2013)

cadaveca said:


> Is it bad that I want two?
> 
> 
> 
> Another killer GTX670 from ASUS, no surprise there!



I do too, only if theres an ITX case that had the ability to run 2 cards haha.



Crap Daddy said:


> Again a great review for one hell of a *little big *card.



I see what you did there..........


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## Sasqui (Apr 4, 2013)

erocker said:


> Very nice card... I'd just feel weird spending $400 bucks on a card so small.



LOL, isn't that what she said?


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## chaotic_uk (Apr 4, 2013)

half the size nearly but costs more ?


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## newtekie1 (Apr 4, 2013)

Wow,  ASUS managed to get the card smaller, quieter, and cooler?


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## Rowsol (Apr 4, 2013)

Definitely sweet.


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## HammerON (Apr 4, 2013)

Nice review W1z

That is a sweet (powerful) little GPU


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## puma99dk| (Apr 4, 2013)

erocker said:


> Very nice card... I'd just feel weird spending $400 bucks on a card so small.



haha i can agree with that, but for small size card, that kicks ass just like the big once i think it's a fine price and yet an awesome review by W1zzard


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## lZKoce (Apr 4, 2013)

I go back home, open TPU and THERE IT GOES, the review is here!!! I almost can't believe it! Congratulations TPU-team! 

One of the most awesome cards I have ever seen.


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## natr0n (Apr 4, 2013)

The direct power gimmick is a turn off.


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## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

natr0n said:


> The direct power gimmick is a turn off.



but it's shiny!

I don't see any big claims about it in ASUS marketing, what offends you? How do you feel about "Military Class" ? Which is the exact same marketing concept


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## Frick (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> but it's shiny!
> 
> I don't see any big claims about it in ASUS marketing, what offends you? How do you feel about "Military Class" ? Which is the exact same marketing concept



I've been thinking about that. What makes something "Military Class", if anything? Components, components assembly or what?


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## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

Frick said:


> I've been thinking about that. What makes something "Military Class", if anything? Components, components assembly or what?



it doesn't exist. it's a marketing invention like "gives you wings". msi sometimes references some certification which has no serious requirements


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## natr0n (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> but it's shiny!
> 
> I don't see any big claims about it in ASUS marketing, what offends you? How do you feel about "Military Class" ? Which is the exact same marketing concept




Well in MSI's case the gpu reactor/gimmick actually works/helps for OC in my findings.

With ASUS Direct power to a normal user they would think hey this must be like gpu reactor.
They might not look under it to see its nothing more than shiny copper.

That's my only issue really.


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## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

natr0n said:


> Well in MSI's case the gpu reactor/gimmick actually works/helps for OC in my findings.
> 
> With ASUS Direct power to a normal user they would think hey this must be like gpu reactor.
> They might not look under it to see its nothing more than shiny copper.
> ...



show me your data for gpu reactor please


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## cadaveca (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> it doesn't exist. it's a marketing invention like "gives you wings". msi sometimes references some certification which has no serious requirements



Pretty much.

Are any of these important to an end user?


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## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

look up the details for those tests, they are all nothing special .. if your product fails those, people will RMA it all the time



> Method 501.5, Procedure I (Storage), 71ºC for 2 hours after temperature stabilization.



storage! not even operating.. maybe the ice cream vendor down the street fails that.

operating is only 55°C


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## cadaveca (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> look up the details for those tests



Heh I know. The more interesting ones, like "explosive environment" and such are much more gamer-friendly. 


Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I also realize that perhaps choosing something from the present, not 2008, might be a bit better chosen.  They've simply picked a bunch of tests any product would pass, it seems, really, but have not passed ALL.

Now THAT would be worth mentioning. Products that can really withstand a hostile environment. Most can't even handle dust.


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## Frick (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> it doesn't exist. it's a marketing invention like "gives you wings". msi sometimes references some certification which has no serious requirements



Ahh ok. What I figured. Would be kinda cool if someone actullay made a motherboard or whatever that actually had military standard.

Anyway. I never knew the 670's were so damnable tiny. I have never really looked at them until this moment, because I assumed they would have to pull out some fancy engineering feats for it to be squashed up like that. And then it just looks like that. Sort of an antiklimax.

Good show. Well played.


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## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

Frick said:


> Would be kinda cool if someone actullay made a motherboard or whatever that actually had military standard.



expect to pay 10-20k for that if it comes with the right certification paperwork, much much more if you want emp hardened so you can still play crysis while the nukes go off around you


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## cadaveca (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> expect to pay 10-20k for that if it comes with the right certification paperwork, much much more if you want emp hardened so you can still play crysis while the nukes go off around you



Well, from my point of view...


MSI: OK, we got the MPower..."OC Certified", Military Class.




Me: ...but can it handle condensation?




MSI: Oh, there's a MIL test for that too? 




Me: Oh, you didn't bother...



oh.



So, nice weather?



(not actual conversation).


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## Frick (Apr 4, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> it doesn't exist. it's a marketing invention like "gives you wings". msi sometimes references some certification which has no serious requirements





W1zzard said:


> expect to pay 10-20k for that if it comes with the right certification paperwork, much much more if you want emp hardened so you can still play crysis while the nukes go off around you



Yeah I know. Would be sort of interesting though. I did some basic IPC checkups at school and when they started with that Military Class nonsense my initial thought was "wait seriosly?" but realized it wasn't it. I was sort of dissapointed.

EDIT:



cadaveca said:


> Well, from my point of view...
> 
> 
> MSI: OK, we got the MPower..."OC Certified", Military Class.
> ...



That would be a april fools prank I can support!


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## Ikaruga (Apr 4, 2013)

Card and review, both well done.


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## Casecutter (Apr 4, 2013)

Got to say it so cute (and powerful) it wants me to think about some neat SFF enclosure builds.  While a mini-ITX in a compact case is in the realm possibility, that would take some serious engineering or a chicken wire enclosure… While good luck finding a 500W power brick.

A Vapor chamber sweet... but I'd like to see the shroud off, and more pictures on the cooler and fan parts.


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## cadaveca (Apr 4, 2013)

Casecutter said:


> Got to say it so cute (and powerful) it wants me to think about some neat SFF enclosure builds.  While a mini-ITX in a compact case is in the realm possibility, that would take some serious engineering or a chicken wire enclosure… While good luck finding a 500W power brick.



Thermaltake has already thought of this, perhaps.

http://support.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1432&ID=1710


I can smell some killer modded cases with such thoughts in mind...


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## W1zzard (Apr 4, 2013)

Casecutter said:


> While good luck finding a 500W power brick.



A 300 W PSU should handle this card and decent gaming rig just fine


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## Emperor_Piehead (Apr 4, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Jesus, that card is so much win!
> 
> Run that little guy on a small water loop in a Mini ITX case would be sweet!



people do run that in a watercooling loop the reference pcb is the exact same length


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## terrastrife (Apr 4, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Jesus, that card is so much win!
> 
> Run that little guy on a small water loop in a Mini ITX case would be sweet!



WHYYYYYY there's already blocks for the stock 670 which is just as small XD

Kinda wish that the red accent was blue, to look the same as the asus itx deluxe board.


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## Animalpak (Apr 4, 2013)

now who expect a waterblock ?


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## OneCool (Apr 5, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> expect to pay 10-20k for that if it comes with the right certification paperwork, much much more if you want emp hardened so you can still play crysis while the nukes go off around you


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## Lionheart (Apr 5, 2013)

What an awesome little card, I feel the urge just to build a mini ITX build now just for this tiny beast


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## OnyxVulpe (Apr 5, 2013)

Now they just need to throw that cooler on the rest of the line up.


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## OneCool (Apr 5, 2013)

Its small.

I just put a NZXT Nemesis case back in gaming action for less than this mini card.


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## Assimilator (Apr 5, 2013)

Hmmm... now if only we could get the 660 and 660 Ti in this form factor...



chaotic_uk said:


> half the size nearly but costs more ?



The same reason why palm-sized smartphones cost more than a PC with much more power.


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## NeoXF (Apr 5, 2013)

Wow, awesome card... congrats to the makers... and by that I mean mostly ASUS.


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## chinmi (Apr 5, 2013)

I totally want two of these....!!!!


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## miluthui (Apr 6, 2013)

This card looks great but it comes out too late I already bought the Zotac GTX 660 Ti AMP! Edition which is also quite small and compact for my new mini ITX build


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## Held213 (Apr 6, 2013)

Good review 



> Not all Mini-ITX cases support dual-slot graphics cards



But this cant be a disadvantage of the card. If you want performance like this and a quiet card in an ITX system the card has to be 2-slots high. 

Its a disadvantage of the case if its not supporting 2-slot cards.


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## W1zzard (Apr 6, 2013)

Held213 said:


> But this cant be a disadvantage of the card. If you want performance like this and a quiet card in an ITX system the card has to be 2-slots high.
> 
> Its a disadvantage of the case if its not supporting 2-slot cards.



i completely agree, and it didn't influence the review, scoring or conclusion in any way. i still thought it important to mention that fact


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## Held213 (Apr 6, 2013)

Well OK then.

I would also point out (as a disadvantage), that the PCB and the cooler are higher as the mounting bracket. Could ba a problem in some cases, maybe with the Prodigy. Higher card cause troubles or crashing with the ODD slot: http://pics.computerbase.de/4/1/8/7/6/29.jpg


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## MxPhenom 216 (Apr 6, 2013)

terrastrife said:


> WHYYYYYY there's already blocks for the stock 670 which is just as small XD
> 
> Kinda wish that the red accent was blue, to look the same as the asus itx deluxe board.



Still rather have this card then the reference 670s.


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## Am* (Apr 7, 2013)

Good card, but it is WAY WAY overpriced. They must have given you the gold of all golden cards right here to make it function that quietly and cool.That heatsink looks cheap as hell to be honest (looks a lot like the older Intel stock cooler with the copper base) and will probably struggle cooling the GPU for most people that get it. They should move all the power components on the back of the card to make space for a much beefier cooler with 4 heatpipes, stick it on a GTX 680 and you have an instant win. Why this thing costs more than a normal GTX 670 is beyond me, since in terms of materials used, this thing is an all round cost-cutting exercise.


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## Casecutter (Apr 10, 2013)

cadaveca said:


> Thermaltake has already thought of this, perhaps.


While with 270W available the Thermaltake (A2422RU) might do it, but it never says it an 8-pin, they never specifically what it has. I suppose you might find/make a 6-pin +Molex to 8-pin adapter.  You better hope that's a single rail.  It fills what's almost certainly your only 5.25” bay and then you have to consider moving the heat from that out of a chassis that wasn't design to dissipate such BTU’s from that drive bay. 



W1zzard said:


> A 300 W PSU should handle this card and decent gaming rig just fine


As it needs a 8-pin (150W) and then say a i5-3570K (you don't want to be CPU bound ), and other peripherals like a HDD and SSD... to me 350W is more the bare minimum.  If you're constrained with Mini ITX/Micro FLEX (Slim-line PSU's) many of those have 2 rails, so you better hope your adapter works the same rail.  You're basically looking at something like the Athena Power AP-MFATX40 400W Mini ITX, it’s got two 6-pins that can adapt into one 8pin.  Though good luck killing all that Spaghetti… in a Mini ITX chassis.

While a novel idea I just don’t see any real big saturation or demand for a small M-ITX/SFF size, powerful card for gaming machines, I applaud the innovation.


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## Random Murderer (Apr 15, 2013)

So... the NDA is up(obviously) and these have been reported as "released" by multiple sites. So where the hell are they?


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## Animalpak (Apr 16, 2013)

Crazy the world is full of crazy people !!!! 

500 bills for this card ?? Are you kidding me ??

My best hardware retailers shop sells this card at 500 swizterland francs ( the francs value are very close to dollars )

http://www.steg-electronics.ch/it/article/asus-gtx-670-dc-mini-266137.aspx


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## Krahl (May 4, 2013)

Haven't posted in quite a while - nor is my count of them epic. However

That is one hell of a sweet review! Thank you very much.

Probably doesnt mean a whole lot but my last CPU buy was based on one of your reviews - the regular gtx670dcuiitop which is an amazing card


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## Jeffredo (May 11, 2013)

I love this little card.  I have an ASUS DirectCU II GTX 670... but I almost want to get one of these anyway.


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## gadgetboi (Aug 25, 2013)

Great review on this card. I recently built an ITX system with this card based on a Shuttle case and 500w Shuttle power supply.
Specs can be seen here:
http://www.modsrigs.com/detail.aspx?BuildID=32922


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