GTX 670 is Tiny!

nVidia basically did what I've been expecting sometime during the past few generations. Both AMD and nVidia have had high end cards with dual GPUs for a while now, so it makes total sense to just cut the card in half and use that as a single GPU solution. The much smaller PCB means it has to be quite a bit cheaper to produce than a full length card.

In fact, if you take the back half of a GTX 690 and rotate the power components 90 degrees, you'll see it's virtually identical to the 670 layout.

This a huge win for SFF fans like myself, since even small changes in card lengths can have a drastic effect on airflow inside the case. The 670 is going to be perfect in my new Shuttle.
 
Trimlock said:
Yes, I'm expecting the cooler to be a cost cutting part of this card as well. It looks like they are going to be using this PCB for their entire line up too.
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There is cost cutting and cost cutting. Not to be one to complain and this is not the most important of things, but I like my cards to look nice. My qualm is here it is to the point that, at least on the photos I have been seeing, the quality looks like a Chinese knock-off. The GTX 680 and the Radeon 7000 series reference designs look very nice. Whereas the 670 does not look like a $400 card. Even the Gainward Phantoms which are effectively made out of cheap plastic look more solid in my opinion.
 
Dang WHAT is THAT?? A SOUNCARD?!! :D

I hope it's FAST and CHEAP tho, I haven't seen a card that tiny in awile lol!
 
They can't position it far from the 680 if it is close to that card in performance. I'd be surprised as hell if the 670 was available in the $350 range though $399 seems far more likely. It'd be great to force the 7870 and, to a lesser extent, the 7850 down in price.

*fingers crossed*
 
WOW, that's small! That looks like it's ready to be stuffed in a game console!
 
This is fucking awesome! I was going to get a 7770 for my sff as it was the only thing that would fit but this card changes the game! Step up AMD! Nvidia is kicking your ass by following the strategy that you abandoned!
 
I have a feeling this will be the GTX660

Zh9sY.jpg
 
_PixelNinja said:
There is cost cutting and cost cutting. Not to be one to complain and this is not the most important of things, but I like my cards to look nice. My qualm is here it is to the point that, at least on the photos I have been seeing, the quality looks like a Chinese knock-off. The GTX 680 and the Radeon 7000 series reference designs look very nice. Whereas the 670 does not look like a $400 card. Even the Gainward Phantoms which are effectively made out of cheap plastic look more solid in my opinion.
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Oh, come on. That's like saying a Lotus Elise is shitty because its not the size of a Bentley Continental GT. Making something larger than it has to be in the electronics world is foolish. If you want a huge card, go pick yourself up a 690 so you can feel like you have a giant e-peen.

As long as this card performs, I don't care how small they make it. I'm certain that there ar a lot more people that will be happy about the airflow and small form factor implications of this card than there will be people like you, who are mad that nVidia didn't waste resources and increase product cost for no reason.

Larger size does not necessarily equal larger cost in electronics. You're old enough to type things in on the interent so you should be old enough to know that smaller designs are often more difficult and expensive to produce.
 
Yeah I agree, we have had an absence of small cards since the x800/6800 days. Im sick of the midrange being 9-10 inches
Posted from my droid
 
I don't think NVIDIA is magically pulling off these small PCB / low power consumption GPU's out with a magic hat. Their buisness model has NEVER been like that and it probably never will.

Not trying to start this argument again but there's a good chance that this might be the same thing that happened to the 680. It was really a 670 but they changed the 7 to an 8 and charged a $100 premium. Same may go for this really being the 660 but replaced the 6 with a 7 and charged another $100 premium.

Since when was the last time a dual-GPU literally had the same exact performance than the dual high end card counterpart of its time? NEVER. Yet people think the GTX 690 is some act from god that NVIDIA actually pulled off when in reality they just paid $1000~$2000 for two MID-ranged GPUs on one card (just like ALL the previous generation ones)They obviously got away with it with the GTX 680, same thing with the GTX 690. Now they're going to do it again with the GTX 670.

Btw I'm not a hater I currently have 2 680's im just tired of people thinking that Nvidia is breaking the GPU laws of physics when they're really just overcharging you for their mid ranged products being sold for high ranged prices.
 
Seyumi said:
I don't think NVIDIA is magically pulling off these small PCB / low power consumption GPU's out with a magic hat. Their buisness model has NEVER been like that and it probably never will.

Not trying to start this argument again but there's a good chance that this might be the same thing that happened to the 680. It was really a 670 but they changed the 7 to an 8 and charged a $100 premium. Same may go for this really being the 660 but replaced the 6 with a 7 and charged another $100 premium.

Since when was the last time a dual-GPU literally had the same exact performance than the dual high end card counterpart of its time? NEVER. Yet people think the GTX 690 is some act from god that NVIDIA actually pulled off when in reality they just paid $1000~$2000 for two MID-ranged GPUs on one card (just like ALL the previous generation ones)They obviously got away with it with the GTX 680, same thing with the GTX 690. Now they're going to do it again with the GTX 670.

Btw I'm not a hater I currently have 2 680's im just tired of people thinking that Nvidia is breaking the GPU laws of physics when they're really just overcharging you for their mid ranged products being sold for high ranged prices.
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You're almost certainly correct. AMD needs to get their shit together and offer some competition! FFS, sacrifice the inventory already in channel and spill the specs of the next gen. I'd love to congratulate NVIDIA for being the Intel of video cards. But even Intel is much more transparent about their naming schemes, pricing, and market segmentation.

Working for AMD must be like working at Yahoo: Depressing, distressing, and a widespread uncertainty about job security. It makes you wonder if Intel and NVIDIA are holding back to keep AMD from ruin. It would be far less costly than defending themselves from prosecution for a monopoly.
 
...It's all semantics - high-end/mid-range are marketing terms anyway so price is a very appropriate measure to classify these cards. A 680 is priced as a high end product, a lot of people is willing to pay that price, therefore it IS a high end product. Whether nVidia intended what chip for what market segment is irrelevant.

It is impressive that a video card that (probably?) outperforms the GTX 580 can be fit into such a small PCB no matter what kind of card you call it.
 
one swell foop said:
Oh, come on. That's like saying a Lotus Elise is shitty because its not the size of a Bentley Continental GT. Making something larger than it has to be in the electronics world is foolish. If you want a huge card, go pick yourself up a 690 so you can feel like you have a giant e-peen.

As long as this card performs, I don't care how small they make it. I'm certain that there ar a lot more people that will be happy about the airflow and small form factor implications of this card than there will be people like you, who are mad that nVidia didn't waste resources and increase product cost for no reason.

Larger size does not necessarily equal larger cost in electronics. You're old enough to type things in on the interent so you should be old enough to know that smaller designs are often more difficult and expensive to produce.
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So -- did you actually read my post or did you stop after the first few words and guess the remaining content?

If you try again, but this time with the intent to comprehend, you'll notice that while acknowledging the lesser importance of such detail I was not talking about size at all but addressing the apparent fabrication quality of the reference cooler/plastic shroud. I do not believe mentioning anywhere about being mad, where ever did you get that from? Finally, if you took a few seconds to glance at the system in my signature you'll notice I'm very much into small form factor hardware. Would you have any other words you would like to put in my mouth?
 
High intrigued. With a custom cooler that takes advantage of its shortness you could fit that into some pretty tiny cases.

My next build step is to downgrade the mid-size case.
 
_PixelNinja said:
So -- did you actually read my post or did you stop after the first few words and guess the remaining content?

If you try again, but this time with the intent to comprehend, you'll notice that while acknowledging the lesser importance of such detail I was not talking about size at all but addressing the apparent fabrication quality of the reference cooler/plastic shroud. I do not believe mentioning anywhere about being mad, where ever did you get that from? Finally, if you took a few seconds to glance at the system in my signature you'll notice I'm very much into small form factor hardware. Would you have any other words you would like to put in my mouth?
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You didn't specifically address what made you think it looked cheap. Since the most obvious difference between this card and most of the mid to high end cards on the market is the length of the card, it was an obvious assumption that that was what you were addressing, since you neglected to tell us. Your ability to asses the manufacturing qualities of plastics from a couple photos astounds me, and your appreciation of the high art of PCB design surely will land you a high paying job at ATI or nVidia.

We should all be so lucky to be able to so completely comprehend new hardware before a well regarded and legitimate review site gets its hands on it and lets us know what's going on.
 
This form factor has the potential for some really interesting ITX builds. If I were in the modding scene I'd be all over this.

Kudos to Nvidia. Talk about a complete 180 from the 400 series.
 
one swell foop said:
You didn't specifically address what made you think it looked cheap. Since the most obvious difference between this card and most of the mid to high end cards on the market is the length of the card, it was an obvious assumption that that was what you were addressing, since you neglected to tell us. Your ability to asses the manufacturing qualities of plastics from a couple photos astounds me, and your appreciation of the high art of PCB design surely will land you a high paying job at ATI or nVidia.

We should all be so lucky to be able to so completely comprehend new hardware before a well regarded and legitimate review site gets its hands on it and lets us know what's going on.
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Assumptions -- a word that would nicely resume your interventions thus far.

It appears I did not specifically address what made me think it looked cheap ; let us see:
_PixelNinja said:
The (what seems to be) reference design shroud really looks like cheap plastic on those pictures. It's a bit disapointing.
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Now -- futher indications that I am solely speaking about aesthetics:
_PixelNinja said:
There is cost cutting and cost cutting. Not to be one to complain and this is not the most important of things, but I like my cards to look nice. My qualm is here it is to the point that, at least on the photos I have been seeing, the quality looks like a Chinese knock-off. The GTX 680 and the Radeon 7000 series reference designs look very nice. Whereas the 670 does not look like a $400 card. Even the Gainward Phantoms which are effectively made out of cheap plastic look more solid in my opinion.
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There is no mention of size anywhere yet it is the obvious point I am addressing?

The sarcasm of your final sentences amuses me very much. However, before I leave this interesting debate where it is, may I suggest that next time you decide to play smarty-pants with someone, you read beforehand the points you address and refine your comprehension proficiency which is obviously subpar ; it will avoid you looking ridiculous in the future.

To clarify, do not bother yourself with answering, I will not partake in any further discussion with you as this has derailed enough.
 
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It's very difficult to determine how cheaply something is made simply by looking at a picture, particularly in this instance.
 
wonderfield said:
It's very difficult to determine how cheaply something is made simply by looking at a picture, particularly in this instance.
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Initially, I was doing nothing more than express an impression from the pictures I have seen. I do not claim by any means to be able to asses the effective quality of a plastic based on a picture.
 
Enthusiasts are going to "pop" a lot of reference GTX 670 by trying to overclock them. That tiny pcb is not built for anything but reference speeds.
 
I can't wait to see how this thing performs, and the various cooling solutions they will come up with.
 
kuyaglen said:
I wonder how two of these cards stack up against the GTX 690.
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Well, a 690 clocked to 680 speeds is pretty much equal to 680 SLI, so my guess is the 690 would win by a fair margin. Then again, the 690 looks to be about $200+ more than two 670s (if we assume a $400 price on the 670), so it makes sense.
 
kuyaglen said:
I wonder how two of these cards stack up against the GTX 690.
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If you ask me, if you're interested in spending ~$800 (or possibly more) on graphics cards, you may be better off spending the extra ~$200 and snagging the GTX 690. It's A) certainly going to be the faster solution, B) may come in at the same level of power consumption as two GTX 670s, C) is destined to have very good resale value, for when that time comes, due to its exclusivity and overall build quality and D) has magnesium.

Mainly point D.
 
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