NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 custom card round-up!

We’re at that point in the hardware cycle where it’s quite literally raining cards. After releasing a slew of custom GeForce GTX 1070s and 1080s, manufacturers have now turned their attentions to the GeForce GTX 1060, NVIDIA’s recently-announced mid-range powerhouse.

With performance that comes close to that of the GeForce GTX 980, the US$299 card is shaping up to be a very strong contender to AMD’s Radeon RX 480, which costs US$239 (or S$399 locally). Local prices for the GeForce GTX 1060 start at S$399 as well, so the two cards are really going head to head with each other.

Here’s a look at the custom cards that have been announced so far.

ASUS

ASUS has prepared three different GeForce GTX 1060s to suit different audiences. At the top of the stack sits the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1060, followed by the Dual card and its Turbo counterpart with a blower-style fan. Both the Strix and Dual cards are actually available in both reference and overclocked variants, so ASUS is technically announcing a total of five cards

As of now, we only have details on the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1060, which is a triple-fan affair that comes with beefed-up components and Aura RGB lighting. The card looks very similar to previous Strix cards, and it also comes with a metal backplate for greater structural rigidity.

It also boasts ASUS’ new FanConnect technology, so you can connect two 4-pin fans directly to the card via dedicated onboard fan headers. This allows the fan speeds to vary according to GPU load instead of just the CPU, so you can have case fans around the GPU that speed up only when gaming.

Another nice feature is the inclusion of an extra HDMI port for connecting both an HDMI monitor and VR headset at the same time. This comes at the expense of one DisplayPort connector though, and the card has two DisplayPort connectors, two HDMI ports, and one DVI-D output.

The factory overclocked version comes with a 1,847MHz boost clock in Gaming mode (which is the default one), and a higher 1,873MHz boost clock in OC mode.

The ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1060 with reference clocks will cost S$549, while the overclocked version is more expensive at S$589.

EVGA

EVGA is also joining the party with no less than four GeForce GTX 1060s, featuring varying combinations of clock speeds and coolers. They are as follow:

• EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 FTW Gaming ACX 3.0
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SSC Gaming ACX 3.0
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC Gaming
• EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming

All these cards feature EVGA’s own ACX cooling technology, and are available in either single- or dual-fan variants.

The SC Gaming and Gaming cards both utilize single-fan coolers, and at just 173mm long are probably targeted at those looking to build a small form factor gaming PC. They differ only in terms of clock speeds – the Gaming card follows the reference clocks, but the SC Gaming has a base clock of 1,607MHz and boost clock of 1,835MHz.

Then there are the dual-fan FTW and SSC Gaming cards, which utilize the newer ACX 3.0 cooler (the SC Gaming and Gaming use ACX 2.0 coolers). This includes things like straight heatpipes and a larger copper contact area for better heat dissipation, and double ball bearing fans with swept fan blades for a longer lifespan and improved airflow.

Unfortunately, EVGA has not yet released details on the clock speeds for these cards yet, but we do know that the FTW card will have the most aggressive factory overclocks. Both cards will also feature an upgraded 6+1 power phase design, up from 3+1 on their single-fan counterparts. In addition, the standard 6-pin power connector has been replaced with an 8-pin one in order to provide more power for higher overclocks.

Gigabyte

On Gigabyte’s end, the company is offering four different models of the GeForce GTX 1060. We’ve listed out the cards below for easier reference:

• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming
• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 D5
• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 WindForce OC
• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 Mini ITX OC

The G1 Gaming is Gigabyte’s flagship offering, and comes with a fairly aggressive factory overclock and an upgraded power phase design. This is to the tune of a 1,620MHz base clock and 1,847MHz boost clock in OC mode, and the number of power phases has also been increased from a 3+1 design to a 6+1 one, which should theoretically translate into better overclocking potential.

For cooling, the card relies on a WindForce 2X cooler that features two 90mm 3D Active fans that spin in opposite directions. Two composite copper heatpipes help draw heat directly away from the GPU. In comparison, the GeForce GTX 1070 and 1080 G1 Gaming cards feature three fans, but it looks like Gigabyte went with just two due to the lower heat output of the 1060.

The GPUs have also been cherry-picked for better power switching and higher overclocking potential as part of Gigabyte’s GPU Gauntlet sorting technology,

Finally, the card also has an RGB-illuminated logo and the familiar Fan Stop indicator that will light up when the fans power down under low loads.

Then there’s the GeForce GTX 1060 D5 card, which is actually a more value-oriented version of the G1 Gaming. The two share a lot of features, down to the RGB Spectrum lighting and cooling solution, but the D5 comes with a more modest factory overclock (base clock: 1,531MHz, boost clock: 1,746MHz) and is missing the improved power phase design.

To cap things off, Gigabyte also announced two other GeForce GTX 1060 models that aren’t available yet. Detailed specifications have not been released for the cards, so we’re not yet sure what the clock speeds will be.

Having said that, the GeForce GTX 1060 WindForce OC has a smaller cooler than the G1 Gaming and D5 cards, but it still features dual 90mm fans. The name also indicates that the card will be factory overclocked out of the box, even if there’s no word on the exact speeds yet.

Finally, Gigabyte also has something for mini-ITX builders. The GeForce GTX 1060 Mini ITX OC measures just 170mm long, and relies on a single 90mm fan and two composite copper heatpipes for cooling.

The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming is selling locally for S$495. We’ll update when we have more news on the prices of the other cards.

MSI

MSI has one of the largest repertoires of cards these days. Here’s a list of all the GeForce GTX 1060 models that MSI has announced so far:

• MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming X 6G
• MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming 6G
• MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Armor 6G OC
• MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Armor 6G
• MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GT OC
• MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6G OC

The Gaming X 6G is the flagship model, and it features MSI’s signature TwinFrozr VI cooler and a full-length metal backplate. This is a step up from the Founders Edition card, which features an exposed PCB. With that said, the factory overclocks aren’t the highest we’ve seen, and the card operates at a 1,594MHz base clock and 1,809MHz boost clock in OC mode.

The TwinFrozr VI cooler itself even boasts a PWM heatsink that covers the length of the card, a dedicated memory cooling plate for more stable and higher overclocks, and even a built-in anti-bending strip to shore up the structural integrity.

The power connector is also an 8-pin one instead of the 6-pin connector on the Founders Edition card, and MSI has clearly designed this card to be overclocked.

The Armor 6G cards are for those who want a slightly different look for their cards. The OC model features a base clock of 1,544MHz and boost clock of 1,759MHz, but both cards are still pared down versions of the Gaming cards. The Armor 2X cooler has a less beefy heatsink than that on the TwinFrozr VI, and the cards don’t come with bells and whistles like LED lighting or a metal backplate.

The GeForce GTX 1060 6GT OC is the next card down the ladder, and it uses an unnamed dual-fan cooler. It has the same clock speeds as the Armor 6G OC, so they both likely are pulled from the same bin and just feature different coolers.

The lowest-end card is then the GeForce GTX 1060 6G OC, and it shares the same speeds as the latter two cards. However, it uses a single-fan thermal solution, so it’ll likely run hotter than the others. However, MSI has not yet announced the dimensions, so it’s not clear if this will be yet another ultra-compact mini-ITX card.

The MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming X 6G has a price tag of S$529.

Palit

On Palit’s end, the company announced the GeForce GTX 1060 JetStream, a dual-fan card featuring its signature JetStream cooler. Unlike with the two higher-end Pascal cards, Palit hasn’t yet prepared a GameRock Edition card, although it’s possible that might come later.

The card boasts RGB LEDs that can change color according to the GPU temperature, but gamers can also customize it to suit their own preferences or the overall theme of their rig.

Another nice feature is the card’s dual BIOS, which allows you to fall back on the second BIOS should an error occur in the primary one.

On top of that, Palit also unveiled the GeForce GTX 1060 Super JetStream and the GeForce GTX 1060 Dual. The Super JetStream card comes with higher clock speeds – a 1,620MHz base clock and 1,847MHz boost clock – than its JetStream counterpart, but the two are otherwise identical. However, the GeForce GTX 1060 Dual is targeted at buyers who want an even more affordable solution and don’t need the extra features on the JetStream series cards.

The Palit GeForce GTX 1060 Super JetStream retails at S$445, while the the more affordable Palit GeForce GTX 1060 Dual goes for a sweet price of S$399.

Zotac

Zotac has set its sights on small form factor systems with its custom card offerings. The GeForce GTX 1060 Mini and Amp Edition are both targeted at compact systems, although the Mini is considerably smaller.

The latter card is just 174mm long, and features just a single 90mm fan attached to its aluminum heatsink. Zotac has refrained from factory overclocking the Mini, and it features a 1,506MHz base clock and 1,708MHz boost clock, the same as the Founders Edition card.

The Amp Edition card is slightly longer at 210mm, and uses Zotac’s IceStorm cooling solution, which packs a series of 8mm copper heatpipes and a copper base plate that is in direct contact with the GPU. This is also a dual-fan solution, and two 90mm fans work to keep the card cool.

The more robust thermal solution also means that Zotac has been able to clock the card slightly higher, and the AMP Edition has a base clock of 1,556MHz and boost clock of 1,771MHz.

The GeForce GTX 1060 Mini is priced at S$399 (the cheapest in town so far), while the Amp Edition is going for S$429.

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