Eight months ago we tested Point of View / TGT GTX 570 Beast graphics card which took the title of the fastest among Geforce GTX 570s. Today we have another GTX 570 Beast card which runs at the same clocks as the first GTX 570 Beast. However, the new Beast comes with improved cooling and more memory, which is the reason why its full name is GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB.

Our readers know that TGT is Point of View’s right hand when it comes to overclocking graphics, and should know that only the fastest graphics card get the Beast treatment. Of course, TGT not only handpicked the GPUs but made sure that each and every one runs at high clocks for a long time.

Nvidia’s plans for new graphics card series have obviously been moved towards the end of 2011, so TGT decided to use the existing Fermi GF110 chips. In case you forgot, Geforce GTX 570 is based on Nvidia’s Fermi architecture, namely the most advanced Nvidia’s GPU so far – the GF110. The card offers excellent performance in the high end segment and is the second fastest single-GPU card in Nvidia’s arsenal.

The GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB runs at 841MHz for the GPU, which is 109MHz higher than on reference cards (732MHz). We’re pretty glad that TGT strapped the new Beast with adequate cooling which cools well and stays quiet while doing so.

Apart from the factory overclock, special dual-fan cooler and double the memory, the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB can boast a rich video out panel. It includes standard HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, as well as two dual-link DVIs.

GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB graphics cards come with Zalman cooling, which should cater to enthusiasts due to quiet operation and good performance. The only downside is that the cooler takes up 2.5 slots. The cooling has two 75mm fans on it. 

The picture below shows Nvidia’s reference Geforce GTX 570 cooling. The Geforce GTX 570 you see here is the one that launched first and actually uses PCBs designed for Geforce GTX 580 cards. Nvidia remedied that in the meantime and designed a new PCB which is the reason why you can find different Geforce GTX 570 cards. Our today’s GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB also uses the new PCB, which is shorter and has a few extra components. The PCB is still 12-layer design rather than the cost-down version that many Nvidia partners go for, but we’ve come to expect only the best from TGT. 

 
Four copper heatpipes are used to transfer heat from the GPU to the large heatsink.

 
The hood is made of brushed aluminum which both helps with dissipation and makes it look cooler.

 PoV/TGT uses direct-touch technology, as you can see on the pictures below. Textured aluminum fins improve dissipation while power components were strapped with a separate heatsink.

TGT used Hynix GDDR5 memory (1280MB), model H5GQ2H24MFR-T2C, which is rated at 1250MHz (5000MHz GDDR5 effecitvely).

Reference Geforce GTX 570 cooling expels most of hot air outside the case, whereas the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB leaves most of it in the case. This is the reason why you should make sure that in-case cooling is adequate, although enthusiasts and gamers who are most likely to buy this card are probably covered in that department in the first place.

GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB comes with all the current video connectors. The I/O panel holds two dual-link DVIs as well as standard HDMI and DisplayPort outs. Note that reference Geforce GTX 570s come with two dual-link DVIs and one mini-HDMI.

Despite the higher number of video outs, Nvidia’s design allows for only two displays at the same time. This means that using three displays will require a second card.

We already said that the cooler takes up 2.5 slots, but users should be careful with the screws protruding at the other side of the card. The entire cooler is held in place with four screws, which why the mechanism had to made as robust as possible. The cooler is not heavier than 400g though, so it should not be a big issue.

Motherboard: EVGA 4xSLI
CPU: Core i7 965 XE (Intel EIST and Vdrop enabled)
Memory: 6GB Corsair Dominator 12800 7-7-7-24
Harddisk:   OCZ Vertex 2 100 GB
Power Supply: CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gold 800W
Case: CoolerMaster HAF X
Fan Controler: Kaze Master Pro 5.25"
Operating System: Win7 64-bit
Nvidia 280.26_desktop_win7_winvista_64bit
AMD 11.10 CCC

We expected the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB to score similarly to the reference Geforce GTX 580, which it ultimately did.

3DMark 2011 testing showed that the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB is capable of beating the Geforce GTX 580 in the less demanding Entry test. At the end of the day though, Geforce GTX 580 remains the fastest single-GPU graphics card.

Judging by what we’ve seen while playing with the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB, it is definitely the best Geforce GTX 570 we’ve tried so far.

3DMark 2011




Aliens vs Predator



Crysis 2

Metro 2033

Unigine Heaven

Overclocking

The GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB is a factory overclocked card that owes its high clocks to carefully handpicked GF110 GPUs. The card comes with Zalman cooling that served us well. We did not change fan rpm or GPU voltages and we still did some gaming at 895MHz. The GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB ran stable at 163MHz (22%) higher clocks than reference.

Thermals and Noise

Thanks to the efficient dual-fan cooling, we had no trouble with GPU temperatures, not even after overclocking it to 895MHz. GPU temperatures were around 78°C when the card was under load, which is still less than on the reference card. Add to that the fact that Beast 2.5GB runs 109MHz faster, and you get the picture.

 




The fan was almost inaudible both in 2D and 3D modes, and we simply loved the fact that it remained almost inaudible after our overclock.

Power Consumption

Low consumption is definitely not a flagship feature of Beast cards, but what else to expect from a card that’s built for performance. Our testing revealed that the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB consumes about the same as the reference Geforce GTX 580.

GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB is the second Geforce GTX 570 graphics card that received PoV/TGT’s Beast treatment. The first one launched more than half a year ago, but the time was ripe for a successor. As the name suggests, the Beast 2.5GB has double the memory and comes with quiet but efficient Zalman cooling.

The new GTX 570 Beast 2 card should cater to enthusiasts who crave the best. If we look at the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB’s GPU clock, which stands at 841MHz, it is clear that the 109MHz factory overclock will leave many competitors in the dust. TGT handpicks only the best GPUs that can take anything you throw at them and then some, be it long gaming hours or overclocking. In fact, there’s still room for additional overclocking despite the hefty overclock, which later helped us to leave even the likes of Geforce GTX 580 in the dust.

Low consumption is definitely not a flagship feature of Beast cards, but what else to expect from a card that’s built for performance. Naturally, high performance requires power and the GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB consumption is similar to the GTX 580’s.

The GTX 570 Beast 2.5GB sports a rich video out panel. It includes standard HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, as well as two dual-link DVIs.

The major con for most of us would have to be the price though, which starts at about 385 euro, here. Compared to most affordable GTX 570s on the market, the Beast 2.5GB costs €100 extra, which means that it’s dangerously approaching the price of GTX 580 cards.

However, if you adamant to stick with air cooling but want a quiet, overclocked and even further overclockable card, then the GTX 570 Beast 2.5 might be the card you’re looking for. We must admit that this was the fastest GTX 570 we’ve tested so far. The cooling is great while additional memory and factory overclocking will help where the reference GTX 570 falls short.