Maximum chill to overclock

by Carl Rogel Inocentes

The GTX 700 series is known as Nvidia’s latest and the fastest when it comes to providing computer graphics performance. Combine it with the cooling solutions of Asus videocards, and then you have yourself an out-of-the-box above average card. As with every graphics card that graced the TechLab, we immediately submerged it into the tortures of high-end gaming.

Looks
Outside its modest-looking box, the ASUS GTX770 DCU2 comes complete with formidable looks. The two fans and heat pipes, coupled with the black paint and red stripes, reminds one of a pimped out car engine. The card is a bit hefty and will take a bit of legroom when installing it inside a computer chassis. The weight can also cause the card to slouch a bit.

Tests
Using a rig composed of an i7 3930K processor, 8GB RAM, and a 64-bit OS, we tested the capabilities of the Asus GTX 770 DCU2 in playing video games. Of course, typical game tests won’t be complete without first sacrificing it to the VGA killer, Crysis 3. We had the game played for a couple of hours with every graphics setting on maximum, at a 1920×1080 resolution. We used FRAPS as a benchmark tool and the data that we had with Crysis 3 wasan average of 40 FPS.

The game framerates were fast with card temperatures reaching 67°C. What we found astounding was the short amount of time the card took in cooling itself. In under a minute and 30 seconds, the card was able to jump back toits unloaded temperature, 38°C. On games such as DMC and Assassin’s Creed 3, we were able to get an average of 60 FPS for both programs.

Users of the card can also avail of the Asus GPU Tweak, a program which enables the user to instantaneously view data such as temperature, voltage, and profile settings, of the graphics card. The program can also help in overclocking the device if you want to milk out more power and speed.

The Verdict
The Asus GTX770 DirectCU II is definitely one of the best graphics cards in the market. If you’re more into cooler temperatures and overclocking capabilities, then we can recommend this to you. The ASUS DirectCU II cooling feature readily enables the user to maintain good temperatures even under extreme demands. Aside from its apparent performance, the card can also add a formidable look to your rig. The GPU Tweak can also make things easier in terms of getting more out of the video card.

The downside however is the price as it stands a bit more expensive as compared to non-Asus GTX 770s. But the additional dough is a fine investment if you’re looking for a cooler and a faster Nvidia GTX 770 variant.