Saturday, July 6, 2013

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Video Card Review

Legit Video Card Reviews

GeForce GTX 780 Reference Card

When NVIDIA introduced the GeForce GTX Titan back in February, they unleashed a video card that quickly became recognized as the fastest single-GPU on the desktop market. The GeForce GTX Titan uses the GK110 'Kepler' GPU along with 6GB of GDDR5 memory to show gamers how current game titles are meant to be plated. No doubt the GeForce GTX Titan runs circles around the competition, but it also costs $999 and that is out of reach for most mainstream and enthusiast gamers. Shortly after the NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan was released we began hearing rumors of a less costly card with fewer stream processors and less memory to help fill the huge price gap between the GeForce GTX 680 at $449 and the GTX Titan at $999. The rumor mill was calling that card the GeForce GTX Titan LE, but it appears that was wrong. NVIDIA had other plans and introduced the GeForce GTX 780 last week, which is the first GeForce 700 series graphics card to be released!

titan-gtx780

If you take a look at the image above and compare the GeForce GTX Titan (top) to the GeForce GTX 780 (bottom) you should be able to figure out where this is all headed. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 might be the first video card to be released in the GeForce GTX 700 series, but it's not really ground breaking. It's basically a GeForce GTX Titan with some things on the GK110 GPU disabled and half the memory. The best part about the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 is that it comes with a suggested retail price of $649. That makes it 35% less than the cost of a GeForce GTX Titan. The question is what did they disable?

Here is a quick chart that breaks down the key specifications for you along for those that like to see everything in a table. The GeForce GTX 780 has base clock of 863MHz and a Boost click of 902MHz, which is higher than the clocks on a Titan, but notice that it has fewer stream processors (CUDA Cores). The GeForce GTX 780 has two SMs (Streaming Multiprocessors) disabled, which means it has 2304 CUDA cores versus 2688 on Titan. The number of texture units also decreases from 224 on Titan to 192 on the GeForce GTX 780.

NVIDIA reduced the memory down to just 3GB on the GTX 780, but notice that the clock speed is still 6008MHz (effective) and connected with a 384-bit memory interface.  This means the memory bandwidth is is still 288.4 GB/s and the peak texture fill rate is 165.7 GTexels/s. The reduction of memory might be of a concern to some gamers, so we'll be addressing those concerns by benchmarking the GeForce GTX Titan, GTX 780, GTX 680 and GTX 580 at 5760x1080, 2560x1600 and 1920x1080. This wide range of resolutions should cover the frame buffer performance questions that many have. We believe that Ultra HD resolutions are where gaming is headed, so we will be headed in that direction with our high-end GPU reviews.

NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_780-Front

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 video card shares the same general PCB design and the identical GPU cooler. The GeForce GTX 780 looks sharp thanks to a silver aluminum casing for the cover and a clear polycarbonate window that allows you to see the vapor chamber and dual-slot heatsink used on the card.

NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_780-Top

The GeForce GTX logo on the edge of the board is also LED backlit just like the one on the GeForce GTX 690 and Titan. NVIDIA suggests a 600W or greater power supply for the GTX 780 and you'll need both an 8-pin and a 6-pin PCIe power connector for proper operation.

NVIDIA_GeForce_GTX_780-Back

The back of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 doesn't have a backplate and you can't see any of the GDDR5 memory ICs that make up the cards 3GB frame buffer.

samsung GDDR5 ICs

NVIDIA is using Samsung K4G20325FD-FC03 GDDR5 memory chips on the GeForce GTX 780.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Video Card Bracket

Display outputs include two dual-link DVIs, one HDMI and one DisplayPort 1.2 connector. This video card easily supports 4K resolution monitors and supports up to four monitors concurrently. Keep in mind that the GeForce GTX 580 supported just two monitors, so NVIDIA has really been improving their monitor support and display connectivity options over the past couple years.

Now that we have the basics covered, let's take a quick look at the test setup and move along to the game benchmarks!




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Deadspin What If The President Were A Cokehead?

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The Transit App Guides You Through Public Transportation, Is Now Free

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Chinese Five Spice Powder

Chinese five spice is a popular blend of five spices used in Chinese cuisine and other asian cooking . It's one of the most interesting spice blends on the market because it represents a wide range of flavors from sweet, salty and bitter to pungent & sour. Rumor has it that the Chinese were trying to create a "miracle powder" that was representative of all the five elements : wood, fire, earth, metal & water. 

While no one knows the exact origin of the powder, it really adds a magnificent flavor to fatty meats and stews. It also makes for a kick-ass rub. It's really versatile and can be used not only in cooking but also adds a unique flavor to baked goods. 

Sichuan Peppercorns are a really neat ingredient. They cause a mild tingling numbing sensation in your mouth. They were banned from being imported from the U.S. from 1968-2005, because they were believed to be capable of carrying a citrus canker, harmful to the fruit of citrus tress & foliage. Don't worry through, there was never any concern of harm through human consumption. 

Chinese Five Spice Powder

2 tbsp Ground Saigon Cinnamon

2 tbsp Star Anise

2 tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns

2tbsp Cloves

2 tbsp Fennel

Tools: 

Spice Grinder

Cast Iron Skillet

Put all the spices in a cast iron skillet except for the cinnamon and lightly toast for 2-3 minutes over low to medium low heat. The spices are ready when they become really fragrant. Remove from the heat and place in a spice grinder. Grind the spices until you achieve a fine texture.

Place the spice powder into an air tight container. The powder is best when used within the first 6 months. 

Enjoy! 


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The Basics of Music Production, Lesson 3: Using Virtual Instruments

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Magnetic Travel Chess Set

I bought all of parts for the chess men and the board at the dollar store:

3 packages of "Locker" magnets for the magnetic bases of the chess men.
1 Toy Bingo set for the body of the larger pieces.
2 packages of assorted plastic gems for the heads of the chess men.
4 miniature plastic zebras or horses.
1 square shaped sandwich container.
1 metal baking tray.

Some of the other items I used I either had already or purchased from the hardware store:

1 tube of Testors modelling cement.
2 cans spray paint 1 light colour and 1 dark colour.
1 can spray acrylic clear coating.
1 tube Super Glue.
1 roll painter's masking tape.

Tools needed:
1 metal ruler or straight edge.
1 piece medium to high grit sandpaper.
1 pair tin snips.
1 precision knife.


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