{"id":35429,"date":"2013-05-30T14:00:50","date_gmt":"2013-05-30T13:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=35429"},"modified":"2013-05-31T02:30:51","modified_gmt":"2013-05-31T01:30:51","slug":"770","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/770\/","title":{"rendered":"The GTX 770 arrives to Challenge the HD 7970 GHz Edition &#8211; 25 Games benchmarked!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\/\/ < ![CDATA[ google_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Today Nvidia is announcing its brand new $399 replacement for the GTX 670 as a direct challenge to the HD 7970 GHz edition.\u00a0 The GTX 770 is the same GPU as the GTX 680 with a few new additions that enable higher performance. These new additions include the Titan&#8217;s and the GTX 780&#8217;s Boost 2.0 controls, a little more board power which enables higher clocks, and 7GHz memory as an upgrade over the GTX 680&#8217;s 6GHz memory to increase the bandwidth of the 256-bit bus.\u00a0 Contrary to recent rumors, one cannot flash a GTX 680 into a GTX 770.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35436\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3.jpg?resize=600%2C432\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3.jpg?resize=600%2C432 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The GTX 770&#8217;s industrial design is very similar to the GTX 780&#8217;s as well as comparable to the Titan and to the GTX 690 which preceded it, and it shares its &#8220;whisper quiet&#8221; cooler with the GTX 780.\u00a0 Although these other cards are aimed at the very highest end of PC gaming, the GTX 770 is a video card that attempts to exceed the performance of the GTX 680 and is aimed at the upper end of the mainstream PC gamers.<a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-35437\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top.jpg?resize=600%2C609\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top.jpg?resize=600%2C609 1000w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top-295x300.jpg 295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to Nvidia, the GTX 770 offers &#8220;up to a 65% performance improvement&#8221; upgrade over the Fermi GTX 580, and it is also supposed to be up to 23% faster than last year\u2019s Kepler GeForce GTX 670. Of course, we shall check out these claims as we have added the GTX 670 and the GTX 570 to our test bed since last week when we compared the <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/gtx-780\/\">performance of the GTX 780 to eight competing video cards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The specifications of the GTX 770 are quite impressive as Nvidia&#8217;s new third card in their lineup.\u00a0 It is basically the GTX 680 with more added bandwidth due to higher memory speeds and faster core clocks.\u00a0 Nvidia has also increased the TDP of the GTX 770 to 230W, well over the 195W TDP of the GTX 680 to allow for a faster core and they have supplied better and quieter cooling to handle the extra heat with less noise than the GTX 680.<\/p>\n<p>We have been benching and playing games with the GTX 770 for the past week under NDA and it has been a very good experience that we would like to share with you.<\/p>\n<p>Here is our testbed of competing cards, and we shall test modern 25 games and 5 synthetics using Core i7-3770K at 4.5GHz, EVGA&#8217;s Z77 FTW motherboard and 16GB of Kingston &#8220;Beast&#8221; 2133MHz HyperX DDR3:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>GTX 770<\/strong><strong><em><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 770<\/strong><strong><em> Overclock<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 780<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX Titan<\/strong> (GK110 current special purpose Kepler &#8211; gaming multi-display\/compute)<\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 690<\/strong> (GK114 &#8211; current dual-GPU Kepler flagship)<\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 680<\/strong> (GK114, single-GPU Kepler flagship &#8211; now being replaced by the GTX 780)<\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 670<\/strong> (GK114, single-GPU Kepler 2nd in the lineup &#8211; now being replaced by the GTX 770)<\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 580<\/strong> (GF110 &#8211; former single-GPU Fermi flagship)<\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 570<\/strong> (GF110, single GPU second card in the Fermi lineup)<\/li>\n<li><strong>GTX 590<\/strong> (GF110 &#8211; former dual-GPU Fermi flagship<strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>HD 7970 GHz Edition<\/strong> (Tahiti &#8211; current AMD single GPU flagship)<\/li>\n<li><strong>HD 7970<\/strong> (Tahiti &#8211; mainstream original AMD single-GPU flagship)<\/li>\n<li><strong>HD 6990<\/strong> (Cayman &#8211; former AMD dual-GPU flagship)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>AMD&#8217;s Catalyst drivers have shown good performance improvements over the past few months, and the HD 7970 GHz edition has taken the single-GPU performance crown from the GTX 680. Although Titan at $1,000 is much faster than the top single-GPU AMD offering, Nvidia also retook the single-GPU performance crown away from AMD with their new mainstream $650 flagship GTX 780 and is now offering a challenge to the HD 7970 GHz edition with a $399 GTX 770.<\/p>\n<p>This evaluation will primarily pit the stock and overclocked GTX 770 against against our PowerColor reference design HD 7970 at stock and at GHz edition <em>at locked-on boost speeds<\/em> (1050MHz), using 25 modern games and 5 synthetic benchmarks at 1920&#215;1080 and 2560&#215;1600 resolutions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/collection.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33867\" title=\"collection\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/collection.jpg?resize=384%2C362\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/collection.jpg?resize=384%2C362 1000w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/collection-300x282.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We will also look very closely at the just-released <em>Metro: Last Light<\/em> to compare PhysX &#8216;on&#8217; versus &#8216;off&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">What&#8217;s New with the GTX 770?<\/h3>\n<p>Nvidia&#8217;s marketing buzzwords for the original GTX 600 series launch were, <em><strong>&#8220;Faster. Smoother. Richer.&#8221; <\/strong><\/em>The GTX 770 is also designed for extreme efficiency and high performance and we note that it&#8217;s TDP is 230W &#8211; way above the 195W of the last Kepler flagship, the GTX 680.\u00a0 However, one thing that we have noted is that the GTX 770 is noticeably quieter than the GTX 670\/680 and its fan speed is more constant.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Faster<\/h3>\n<p>The GTX 770&#8217;s Kepler architecture is SMX-based with 1536 CUDA cores, the same as the GTX 680. It promises better geometry and texture processing than Fermi thanks to its improved instruction throughput and redesign. In addition, Nvidia brings &#8220;GPU Boost 2&#8221; &#8211; a more dynamic way to boost clocks speeds and maximize performance for each game, now based on temperature also instead of just on assumed power draw as in the original Boost.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Smoother<\/h3>\n<p>New kinds of anti-aliasing &#8211; FXAA and TXAA &#8211; now compete with MSAA in terms of IQ while not sacrificing as much performance. And there is a new &#8220;Adaptive VSync&#8221; that helps to reduce tearing and stuttering associated with regular VSync.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">While average frames per second (FPS) are the most popular and also an important performance measurement for comparing videocards, the smooth delivery of frames is just as crucial. Great hardware needs great software to support it, and Nvidia is also a software company. They claim to give a lot of attention to how the frames are delivered with a special eye on reducing lag and input delay and thus minimizing jitter.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/boost-2.0.jpg?resize=560%2C313\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Nvdia now gives more voltage unlocking options with the GTX 770 than with the rest of the Kepler 600 series GPUs.\u00a0 The new GeForce GTX 700 series GPUs feature their second generation GPU Boost technology \u2013 the cooler the GPU operates, the faster it performs. Boost 2.0 also gives gamers more powerful controls for tweaking their GPU. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/overvolt-3.jpg?resize=560%2C288\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now users can set a target temperature, and for enthusiasts who wish to overclock their GPU, Boost 2.0 also supports overvoltage which can stabilize higher clocks for overclocking.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Richer<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;\">With GTX 770\/780 as with the rest of the GTX 600 series plus Titan, it is possible to play games spanning 3 displays in Surround or in 3D Surround from a single GeForce GPU, something Fermi could not manage. And the GTX 700 series brings two dual-link DVI connectors plus HDMI and a DisplayPort for a 4th accessory display.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SURROUND-4disp.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-28912\" title=\"SURROUND-4disp\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SURROUND-4disp.jpg?resize=458%2C235\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SURROUND-4disp.jpg?resize=458%2C235 763w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SURROUND-4disp-300x153.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There are even more features launched with the GTX 770\/780!<br \/>\n<strong>Quieter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How about quieter? The 700 series together with Titan introduces a new adaptive fan controller that uses a better algorithm to minimize fan speed fluctuations which result in a quieter experience without the fan constantly revving up and down.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/adaptivetemp-fan.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35320\" alt=\"adaptivetemp-fan\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/adaptivetemp-fan.jpg?resize=600%2C326\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/adaptivetemp-fan.jpg?resize=600%2C326 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/adaptivetemp-fan-300x163.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">New Software &#8211; Shadowplay and GeForce Experience<\/h3>\n<p>New software was launched with the GTX 780 last week. The GeForce Experience (GFF) came out of beta and became a regular feature for Nvidia gamers. No longer does one have to (although some of us love to) fiddle with settings to find the best combination for our own particular PC hardware combination.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Just one optimize button customizes the settings for a &#8220;best playable experience&#8221;<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/optimizze.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35318\" alt=\"optimizze\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/optimizze.jpg?resize=581%2C363\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/optimizze.jpg?resize=581%2C363 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/optimizze-300x187.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 581px) 100vw, 581px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Shadowplay is touted as a better alternative to Fraps when it comes to recording video. The compression is much better and the overhead from recording ones own game is much lower.<a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shadowplay.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-35319\" alt=\"shadowplay\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shadowplay.jpg?resize=563%2C236\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shadowplay.jpg?resize=563%2C236 820w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/shadowplay-300x125.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Shadowplay should be available to Kepler owners this Summer and we will bring you details of it.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">How does the GTX 770 compare with its rival, AMD&#8217;s top single GPU HD 7970 GHz Edition and is it worth $399?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Here is the big question: <em>How does the GTX 770 which is launching at $399 compare with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.newegg.com\/Product\/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&amp;IsNodeId=1&amp;Description=gtx%20680&amp;bop=And&amp;Order=PRICE&amp;PageSize=100\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.newegg.com\/Product\/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&amp;IsNodeId=1&amp;Description=gtx%20680&amp;bop=And&amp;Order=PRICE&amp;PageSize=100', 'the GTX 680 at $420-$500']);\" >the GTX 680 at $420-$500<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.newegg.com\/Product\/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&amp;N=100006662&amp;IsNodeId=1&amp;Description=hd%207970%20ghz%20edition&amp;bop=And&amp;Order=PRICE&amp;PageSize=100\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.newegg.com\/Product\/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&amp;N=100006662&amp;IsNodeId=1&amp;Description=hd%207970%20ghz%20edition&amp;bop=And&amp;Order=PRICE&amp;PageSize=100', 'the HD 7970 GHz Edition starting out at about $450']);\" >the HD 7970 GHz Edition starting out at about $450<\/a>?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>This is an interesting situation that may prove disruptive to pricing as the GTX 770 appears to promise to beat the GTX 680 and at least match the HD 7970 GE. <a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-35436\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3.jpg?resize=302%2C218\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3.jpg?resize=302%2C218 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-3qtr3-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>First, let&#8217;s take a closer look at the new GTX 770 and directly compare it to the GTX 680. First of all, in the &#8220;looks&#8221; department, the GTX 770 which shares it&#8217;s industrial design with the Titan, is an undisputed winner compared to the more traditional-looking GTX 680 (below).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28913\" title=\"680-1\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-1.jpg?resize=300%2C234\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-1.jpg?resize=300%2C234 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-1.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Of course, AMD&#8217;s cards have their own look and this is the PowerColor HD 7970 design that we are benching.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/7970-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28954\" title=\"7970-1\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/7970-1.jpg?resize=300%2C174\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/7970-1.jpg?resize=300%2C174 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/7970-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, looks are superficial and we need to look deeper.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--pagetitle: Introduction--><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: Architecture &#038; Features--><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Architecture and Features<\/h3>\n<p>We have covered Fermi&#8217;s GF100 architecture in a lot of detail previously. You can can read our articles <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=14600\">here <\/a>and also in our coverage of NVIDIA&#8217;s GPU Tecnology Conference 2010 that we reported on it for you <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=11661\">here<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=11825\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=11911\">here<\/a> in a three-part series. The Kepler architecture builds on Fermi architecture with some important improvements and refinements.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-shot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28915\" title=\"680-Chip-shot\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-shot.jpg?resize=300%2C214\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-shot.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-shot.jpg 579w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>SMX architecture<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SMX.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-28916\" title=\"SMX\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SMX.jpg?resize=471%2C302\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SMX.jpg?resize=471%2C302 785w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/SMX-300x192.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As Nvidia&#8217;s slide indicates, the Kepler architecture is called SMX and it emphasizes 2x the performance per Watt of Fermi. Their multi-threaded engine handles all of the information using four graphics processing clusters including the raster engine and two streaming multi-processors.<\/p>\n<p>The SM is now called the SMX cluster. Each SMX cluster includes a Polymorph 2.0 engine, 192 CUDA cores, 16 texture units and a lot of high-level cache. To add it all up, 2 SMXs each times 16 SMXs each including 192 CUDA cores, equal 1536 CUDA cores in the GPU used for the GTX 680 and the GTX 770.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-Diag-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-28925\" title=\"680-Chip-Diag-1\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-Diag-1.jpg?resize=365%2C620\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-Diag-1.jpg?resize=365%2C620 405w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-Chip-Diag-1-176x300.jpg 176w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 365px) 100vw, 365px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Four raster units and 128 Texture units comprise 32 ROPs; eight geometry units each have a tessellation unit, and more lower-level cache.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/KEPLER-BlockDiag.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-28926\" title=\"KEPLER-BlockDiag\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/KEPLER-BlockDiag.jpg?resize=529%2C316\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/KEPLER-BlockDiag.jpg?resize=529%2C316 756w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/KEPLER-BlockDiag-300x178.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nvidia significantly improved their memory controller over the Fermi generation as the GTX 680 uses a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface at 6Gbps declared throughput.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/6gbpsDDR5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-28958\" title=\"6gbpsDDR5\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/6gbpsDDR5.jpg?resize=300%2C239\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/6gbpsDDR5.jpg?resize=300%2C239 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/6gbpsDDR5.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The GTX 770 takes it further to increase the bandwidth by using the world&#8217;s first 7Gbps GDDR5 as increasing the GTX 770&#8217;s core speed without increasing the memory would starve the core.\u00a0 Peak memory bandwidth is 224.3GB\/sec \u2013 that\u2019s about 15% more memory bandwidth than last year\u2019s GTX 680.<\/p>\n<p>The above is a very brief overview of Kepler architecture as presented to the press at Kepler Editor&#8217;s Day in San Francisco last year.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Adaptive VSync<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Traditional VSync is great for eliminating tearing until the frame rate drops below the target &#8211; then there is a severe drop from usually 60 fps down to 30 fps if it cannot meet exactly 60. When that happens, there is a noticeable stutter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch-stutter.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-28931\" title=\"AdaptiveVSynch-stutter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch-stutter.jpg?resize=480%2C274\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch-stutter.jpg?resize=480%2C274 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch-stutter-300x171.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nvidia&#8217;s solution is to dynamically adjust VSync &#8211; to turn it on and off instantaneously. In this way VSync continues to prevent tearing but when it drops below 60 fps, it shuts off VSync to reduce stuttering instead of drastically dropping frame rates from 60 to 30 fps or even lower. When the minimum target is again met, VSync kicks back in. In gaming, you never notice Adaptive VSync is happening; you just notice less stutter (in demanding games, especially).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-28932\" title=\"AdaptiveVSynch\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch.jpg?resize=480%2C269\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch.jpg?resize=480%2C269 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/AdaptiveVSynch-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Adaptive VSync is a good solution that works well in practice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Specifications<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Here are the specifications for the GTX 680:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-specs.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28914\" title=\"680-specs\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-specs.jpg?resize=439%2C369\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-specs.jpg?resize=439%2C369 439w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/680-specs-300x252.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now let&#8217;s look at the GTX 770 specifications.\u00a0 Remember, however, the GTX 770 at $399 is replacing the GTX 670 which also launched at $399, not the (currently, $450) GTX 680 which is being replaced by the ($650) GTX 780.<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770-specs.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35440\" alt=\"770-specs\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770-specs.jpg?resize=442%2C451\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770-specs.jpg?resize=442%2C451 467w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770-specs-293x300.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>First, we notice that everything is identical between the GTX 770 and the GTX 680 except for the increased memory speed plus the increased base core speed, from 1006MHz of the GTX 680 to 1046MHz of the GTX 770. We note that the original Boost of the GTX 680 has been increased also and replaced with the improved Boost 2 of the 700 series.\u00a0 The TDP of the GTX 680 GPU has gone up from 195W of the GTX 680 to 230W for the GTX 770 which now requires 6+8 pin PCIe power connectors instead of the 6+6 pin PCIe connectors used for the GTX 680.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a closer look at the GTX 770.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: A Closer Look at the GTX 770--><\/p>\n<h3><strong>A look at the GTX 770<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Nvidia has redesigned their GEFORCE logo in all caps in this professionally rendered image beginning with the GTX 690. You can see the 6+8 pin PCIe power connectors used for the GTX 770.<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-35441\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top1.jpg?resize=480%2C487\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top1.jpg?resize=480%2C487 1000w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-top1-295x300.jpg 295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We can also see that there are two dual link DVI ports, a HDMI 1.4a port. and a DisplayPort in the closeup below. To run 3 panel Surround off of a single GTX 770, we used two DVI connectors and a passive DisplayPort to DVI adapter. <a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-brac.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-35442\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-brac\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-brac.jpg?resize=420%2C145\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-brac.jpg?resize=420%2C145 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-brac-300x103.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Quiet Gaming<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here is the vapor chamber that Nvidia uses for the GTX 770 that is also used in the Titan.\u00a0 In Nvidia&#8217;s internal testing, the GTX 770 is about 4db quieter than the GTX 680 which is already a quiet board.\u00a0 And Nvidia&#8217;s partners are free to use their own custom cooling solutions which are also available today on the launch day.<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-21.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35444\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-2\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-21.jpg?resize=600%2C302\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-21.jpg?resize=600%2C302 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-21-300x151.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Here you can see the GTX 770&#8217;s PCB which measures 10.5 inches long for the reference board.\u00a0 This is the obverse.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-pcb1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35443\" alt=\"NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-pcb\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-pcb1.jpg?resize=600%2C292\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-pcb1.jpg?resize=600%2C292 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_770-pcb1-300x146.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>The GTX 770 is a very good looking card that fits in well with Nvidia&#8217;s GTX 690, Titan and GTX 780 as &#8220;Industrial design&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>SLI and Tri-SLI<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The GTX 770 is set up for SLI and Tri-SLI. We hope to cover SLI performance of the GTX 770 in an upcoming article.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tri-sli.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-35445\" alt=\"tri-sli\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tri-sli.jpg?resize=480%2C405\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tri-sli.jpg?resize=480%2C405 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tri-sli-300x253.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The specifications look extraordinary with incremental but solid improvements over the GTX 680. Let&#8217;s check out performance after we look at our test configuration on the next page.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: Test Configuration--><br \/>\n<strong>Hardware <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intel Core i7 3770K (overclocked to 4.5GHz); Turbo is on.<\/li>\n<li>EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard (Intel Z77 chipset, latest BIOS, PCIe 3.0 specification; CrossFire\/SLI 16x+16x using Plex chip.)<\/li>\n<li>16GB Kingston DDR3 2133MHz Kingston HyperX &#8220;Beast&#8221; RAM (8&#215;2 GB, dual-channel at 2133MHz; supplied by Kingston)<\/li>\n<li>Noctua NH-DH14 CPU cooler and 7 case fans, supplied by Noctua<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 770 (2GB; 1046\/7010MHz, reference clocks and overclocked) supplied under NDA by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 780 (3GB; 863\/6008MHz, reference clocks and overclocked) supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX Titan (6GB, 836\/6008MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 680 (2GB, 1006\/6008MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>GTX 670 (2GB, 1006\/6008MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidi<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 690 (4GB, 1006\/6008MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 590 (4GB, 1607\/1707MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 580 (reference clocks) supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 570 (reference clocks) supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Power Color Radeon HD 7970 (3GB, stock and overclocked to GHz edition boost speeds 1050\/6000MHz)<\/li>\n<li>AMD HD 6990, reference clocks, supplied by AMD<\/li>\n<li>Onboard Realtek Audio<\/li>\n<li>Genius SP-HF 800A speakers, two pairs in 4.0 Quadraphonic configuration, supplied by Genius<\/li>\n<li>Two identical 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 hard drives configured and set up identically from drive image; one partition for Nvidia GeForce drivers and one for ATI Catalyst drivers<\/li>\n<li>Cooler Master Platinum Pro 1000W PSU<\/li>\n<li>Thermaltake Overseer RX-I full tower case, supplied by Thermaltake<\/li>\n<li>Philips DVD SATA writer<\/li>\n<li>HP LP3065 2560&#215;1600 thirty inch LCD.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #000000;\"><strong>Test Configuration &#8211; Software<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>ATi Catalyst 13-5 Beta 2 drivers; highest quality mip-mapping set in the driver; use application settings; surface performance optimizations are off.\u00a0 13-5 CAP 1.\u00a0 We found no performance differences with the <a href=\"http:\/\/support.amd.com\/us\/kbarticles\/Pages\/amdcatalyst13-6winbetadriver.aspx\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/support.amd.com\/us\/kbarticles\/Pages\/amdcatalyst13-6winbetadriver.aspx', '13.6 Beta drivers']);\" >13.6 Beta drivers<\/a> released May 29, 2013<\/li>\n<li>NVIDIA GeForce 320.18 for the GTX 570\/580\/590\/670\/680\/690\/TITAN. GeForce 320.18 launch drivers for the GTX 770 and the GTX 780. High Quality; Single-display Performance mode; Prefer Maximum Performance<\/li>\n<li>Windows 7 64-bit; very latest updates<\/li>\n<li>Latest DirectX<\/li>\n<li>All games are patched to their latest versions.<\/li>\n<li>vsync is forced off in the control panels.<\/li>\n<li>Varying AA enabled as noted in games; all in-game settings are specified with 16xAF always applied; 16xAF forced in control panel for <em>Crysis<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>All results show average frame rates<\/li>\n<li>Highest quality sound (stereo) used in all games.<\/li>\n<li>Windows 7 64, all DX9 titles were run under DX9 render paths, DX10 titles were run under DX10 render paths and DX11 titles under DX11 render paths.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>The Benchmarks<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Synthetic<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Vantage<\/li>\n<li>3DMark 11<\/li>\n<li>3D Mark 2013 Firestrike\/Firestrike Extreme<\/li>\n<li>Heaven 4.0<\/li>\n<li>Valley 1.0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>DX9<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Serious Sam 3 BFE<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Alan Wake: Ameican Nightmare<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The Witcher 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Borderlands 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Aliens: Colonial Marines<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>DX10<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Crysis<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>DX11<\/strong><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><em>BattleForge<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Alien vs. Predator<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>STALKER, Call of Pripyat<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Metro 2033<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><\/em><em>Lost Planet 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Total War: Shogun II<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><\/em><em>Crysis 2<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><\/em><em>Dirt 3<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><\/em><em>Batman: Arkham City<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Battlefield 3<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Max Payne 3<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Sleeping Dogs<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Sniper Elite V2<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Hitman: Absolution<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed III<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Crysis 3<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Tomb Raider 2013<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>BioShock: Infinite<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Metro: Last Light<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The above is our test bench. Let&#8217;s check out overclocking next.<\/p>\n<p>Before we get to the GTX 770&#8217;s performance in gaming, let&#8217;s look at overclocking, power draw and temperatures.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: O\/C'ing. Power Draw &#038; Temps--><\/p>\n<h2>Overclocking, Power Draw &amp; Temperatures<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Overclocking<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Overclocking the GTX 770 beyond the stock clocks are easy. No one should let the boost clocks intimidate them. Using EVGA Precision tool, simply push the sliders to the right as far as you dare and set the clocks and apply. No more shader clocks to adjust as the vRAM and the core clocks are easy to set.<\/p>\n<p>The only differences with Boost 2 from the 600 series are in setting a temperature target.\u00a0 We found in practice that Nvidia&#8217;s default choice of 80C is too low for Summer gaming and we experienced variability with our initial runs performing higher than later runs when the performance is throttled when Boost 2 lowers the clockspeeds in response to hitting the thermal limit.<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PrecisionOC-K-Boost.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35451\" alt=\"PrecisionOC-K-Boost\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PrecisionOC-K-Boost.jpg?resize=720%2C455\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PrecisionOC-K-Boost.jpg?resize=720%2C455 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PrecisionOC-K-Boost-300x189.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nWe solved these issues by setting the power draw and temperature sliders to maximum &#8211; +106% power target and 94C for the temperature target &#8211; much as we do for AMD cards with PowerTune.\u00a0 In this way, we find uniformity in our benchmark runs and less of a chance for Boost to throttle down clocks in response to a low thermal limit.\u00a0 The maximum overvoltage which is allowed is +.12mV which we did not use at all in our benching.<\/p>\n<p>As usual, we are not looking for the ultimate overvolted overclock with our VGA fan screaming along at 100%. We always test with our cards at stock voltage and with the stock fan profile so that our reader may have a good idea of midrange overclocking.<\/p>\n<p>We finally settled on increasing the base clock by +90MHz over the base clock of 1046MHz and we witnessed 1215MHz as the regular maximum boost.\u00a0 This is below the +175MHz we were able to achieve with our GTX 680 which topped out at about 1260MHz.<\/p>\n<p>The GTX 770 fan speeds stayed low with temperatures in the mid-70s under load &#8211; definitely higher than the 50sC we experience with the GTX 680 which has a lower TDP.\u00a0 However, even with the higher temperatures, the GTX 770 is slightly quieter than the GTX 680 and we notice that the fan speeds are more uniform with the newer card.<\/p>\n<p>We did exactly the same thing with our PowerColor HD 7970. Its stock clocks are 925\/1375 and we pushed them to HD 7970 GHz Edition clocks at 1050\/1500MHz by simulating an always locked on 50MHz boost.\u00a0 PowerTune is always set to maximum.<\/p>\n<p>With our GTX 680, we added +550MHz to the 6008 memory clock and with the GTX 770 we were able to add +500MHz to the higher 7010MHz memory clocks.\u00a0 The new DDR5 is very overclockable and just increasing the memory bandwidth has improved the frame rate in many games.<\/p>\n<p>We always use EVGA&#8217;s Precision overclocking tool which recently added further over-volting for Titan and 700 series.\u00a0 Moving up the power slider to 106% and the temperature up to the maximum 94C using EVGA&#8217;s Precision showed very little performance gain over simply setting the temperature limit to 85C.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Temperature<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Our ambient (room temperatures) were fairly warm from 76-80F so as to approximate a warm late Spring day. Be aware that we used our Thermaltake Overseer RX-I case which has excellent airflow for even a full tower. The GTX 770 runs moderately warm at our overclock, in the low 80s C under load. If we did not increase our temperature target to at least 85C, we found that we often saw Boost throttle the clockspeeds to lower the temperatures.<\/p>\n<p>You can see from the performance charts what effects increasing core speed has on the GTX 770.\u00a0 We used Futuremark&#8217;s latest benchmark FireStrike to give relative performance and we were able to maintain stability with an offset of +125MHz core\/+550MHz memory although we eventually settled on +90MHz core\/+500MHz memory as absolutely stable across all benchmarks in all situations.<\/p>\n<p>+600MHz began to artifact in Firestrike and no runs could be completed with the core boosted by more than +125MHz, even with additional overvoltage (and with the stock fan profile).<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/FS-OCing2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35486\" alt=\"FS-OCing\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/FS-OCing2.jpg?resize=449%2C441\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/FS-OCing2.jpg?resize=449%2C441 449w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/FS-OCing2-300x294.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You can certainly see the effects of Boost throttling at a high overclock when the temperatures and power targets are set back to default.\u00a0 And you can see the throttling becomes extreme when the Targets are lowered to their minimums.\u00a0 And it is also clear that the GTX 770 needs the faster DDR5 to utilize it increased base core speeds over the GTX 680.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Noise<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>All the modern Nvidia cards are extraordinarily quiet for high-end flagship cards. The Fermi GTX 580 was already reasonably quiet for a powerful card, but the GTX 680 is noticeably quieter and the GTX 770 is quieter still. And we had to drop our overclock on our CPU and lower our CPU and case fans rpm to even notice the GTX 770 at all except when it was at full load.\u00a0 The GTX 770 automatic fan profiles work well and needed no tweaking using our maximum overclock on each card.<\/p>\n<p>It appears that Nvidia has especially tuned the GTX 770 to be quiet somewhat at the expense of performance. It will be interesting to see what cooling designs their partners implement.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s head to the performance charts and graphs to see how the GTX 770 compares with the GTX 780, Titan, the GTX 690 as well as with the last generation dual-GPU flagships &#8211; the AMD HD 6990 and the Nvidia GTX 590 &#8211; as well as with the top video cards of this generation, the HD 7970 and the GTX 680.\u00a0 We also added the GTX 670 and the GTX 570 to our testing bench for this evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: Performance Summary Charts--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Performance summary charts &amp; graphs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here are the summary charts of 25 games and 5 synthetic tests. The highest settings are always chosen and it is DX11 when there is a choice; DX10 is picked above DX9, and the settings are ultra or maxed. Specific settings are listed on the Main Performance charts. The benches are run at 1920&#215;1080 and 2560&#215;1600 with separate charts to make comparisons easier, as well as dividing games up into easy-to-read charts by their DX pathway and by resolution.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the main summary chart that we call &#8220;The Bigger Picture&#8221; as it includes all 13 configurations that we tested and with all 30 benchmarks:<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/TheBigPic.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35448\" alt=\"TheBigPic\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/TheBigPic.jpg?resize=720%2C868\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/TheBigPic.jpg?resize=720%2C868 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/TheBigPic-248x300.jpg 248w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/TheBigPic-849x1024.jpg 849w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>All results, except for Vantage, Firestrike and 3DMark11, show average framerates and higher is always better. In-game settings are fully maxed out and they are identically high or ultra across all platforms.<\/p>\n[**<em>BattleForge<\/em> had flashing textures with the HD 7970 that was not present in the other cards, including the HD 6990]\n<p>Before we post the graphs, let&#8217;s break up the charts a bit.\u00a0 First up, lets compare the GTX 770 to the GTX 680 and to the earlier cards also comparing to the new Nvidia flagship, the $650 GTX 780:<a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vsNv.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35449\" alt=\"770vsNv\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vsNv.jpg?resize=648%2C1301\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vsNv.jpg?resize=648%2C1301 648w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vsNv-149x300.jpg 149w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vsNv-510x1024.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In every single case, the GTX 770 is faster than the GTX 680 and it solidly outperforms the GTX 670 that it replaces not to mention the domination over the Fermi-based last generation GTX 570.<\/p>\n<p>It is interesting to see the GTX 570 compared with the GTX 770 as there is approximately that 65% improvement that Nvidia claims.\u00a0 We even see nearly a 25% improvement over the GTX 670!<\/p>\n<p>Finally, let&#8217;s see the GTX 770 at stock and at our maximum +90MHz core\/+500MHz memory overclocked clocks, compared with AMD&#8217;s two top fastest single GPU cards and with the GTX 670 and GTX 680 on our chart:<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vs7970.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35450\" alt=\"770vs7970\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vs7970.jpg?resize=712%2C1321\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vs7970.jpg?resize=712%2C1321 712w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/770vs7970-161x300.jpg 161w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The GTX 770 beats the HD 7970 GE in 15 of our 25 games; it splits two games and loses to the Ghz Edition in 8 games. Looking at all of the benchmarks, overall the GTX 770 has shifted the performance ratio in its favor and overclocking just makes it even faster.\u00a0 As Nvidia&#8217;s third single-GPU card in their line-up, coming in cheaper than the top AMD video card may also prove disruptive.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at the individual charts. As usual, we begin with the synthetics.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Futuremark &amp; Heaven synthetic tests<\/h2>\n<p>3DMark 2013 Firestrike is Futuremark&#8217;s latest DX11-only benchmark, 3D Mark 11 is also DX11 and Vantage is DX10. Unfortunately, scores are completely meaningless when they are presented in this way but they do offer supporting data to accompany our game benches.\u00a0 Vantage provides some interesting data on the GTX 770.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/vantage.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35452\" alt=\"vantage\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/vantage.jpg?resize=720%2C420\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/vantage.jpg?resize=720%2C420 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/vantage-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>It seems that the memory upgrade made approximately 15% improvement in bandwidth over the GTX 680.\u00a0 Here are all of the synthetics compared to all of our benchmarked cards:<a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/synthetic.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35453\" alt=\"synthetic\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/synthetic.jpg?resize=720%2C119\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/synthetic.jpg?resize=720%2C119 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/synthetic-300x49.jpg 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/synthetic-1024x169.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Synthetic tests are interesting but they are not necessarily indicative of real world gaming performance. In all three cases, the GTX770 &#8220;wins&#8221; over the mainstream cards.\u00a0 We see the $50 less expensive GTX 770 put up a good showing, beating the GTX 680 in every case and generally outperforming the HD 7970 GHz Edition in our 25-game benching suite.<\/p>\n<p>Next up, let&#8217;s look at DX9\/DX10 games.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>DX9\/DX10 Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>We test fairly demanding DX9 games: <em>Serious Sam 3, BFE <\/em>and<em> Alan Wake<\/em> at completely maxed out settings. We have also added <em>Borderlands 2<\/em> with high PhysX, and <em>the Witcher<\/em> with maxed out settings including &#8220;ubersampling&#8221;.\u00a0 <em>Aliens: Colonial Marines<\/em> is our latest benchmark. The original <em>Crysis<\/em> is the only DX10 game that we are benching.<a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DX10-dx9.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35454\" alt=\"DX10-dx9\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DX10-dx9.jpg?resize=720%2C171\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DX10-dx9.jpg?resize=720%2C171 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DX10-dx9-300x71.jpg 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DX10-dx9-1024x243.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now on to DX11 games.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>DX11 Games<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Most of our testing emphasizes DX11 games. Since the charts get too long, we break them up into charts of 6 or 7 games each.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/olderDX112.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35468\" alt=\"olderDX11\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/olderDX112.jpg?resize=720%2C158\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/olderDX112.jpg?resize=720%2C158 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/olderDX112-300x65.jpg 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/olderDX112-1024x225.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n[**<em>BattleForge<\/em> had flashing textures with the HD 7970 that was not present in the other cards, including the HD 6990]\n<p>Now the newer DX11 games<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NewerDX111.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35469\" alt=\"NewerDX11\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NewerDX111.jpg?resize=720%2C145\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NewerDX111.jpg?resize=720%2C145 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NewerDX111-300x60.jpg 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NewerDX111-1024x206.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now let&#8217;s check out our newest DX11 games:<a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NeweST-DX111.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35470\" alt=\"NeweST-DX11\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NeweST-DX111.jpg?resize=720%2C250\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NeweST-DX111.jpg?resize=720%2C250 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NeweST-DX111-300x104.jpg 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/NeweST-DX111-1024x355.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We ran <em>Sniper Elite V2<\/em> with the maximum in-game settings including 2.25X SuperSampling which is incredibly demanding but looks awesome compared to running with it off.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>PhysX<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>AMD has no answer to PhysX except perhaps TressFX which involves hair, although they have promised physics support for years. Nvidia has developed their own proprietary PhysX which is used in some games to create extra immersion with particle, fluid and other physics calculations that previously usually required a separate video card just dedicated to geometry and PhysX calculations.<\/p>\n<p>Due to enhancements in Kepler&#8217;s SMX architecture as well as higher clocks, it is now easier to run PhysX on high with the GTX 770 than with the older cards such as the Fermi GTX 580.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the way the official benchmark in <em>Borderlands 2<\/em> is set up does not allow for an accurate comparison of PhysX on versus PhysX off.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Borderlands-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-28950\" title=\"Borderlands-2\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Borderlands-2.jpg?resize=550%2C312\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Borderlands-2.jpg?resize=550%2C312 550w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Borderlands-2-300x170.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For a proper PhysX comparison, we turn to <em>Metro: Last Light<\/em> and we can see the performance hit each of our 13 configurations take.<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PhyXmetro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35460\" alt=\"PhyXmetro\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PhyXmetro.jpg?resize=720%2C66\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PhyXmetro.jpg?resize=720%2C66 1096w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PhyXmetro-300x27.jpg 300w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/PhyXmetro-1024x94.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As you can see the GTX 770 is significantly faster than the Fermi cards.\u00a0 Of course, the Radeon cannot run PhysX so the CPU has this task which really makes it unplayable in the most demanding scenes.<\/p>\n<p>We test PhysX in <em>Metro: Last Light<\/em> which makes great use of PhyxX and it is a shame to play it without it. In both cases, turning on PhysX, although affecting the frame rate, it is enough to play the game with fully maxed out details and AA (but not SSAA) with our GTX 770, GTX Titan and our GTX 690. We also bench with and without 2xSSAA to show the relative performance hit.\u00a0 Playing with SSAA enabled in <em>Metro 2033: Last Light\u00a0<\/em>looks spectacular but is reserved for only for SLI and the very fastest single-GPU cards and at 1920&#215;1080.<\/p>\n<p>The HD 7970 had difficulties running the <em>Metro: Last Light<\/em> benchmark smoothly even which PhysX disabled. Perhaps a new driver update or patch will improve performance and frame delivery. We will keep our readers updated.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s head for our conclusion.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: The Conclusion--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>GTX 770 Availability<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Nvidia GTX 770 is shipping today and it will also be immediately available for order from leading OEMs and from etailers and retailers. It replaces the GTX 670 at the same $399 launch price and it edges out the GTX 680 in performance as well as beats the more expensive HD 7970 GHz edition in more benches than it loses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>However, the big question is not what does it bring over the GTX 680, but what it brings over the GTX 670 and older GPUs like the top Fermi video cards. Well, it is about 25% faster than the GTX 670 which it is replacing and considerably faster than the last generation GTX 570.<\/p>\n<p>Best of all, the GTX 770 comes in at the same $399 launch prices as the GTX 670 and the GTX 570 while edging out the GTX 680 by around ten percent which is currently priced about $50 more.\u00a0 We anticipate that the GTX 680 will come down in price as it is EoL&#8217;ed by Nvidia and it has been surpassed in every way by the less expensive GTX 770.\u00a0 It will be interesting to see how AMD responds.\u00a0 Currently, AMD is bundling 4 games with its HD 7970 although they are now older and discounted.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The GTX 770 also looks awesome inside just about any case. In addition, the LED GEFORCE logo is programmable.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We see good overclockability with extreme quietness at stock voltage and fan profile even when the GTX 770 is overclocked. It catches and surpasses the stock GTX 680 rather easily in every single case and it at least matches the HD 7970 GHz Edition&#8217;s performance. The temperature limit is set too low in our opinion at 80C, but it is easily changed.<\/p>\n<p>The GTX 770 appeals to the enthusiast who wants a very fast video card without paying the premium of the GTX 780 for being the undisputed fastest mainstream card.\u00a0\u00a0 At $399 it offers more performance value than the $450 GTX 680 or arguably the HD 7970 GHz Edition which is also priced about fifty dollars more.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">Pros<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Overall.\u00a0 The $399 GTX 770 is faster and more fully-featured and comes with a better cooler than the $450 GTX 680, and it replaces the GTX 670 which is about 25% slower.\u00a0 It wins more benches than it loses against the more expensive HD 7970 GHz Edition<\/li>\n<li>TDP and power draw are still very good. Performance per watt is excellent and it is nearly silent in comparison to any video card including the very quiet GTX 680.<\/li>\n<li>Overclockability is good for the core and very good for the memory &#8211; GPU Boost 2.0 works as advertised.<\/li>\n<li>The reference design cooling is quiet and efficient.<\/li>\n<li>It is possible to use three of these cards for extreme Tri-SLI performance<\/li>\n<li>3D Vision 2 and PhysX enhance gaming immersion and both are improved using the GTX 770 compared to the last generation.<\/li>\n<li>New AA allows for high performance without jaggies in deferred shading lighting engines<\/li>\n<li>Adaptive VSync reduces stuttering while retaining the advantages of minimizing tearing.<\/li>\n<li>The GTX 770 is very impressive as an &#8220;Exotic Industrial Design&#8221;. It is heavy, solid, and looks great.<\/li>\n<li>The GTX 770 is available in a 2GB or 4GB configuration<em><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cons<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The temperature limit is set somewhat low at 80C and will often hold back boost with the stock fan profile<\/li>\n<li>Voltage adjustments are still pretty narrow and may not please the extreme overclocker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The Verdict:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>If you are buying a $400 video card right now and looking for the highest mainstream performance in a single GPU, the GTX 770 is an excellent choice. We feel it deserves ABT&#8217;s &#8220;Great Value&#8221; award because it is a unique design with a better cooler that offers increased performance over the more expensive GTX 680.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/t3.gstatic.com\/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRxfBInukmNMVXQcYJY0wCMOdhHwRU0JTDjOyJ9ndAkl47y1hm2mW-KUQ\" width=\"120\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We do not know what the future will bring, but the GTX 770 brings an excellent performer to the GeForce family and it establishes itself as the third fastest single-GPU video card below the expensive Titan and the premium-priced GTX 780 but ahead of the GTX 680 while matching or beating the HD 7970 GHz Edition. With great features like PhysX and the second generation of 3D Vision, one can be assured of immersive gaming by picking this card for 1920&#215;1080 or 2560&#215;1600 or even for Surround and\/or for 3D Vision.<\/p>\n<p>If you currently game on an older generation video card such as Fermi or even a GTX 670, you will do yourself a favor by upgrading. The move to a GTX 770 will give you higher performane and you are no doubt thinking of SLI or Tri-SLI if you want to get nearly the ultimate in gaming performance without paying for Titan or GTX 78o pricing.<\/p>\n<p>The competition is hot and AMD offers their own set of features including Eyefinity and HD3D and some large game bundles. We do not know how they will respond &#8211; perhaps with dual-GPU video cards &#8211; but we are looking forward to it.<\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned, there is a lot coming from us at ABT. Next up is an evaluation of Kingston HyperX &#8220;Beast&#8221; RAM. And don&#8217;t forget to check our forums! Our tech discussions are becoming among the best to be found anywhere!!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\">Mark Poppin<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\">ABT Senior Editor<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px; text-align: left;\">Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px; text-align: left;\">Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px; text-align: left;\">Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px; text-align: left;\">For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px; text-align: left;\">Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 120px;\">\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 164304<\/li>\n<li>SETI@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 138705<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1', 'World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech']);\" target=\"_blank\">World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today Nvidia is announcing its brand new $399 replacement for the GTX 670 as a direct challenge to the HD 7970 GHz edition.\u00a0 The GTX 770 is the same GPU as the GTX 680&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":35463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2533,7814,5,1],"tags":[5237,6663,6661,6641,6032,5121,4753,87],"class_list":["post-35429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abt-news","category-articles","category-gaming","category-uncategorized","tag-boost-2","tag-gk114","tag-gtx-770","tag-gtx-780","tag-hd-7970-ghz-edition","tag-kepler","tag-performance-evaluation","tag-review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}