EVGA GeForce GTX 285 1GB SSC Edition Review

Heat and Acoustics

As expected, we see some interesting figures when it comes to the GTX 285’s heat output. Before we begin explaining these numbers, you should remember that the EVGA GTX 285 we tested is the SSC edition which is highly overclocked and will thus produce more heat than a stock-clocked card. Even though this is the case the numbers are quite telling considering the idle temperatures are some of the best we have seen in a long time from a stock cooler. What surprised us was that the idle temperatures of this card actually beat those put down by the 55nm GTX 260 216 we tested a few weeks ago. Could it be that Nvidia further refined their 55nm process between that card and the current GTX 285? Anything is possible I guess since the ambient temperatures were precisely the same.

Load temperatures are right in-line with the outgoing GTX 280 which is to be expected considering this card has a core speed that is some 100Mhz faster than the older card. It also seems that the new heatsink –like the old one- is designed to keep the core at a constant 85°C under load and will not allow it to move upwards from there. Thus, it is understandable why we are seeing identical temperatures.

While the load temperatures seem to be in-line with the GTX 280, the acoustical footprint of the EVGA GTX 285 SSC is noticeably smaller. Due to the lower heat output from the core, the fan is able to spin at a much more pedestrian pace even when the card is under full load conditions. Granted, the fan will spin up every now and then This eliminates one of the major gripes we had with the GTX 280 upon its release and makes the GTX 285 all that more appealing.