My GTX 260 just arrived...

[Fraz]

... and it's flippin MASSIVE!

I thought my 8800 GTS 640 was a big card, but this won't even fit into my case without me bending the drive cage, and I've got a pretty big case:



The cooler on it is also a lot wider than a 8800 GTS cooler, taking up the absolute full width of a double slot (edit - not quite true actually once I measured it. It's just thicker on the side that's nearer the CPU heatsink because the whole card is wrapped in plastic)

Surely this is as big as graphics cards can get?

I'll post some benchies later when I get back from work (assuming I can get the goddam thing in my case...)

[FifthFreedom]

If you want more space my advice is go get a Antec 1200.

Mine fits a GTX 260 in with room to spare.

[Infinite]

Time to get the junior hack saw out

[kalniel]

... and it's flippin MASSIVE!

I thought my 8800 GTS 640 was a big card, but this won't even fit into my case without me bending the drive cage,

Yeah, I share exactly the same concerns as my drive bay is full. I don't know quite why nVidia have gone so massive with their coolers - unless it's to protect their chips from the same problems they've had with laptops perhaps.

I really hope the 55nm refresh will be taken as an opportunity to shrink the cooler/PCB, but I suspect it won't be and they'll just bump up clockspeeds further.

[Fraz]

Yeah, I share exactly the same concerns as my drive bay is full. I don't know quite why nVidia have gone so massive with their coolers - unless it's to protect their chips from the same problems they've had with laptops perhaps.

I really hope the 55nm refresh will be taken as an opportunity to shrink the cooler/PCB, but I suspect it won't be and they'll just bump up clockspeeds further.

You'd think it'd be an unwritten rule that graphics cards shouldn't overhang the end of the motherboard...

[kalniel]

You'd think it'd be an unwritten rule that graphics cards shouldn't overhang the end of the motherboard...

On the contrary - there is a written rule that allows them to. Full length cards are allowed to go quite far beyond in order that you can use a bracket to screw them into the front of the case (secures them during transport of the assembled system, adds rigidity etc.)

[shaithis]

There were some Dell OEM GX2 cards recently that were full length. Very odd to see after so many years without seeing one.

The last full length card I owned was a 10mb ISA ethernet card almost 20 years ago

As for the opening post, hell, they could start occupying 3 slots

[Zhaoman]

Lol, a card that stretches from the back of the case to the front! It'll probably create its own thermal compartment :O

[dmuz]

I had a similar 3.5" cage in the bottom of my Coolermaster Stacker, but it was removable luckily...

[DDY]

At least the PCI-E power sockets are on the side of the card!

[AdamAnubis]

Just wondering, what made you choose the GTX260 over say the HD4870?

It looks very nice and neat though, like a solid unit rather than looking like a fan has just been slapped on it as an after thought

[Fraz]

Just wondering, what made you choose the GTX260 over say the HD4870?

It looks very nice and neat though, like a solid unit rather than looking like a fan has just been slapped on it as an after thought

I chose it over a 4870 (after a lot of thought) because of:

1) Much lower idle power than the 4870 - my computer is on nearly 24/7, and I'm generally not playing games.

2) Bigger framebuffer - I have a 30" monitor

3) I reckon it'll overclock like a beast, as the cooler is designed for the GTX 280.

[AdamAnubis]

Yeah, the power consumption is a biggie for me too. I know the HD4870 is more powerful and has more SP's n stuff, but the power is like 100W more at idle its like gah!

[Fraz]

Yeah, the power consumption is a biggie for me too. I know the HD4870 is more powerful and has more SP's n stuff, but the power is like 100W more at idle its like gah!

It's more like ~50 Watts I think, which is still quite a lot:



I think the 260 has largely the same performance of a 4870, it's just that the GT260 is about £20 more expensive. However, I reckon it'll be easy to get 15% more performance out of the GT260 by overclocking... although I suppose the same is true of the 4870.

[SiM]

However, I reckon it'll be easy to get 15% more performance out of the GT260 by overclocking... although I suppose the same is true of the 4870.

But the 48x0 series is a fire hazzard when overclocked

[rufeo]

I chose it over a 4870 (after a lot of thought) because of:

1) Much lower idle power than the 4870 - my computer is on nearly 24/7, and I'm generally not playing games.

2) Bigger framebuffer - I have a 30" monitor

3) I reckon it'll overclock like a beast, as the cooler is designed for the GTX 280.

I've got a GTX260 and for pretty much the same reasons as you The fan is quite quiet and the lower idle power also means low fan speeds. It should overclock like a beast as well, checked up on quite a few forums where people have overclocked theirs'. The average overclock was about 700/1300/1100 (gpu/shaders/memory) give or take, I've got mine running at 720/1450/1200 compare to the standard 576/1242/999. I know that 3dmark vantage is a bit biased towards nvidia, but at those speeds the gpu score beat all the 4870's score online!