GK104 PCB Pictured in Full

[btarunr]

Here is the first true-color picture of the GeForce Kepler 104 (GK104) reference PCB shot in full (well, almost, excluding the uneventful PCIe bus connector). The picture provides a panoramic view of the card's VRM as shown in a drawing posted earlier this day, and reveals the strange double-decker power connector. The card is loaded with a 5-phase NVVDC configuration, as detailed in an older article. It also confirms that the GK104 has a 256-bit wide memory interface, with likely 2 GB standard memory amount. This is also the first picture of the GK104 ASIC, which has square package, and somewhat square die. While the PCB is green in color, it's most likely an engineering sample. The final product (branded GeForce GTX 680 / GTX 670 Ti), could have a black-colored one.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[3volvedcombat]

Yay GK104 competetion here we come!

first comment

AMD has been riding the train alone for a while. Finnally some company.

and price competition/ .

 

[DarkOCean]

The chip looks small below 300mm but i hope it will be as good as nvidia want us to believe.

 

[chaotic_uk]

that looks odd around the pci-e power , how thick will it be ?

 

[legends84]

do want!!!!

 

[NHKS]

At last! something to see in flesh rather than just words & words of speculation..

 

[H82LUZ73]

LOL all you guys miss the 2 fan ports .......Means 2 fans on the cooler ...uhm Where is my eggs.

 

[NorthEndJon]

LOL all you guys miss the 2 fan ports .......Means 2 fans on the cooler ...uhm Where is my eggs.

Theres only one 4 pin PWM fan port at the end of the board. The 2 pin at the top has a JP under it, designating it as some sort of jumper. Likely not a fan port. Sorry.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yay GK104 competetion here we come!

first comment

AMD has been riding the train alone for a while. Finnally some company.

and price competition/ .

I hope so man. Since amd just threw their 7900 in a new price bracket and didn't displace the 69's, if gk104 outperforms the 7970 by only a tiny bit nvidia will still price it higher and I'm pretty sure amd won't budge on their price.

But competition is always good!

 

[cadaveca]

Theres only one 4 pin PWM fan port at the end of the board. The 2 pin at the top has a JP under it, designating it as some sort of jumper. Likely not a fan port. Sorry.

Looks liek a 2-pin Fan connector to me too. Could be a jumper, or perhaps a VRM test point, but I like fan power just as much.

 

[NorthEndJon]

Looks liek a 2-pin Fan connector to me too. Could be a jumper, or perhaps a VRM test point, but I like fan power just as much.

Eh, I'd be inclined to agree, but once again, there is what appears to me a JP under that top connector. I've seen it on ALOT of Nvidia cards. I do belive its for Audio Passthrough, just incase you want to use your sound cards digital out instead of Nvidia's onboard. However, we're all just speculating. Given its markings though, I'm mighty sure its not a fan port.

 

[NHKS]

I hope so man. Since amd just threw their 7900 in a new price bracket and didn't displace the 69's, if gk104 outperforms the 7970 by only a tiny bit nvidia will still price it higher and I'm pretty sure amd won't budge on their price.

But competition is always good!

that seems a scary scenario.. just 'in case' GK104 is consistenly faster than 7970 but only a bit; HD7970 @ $550 meaning <GK104> @ $600?! OH DEAR!

 

[H82LUZ73]

Looks liek a 2-pin Fan connector to me too. Could be a jumper, or perhaps a VRM test point, but I like fan power just as much.

Looks like a 2nd fan port that reads rpm s ....But that is just what it looks like to me.Remember the old Y split Thermal take power fan with speed control cables like these http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=y%20fan%20cable&x=20&y=33&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1erucig6t6yda .could mean the 2nd fan is powered with the first and has it own rpm plug

The audio pass through is a what????... it is 2012 and they are still using 95 specs for it to have sound......Looks more like a fan rpm plug.

 

[Finners]

GPU seems very small.

Bring it on i say. For the consumer AMD need to drop their price now so if this is better then them nvidia put it just above. Other wise nvidia will price it at £500 and never drop it

 

[Filiprino]

NVIDIA can go now and suck my *****

What are those 2 DVI ports one on top of the other?

Having only 1 line of ports is perfect because you can buy 1-slot backplates, put some watercooling and free up space for another card.

Having a tower of ports like the GTX590 is not great.

 

[Crap Daddy]

Small and power efficient, NVidia finally turning green.

 

[NorthEndJon]

Looks like a 2nd fan port that reads rpm s ....But that is just what it looks like to me.Remember the old Y split Thermal take power fan with speed control cables like these http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=y%20fan%20cable&x=20&y=33&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1erucig6t6yda .could mean the 2nd fan is powered with the first and has it own rpm plug

The audio pass through is a what????... it is 2012 and they are still using 95 specs for it to have sound......Looks more like a fan rpm plug.

They have had Digital Audio Passthroughs on nearly every card I've ever seen from Nvidia. I know the GTX480 has one. Its so you can use your sound cards digital out with your HDMI connection to your TV.

 

[lukcic]

if you buy this card you can't install any other hw in the case, it's humongulous

 

[cadaveca]

They have had Digital Audio Passthroughs on nearly every card I've ever seen from Nvidia. I know the GTX480 has one. Its so you can use your sound cards digital out with your HDMI connection to your TV.

I do not beleive that the 5-series cards had this audio port. As soon as you mentioned the audio port, I thought "heck, yeah, that's what it is...", and then Iremembered the 5-series cards...

590(with similar secondary fan port):

580:

570:

 

[NorthEndJon]

Sadly, my job hasn't given my any 500 series cards to play with yet, so it seems my point may be moot. We refurb systems and the biggest card I've seen so far is the 480.

HOWEVER, my gut still tells me not a fan header

Edit: Just noticed that all those cards have the solder points for that header, and also have the same Designation as "J8". It appears thats what the one on the Kepler says too. J8 IS the HDMI audio passthrough on all of them, since the 8000 series. So I stand by my assumption.

 

[newtekie1]

They have had Digital Audio Passthroughs on nearly every card I've ever seen from Nvidia. I know the GTX480 has one. Its so you can use your sound cards digital out with your HDMI connection to your TV.

They haven't need the digital pass though since the GTX200 series. The 400 and 500 series all have a built in audio processor that outputs sound via HDMI so no sound input to the card is requried. The GTX480 definitely does not have an audio passthrough.

I do not beleive that the 5-series cards had this audio port. As soon as you mentioned the audio port, I thought "heck, yeah, that's what it is...", and then Iremembered the 5-series cards...

590(with similar secondary fan port):

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_590/images/front.jpg

580:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_580/images/front.jpg

570:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/GeForce_GTX_570/images/front.jpg

I don't think it is a audio port. I think nVidia is done with requiring that now that they have a working sound card design that they can include with the GPU. As you pointed out, the GTX590 has a similar connector that isn't an audio connector. I'm guessing it is something else, possible a place to connect an LED or something for a light in the heatsink.

Edit: I just went back and looked at the GTX590, the port is definitely used to power the little LED to light up the GeForce logo. So I'm certain that is what is is being used for here as well.

 

[Ferrum Master]

They haven't need the digital pass though since the GTX200 series. The 400 and 500 series all have a built in audio processor that outputs sound via HDMI so no sound input to the card is requried. The GTX480 definitely does not have an audio passthrough.



I don't think it is a audio port. I think nVidia is done with requiring that now that they have a working sound card design that they can include with the GPU. As you pointed out, the GTX590 has a similar connector that isn't an audio connector. I'm guessing it is something else, possible a place to connect an LED or something for a light in the heatsink.

Edit: I just went back and looked at the GTX590, the port is definitely used to power the little LED to light up the GeForce logo. So I'm certain that is what is is being used for here as well.

You are right it is for the LEDs... the GTX280 had the same...

 

[NorthEndJon]

They haven't need the digital pass though since the GTX200 series. The 400 and 500 series all have a built in audio processor that outputs sound via HDMI so no sound input to the card is requried. The GTX480 definitely does not have an audio passthrough.

The GTX480/470 and 465 do not have HDMI audio processors. Look it up. The 460 does.

I don't think it is a audio port. I think nVidia is done with requiring that now that they have a working sound card design that they can include with the GPU. As you pointed out, the GTX590 has a similar connector that isn't an audio connector. I'm guessing it is something else, possible a place to connect an LED or something for a light in the heatsink.

Edit: I just went back and looked at the GTX590, the port is definitely used to power the little LED to light up the GeForce logo. So I'm certain that is what is is being used for here as well.

I do admit that this likely is what its for aswell. I didn't think of that.

 

[newtekie1]

You are right it is for the LEDs... the GTX280 had the same...

Yeah, I just went and looked at the GTX480. It has the connector, but it is used to power LEDs as well, though the reference cooler didn't have LEDs AFAIK, but other manufacturers included them. I believe the GTX280 actually did use it as an audio passthrough, not for LEDs.

The GTX480/470 and 465 do not have HDMI audio processors. Look it up. The 460 does.

I don't have to look it up, I own 3 GTX470s and a GTX465(look at my specs and sig), as well as I've owned 2 GTX480s. I can tell you they do have HDMI audio processors built in.

If you want solid proof just read W1z's review of the GTX480:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_480_Fermi/3.html

NVIDIA has included an HDMI sound device inside their GPU which does away with the requirement of connecting an external audio source to the card for HDMI audio.

And actually, the GT220/240 were the first nVidia cards to not need the passthrough. But they didn't have onboard sound devices, they just passed the signal through the PCI-e bus. At the very least, I can't see nVidia using this method if they weren't including a sound device, because it is far less of a pain in the ass than needing a special cable and SPDIF output.

 

[nickbaldwin86]

Just me or does it looks like 3 pCI slots