Zotac GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Core Limited Edition Review

Performance Analysis

We’re between GPU updates right now (hence the lack of continuity between comparison cards in our graphs right now), which has made testing the Zotac GTX 560 Ti 448 Core Limited Edition a bit of a challenge. In the end we’ve opted for the still demanding Arma II, BF3, and the ageing Dirt 2. We’ll be completely updating our GPU benchmark suite in the near future to include more recent games, but for now you’re still able to see how the new card slots into Nvidia’s product line up.

With 7 per cent fewer stream processors, but a 6 per cent GPU overclock in comparison to a GTX 570 1.3GB, it’s not surprising to see the Zotac perform very similarly to its more stream-processor-heavy sibling.

In Dirt 2, the higher GPU frequency helped the Zotac to achieve a healthy minimum frame rate of 98fps at 1,920 x 1080, compared with 91fps from a stock GTX 570 1.3GB. At the more demanding 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, though, the two cards were near inseparable, with just 1fps difference between the two.

In Arma 2 the higher clock speeds of the Zotac again helped it surpass the GTX 570 1.3GB at 1,920 x 1,080, with a minimum frame rate of 42fps. At 2,560 x 1,600 this reversed though, with the Zotac slightly behind its rival.

Finally, in Battlefield 3, the Zotac again performed near identically to the GTX 570 1.3GB, with a playable minimum frame rate of 40fps at 1,920 x 1,080. This dropped to 24fps at 2,560 x 1,600, but this is still enough to surpass the Radeon HD 6970 at the same settings thanks to Nvidia’s better performance with the Ultra preset’s 4x AA.

As the card shares so much in common with the GTX 570 1.3GB, it was unsurprising to find that it drew roughly the same amount of power when idle and under load. The total system power draw at the plug was 145W and 320W for idle and load respectively, which is almost identical to the results from the GTX 570 1.3GB, and pulls almost 30W more under load than a standard 560 Ti card.

Thermal performance wasn't outstanding, with an idle Delta T of 13°C and a peak load delta T of 55°C. However, Zotac has clearly balanced the card for manageable noise levels, with the cooling fan only spinning up to a peak of 2,300rpm; only 45 per cent of its rated maximum. This meant that, even at full load, the Zotac remained pleasingly subdued, if not entirely silent.

Overclocking

We used Zotac’s own Firestorm overclocking software to push the Zotac GTX 560 Ti 448 Core Limited Edition a bit further, and were pleased to find it responded well to bit of overclocking. With Unigine’s Heaven benchmark looping to stress the card, we pushed the GPU frequency up to a healthy 855MHz, with a memory frequency rising to 1GHz (4GHz effective). This 10 per cent increase in clock speed saw the minimum frame rate in BF3 at 1,920 x 1,080 rise 10 per cent, from 40fps to 44fps. The minimum frame rate in Arma 2 also rose at the same resolution, from 42fps to 44fps.

Conclusion

Now seems an odd time to release a new GPU; the current generation are 12 months long in the tooth and we’re hearing more and more talk of upcoming AMD launches in early 2012. With Intel’s Ivy Bridge due in March or April 2012, it would seem logical for Nvidia and AMD to get their new GPUs out in time for the inevitable upgrade rush that will follow, seeing both the GTX 5xxx series and Radeon HD 6xxx series step aside for the next generation of graphics cards. This is all conjecture, though, and it would be unfair of us to mark down the GTX 560 Ti 448 Core because of what might come out perhaps in a few months.

Certainly in comparison to what’s available right now, it seems a solid bet. At £240, the Zotac GTX 560 Ti 448 Core Limited Edition, despite its stupidly long name, is around £20-£40 cheaper than most GTX 570 1.3GB examples. Considering that drop in price sees little-to-no difference in performance (in comparison to a stock-clocked GTX 570 1.3GB at least), it’s a good deal, although factory and user-applied overclocks will muddy the waters further.

In the short term, the GTX 560 Ti 448 is a sound bet, offering GTX 570 1.3GB performance, for a little bit less cash. We’re casting our eyes towards 2012 and its promises of next-gen GPUs, though, and while the GTX 560 448 Core looks a sound investment right now; it might not stay that way for long.