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A Closer Look :::...
The first thing that catches your eye when you get the card in hand if the need for an auxiliary power feed. All that extra memory needs feeding, and the price you pay is the need to supplement the PCIe slot with an additional power source.
The cooler employed by Club3D doesn't cover the memory chips which I doubt has any negative impact, though at least one of the chips doesn't benefit from any direct airflow from the fan.
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Card, Front View (Click for Larger Image) |
In addition to the extra helping of memory chips, the rear of the card sports the Rage Theater chip which is in charge of VIVO (Video In Video Out) functions.
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Card, Rear View (Click for Larger Image) |
Dual DVI connectors will thrill digital flat panel users but upset CRT users. DVI to VGA dongles are great, and one is supplied, but I always feel they put a little too much leverage on the connectors with the weight of the VGA cable hanging from them. I tend to try and ease the strain on the connector with a strategically placed cable tie personally.
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Card View |
No dual-slot cooling required here. This is the same cooler that Club3D use on the 256MB version of the card. It is made from copper with folded fins and a set of four LEDs behind the transparent fan as we'll see later.
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Card View |
Unlike some companies, Club3D have at least made the effort to customise the cooler with their own design.
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VPU Cooler |
A word of warning though, I have both a power supply and a 4-pin Molex to PCIe power adapter here with wires feeding just three of the six pins on the PCIe power plug, and neither of them would power this card beyond spinning the fan and lighting its LEDs.
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PCIe Power Socket |
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End View |
Four white LEDs behind the clear fan strobe on and off making this a great card for anyone with a side window in their cases.
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LED Lit Cooler |
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