NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 1GB Review

ASUS GTX 560 1GB DirectCu II TOP

ASUS has once again used the same packaging we have seen from their TOP edition cards for the last few years. The interior is well protected against the bumps and bruises that might happen during shipping and the accessory package is slim as expected. There is a pair of Molex to 6-pin adaptors and a single mini HDMI to HDMI dongle.


The card itself boasts an impressive exterior design and a custom PCB which houses the components included with ASUS’ Super Alloy Power design. At a little under 10” including the heatsink’s overhang, this is also one of longer GTX 560 card one the market but it will still easily fit in all standard ATX cases.


ASUS has used their new DirectCu II heatsink for this card which consists of a copper base in direct contact with the core along with a large fin array and a pair of large fans. Since this setup is actually quite heavy, a stiffener bracket has been installed along a portion of the PCB’s leading edge.

The two PCI-E power connectors are placed at a right angle to the PCB in order to cut down on the card’s length once the PSU’s connectors are attached.


The backplate consists of the usual layout with a pair of DVI outputs and a single mini HDMI which can be converted into a full size HDMI 1.4 output with the included connector.