Hands-on: EVGA’s sensor-laden iCX technology revolutionizes graphics card cooling - revelsgionan

Graphics cards aren't what they accustomed be—and that's a good affair. Nvidia's fierce GeForce GTX 1080 blows the pants off its predecessor in sheer, overpowering carrying into action spell actually drawing slightly inferior power, and generating only somewhat more than heat whole. But here's the thing about traditional video recording cards: A single sensor happening the nontextual matter processor determines how chilling is handled for the integral circuit board.

That's bad, democratic ironware maker EVGA says, because the "Blaise Pascal" GPUs inside the GTX 10-series are so power-prompt that a graphics wag's memory and voltage controllers actually generate more than heat than the GPU itself. And so nowadays, EVGA's rolling out a revolutionary new "iCX" graphics card cooling solution that relies on not one, but ten different sensors to proctor and intelligently adjust how from each one and every part of the get on dissipates heat.

The fancy original technical school is debuting in several of EVGA's GTX 10-serial publication models, which we'll dive into in more detail later. EVGA sent PCWorld one of its new GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 graphics card game—a cousin to the bestial GTX 1080 FTW that we loved so much—and an updated version of its Precision XOC software (which is also exit live nowadays) so we could compass deeper into the iCX cooling engineering science. Let's go!

Brad Chacos

The EVGA GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 with iCX cooling applied science.

The write up behind the story: The inspiration for EVGA's iCX cooling system actually comes from a scandal surrounding the GTX 1080 FTW later last yr. The Internet rioted when several of the card game died in explosive fashion. Subsequent detective work revealed that the hardware lacked cooling system on its voltage governor modules. EVGA acted quickly, offering free thermal pads and pushing out a BIOS update that increased fan speeds to lower on-circuit card temperatures. Even though an internal probe proved that the EVGA GTX 1080 FTW wasn't failing at a higher grade than previous-gen graphics cards, the storm provoked EVGA to examine how graphics card cooling works in the Pascal era.

"That genuinely opened our eyes to take a deeper deal cooling system on card game, and how we can meliorate the efficiency overall of cooling," EVGA product manager Francois Jacob Freeman said in a phone interview. "If you only concentrate on the GPU temperature, then you're really neglecting all the other components of the card, which would still run really near. On the somersaultin incline, if you focus along those other components, then you're not oblation the trump disturbance level possible, because the GPU doesn't really need the fans to spin that vivace."

Getting coarse-grained happening graphics temps

The solution to the problem? Sensors, sensors everywhere.

EVGA

EVGA's iCX cooling technology still includes a long-standing GPU temperature sensor, of course of instruction, just it adds nine additional ones—a sensor for the rear of the GPU, three for the art card's memory modules, and five for the power controllers. You can monitor them yourself, overly. The updated version of Preciseness XOC shows the average temperature for from each one hardware category in its main interface, or you can see the temperatures for each and every sensor by clicking the newfound Sensor icon, which will cause a secondary window to susceptible.

EVGA

Those sensors affect how the deuce fans on the frontmost of the graphics card behave. Different nigh video cards, which run their fans in in tandem based on the temperature of the graphics CPU alone, the EVGA GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 (like all iCX-equipped EVGA models) dedicates the leftish fan to cooling the GPU, and the right fan to chilling the memory and PWMs. Each winnow changes fastness dynamically to react to the temperatures being put off extinct by those someone elements of the GPU. If the memory's heating up rapidly but the GPU itself is staying relatively cool (as was the case when I ran the Furmark torture test on the card for an outstretched period), the dedicated GPU devotee maintains a slower—and thus quieter—upper, while the computer storage fan ramps up.

It's another lesson learned from the GTX 1080 FTW's overheating fiasco from former last year. The BIOS fix EVGA pushed to compensate for the lack of VRM cooling simply kicked some fans up a notch, and A a result the card wound raised spouting louder, GamersNexus tests revealed. The improvements offered in iCX's asynchronous cooling addresses that design quirk and lets EVGA eat its cake and accept it too. Preciseness XOC allows you to set custom, individualized fan curves for some the left field and the accurate lover if you want to get fancy.

Brad Chacos

Precision XOC's spick-and-span Sensor port lets you see the exact temperature of each sensing element on your EVGA iCX art circuit card. (Click to enlarge.)

In my tests with the stock fan curve profiles, the iCX-equipped GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 ran observably quieter than the older EVGA GTX 1080 FTW, which uses the accompany's original ACX 3.0 cooling solution. The chief GPU temperature flat-top out at 69 degrees Celsius running a lengthy Furmark test, a brimming 8 degrees lower than the 1080 FTW—though information technology's important to mark that comparing the GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 against a intemperately overclocked GTX 1080 FTW is off the beaten track from an apples-to-apples comparing. Nor am I panoplied to test the high temperature output from the older GTX 1080 FTW's memory and PWMs, which is a John R. Major point of iCX. (PCWorld's FLIR energy imaging camera is in our San Francisco office; I work from New England.)

EVGA

EVGA's in-house tests showing the harsh temperature differences between iCX- and ACX-transistorized Superclocked art card game.

EVGA has all of the required testing equipment on hand, however. The company says that in its tests, the iCX chilling resolution drops the main GPU temps by a few degrees, just past parts of the board see even big benefits—up to a 5- or 7-degree temperature decline in some components. That's vast.

Update:JayzTwoCents tested the iCX-volumed EVGA GTX 1080 FTW 2 with a thermal tv camera, applying both an overclock and custom devotee curves, comparing EVGA's new circuit card against the GTX 1080 FTW with ACX 3.0. It's a great television that's fit worth observation, just thallium;dr EVGA's iCX technology functions arsenic secure.

Brad Chacos

The iCX LED indicators on the side of the EVGA GTX 1080 Superclocked 2.

Even niftier, you can see the effects of iCX with your own eyes. The side of iCX-equipped models show separate RGB lights labeled G, P, and M, for the GPU, PWMs, and retentiveness. The color of each indicator depends happening how sweltering each type of hardware is running. A blue light means everything's respectable and cool, a green bright agency you're actively using the graphics notice but temperatures are in the uninjured range, and ruby-red agency danger, Will Robinson!

Watching how the iCX technology affected the GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 as it hummed along in The Division wasn't it sensible perceptive, it wasfun—and I moil how EVGA managed to use RGB kindling for a hard-nosed purpose rather than simple aesthetics.

Brad Chacos

Diving into the new "Thermal LED" tab in Precision XOC's options lets you tweak the temperature ranges for from each one RGB indicator, as well Eastern Samoa neuter the color for all stage of each indicant. Click the image above to blow up it if you want to come across the port up tight.

Redesigned hardware

The sensors, fans, and RGB lighting is reasonable part of iCX. EVGA's word form chilling solvent besides overhauled the design of the cooler itself to keep your graphics lineup running cool.

Brad Chacos

The EVGA GTX 1080 Superclocked 2's backplate.

Some the baseplate and the backplate were organized to inherit impinging with all the crucial components of the card, allowing them to dish up as quasi-heatsinks. Raised bumps on the backplate helper add to the overall surface area, portion with heat dissipation, while numerous cut-outs help airflow through the body of the GTX 1080 Superclocked 2.

EVGA

Diminutive "fin pins" on the interior baseplate pop the question the assonant advantages as the backplate's bumps.

EVGA

The actual heatsink internal the card, between the nontextual matter processor and the fans, has besides been tweaked to optimize airflow. The fins were refined both to provide more contact come on and achieve improved airflow, and they were as wel perforated with tiny holes to allow air to flow horizontally end-to-end the card.

I asked Freeman if that decreased surface area harmed the cooling system endeavor. He said that the increased airflow more than makes up for it, pointing to the temperature comparisons shown antecedently as evidence.

EVGA

The iCX safety combine.

Finally, iCX adds a unique safe boast inspired erst more by the overheating debacle: An integrated safety electrical fuse designed to protect your carte just in case that 0.01 percent chance of a catastrophic failure actually strikes. You'll still need to send your carte backmost to EVGA for an RMA if the merge blows—merely it'll protect the kernel components of the art placard from suffering a fiery death and possibly affecting the other hardware in your scheme.

Part of the family

Unrivalled affair decidedly lacking in this write-up: Gaming performance results. I received my review sample from EVGA on Thursday, in the middle of a New England rash that was causation my power to flutter—not exactly the philosophical theory testing scenario. And as I said, comparing a brute FTW worthy against the less-beastly Superclocked version isn't apples-to-apples.

But information technology's not a major concern anyway, as Freeman says the iCX cooling technology isn't likely to provide much in the way of raw performance gains. Instead, the goal was to provide a Thomas More holistic and granular approach to chilling in Holy Order to get down both temperatures and buff make noise across all areas of the hardware—which it appears EVGA has succeeded in doing. I loved the ACX 3.0 cooler on the original GTX 1080 FTW (seen at reactionary), and the iCX cooler on the GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 is even better. Freewoman also says the enhanced cooling May increase the overall lifespan of iCX nontextual matter cards, though that's borderline impossible to test.

Brad Chacos

The EVGA GTX 1080 Superclocked 2 looks very exchangeable to the ACX-equipped version on the surface, but the sassing on the summit says "iCX" in tiny letters. It's also heavier and feelsdense.

Intrigued? EVGA's launching iCX-equipped models of its GTX 1060, GTX 1070, and GTX 1080 graphics cards Friday, albeit in limited quantity at the start. EVGA's existing lineups with ACX 3.0 cooling will remain, but models with the iCX temperature reduction solution will behave a "2" designation after their name, and iCX branding on the first of the box. For example, the GTX 1080 FTW will still plurality an ACX 3.0 cooler. If you want the iCX variant, you'll need to pick up a GTX 1080 FTW 2.

The extra sensors, swanky RGB indicators, redesigned hardware, and battlemented fans don't come for free. Freeman says EVGA's iCX graphics cards will carry a premium of roughly $30 over their ACX-packing counterparts. EVGA's also launching a unweathered increase computer program where alive GTX 10-series owners give the sack trade their ACX 3.0-equipped artwork card for an iCX version for $99.

That's goose egg to sneeze at. I'm guessing many people North Korean won't make up interested in spending that separate of scratch for minimal performance gains, especially since EVGA's stock ACX 3.0 ice chest already does such a bang-upbound task. This parvenu iCX technology feels like a glimpse into the proximo, just I'm not trusted how beguiling information technology bequeath be in the present, arriving well-nigh a year later on the GTX 10-series launch.

On the other paw, EVGA's iCX is more comprehensive than any another air-temperature reduction solution you'll discover along the market today and a sensational answer to the overheating debacle (that wasn't). The iCX technology's cooler, quieter peace of mind may well equal worth the upcharge for some folks. Overclocking and aftermarket water supply-chilling enthusiasts wish likelyadore the level of information EVGA's new cooling technology provides.

And those RGB temperature indicators are just stern badass.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/412007/hands-on-evgas-sensor-laden-icx-technology-revolutionizes-graphics-card-cooling.html

Posted by: revelsgionan.blogspot.com

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