Passive, Fanless and totally silent graphics cards aren’t something new. Sapphire’s Ultimate range is perhaps one of the most prominent examples of this type of card. However, when we think of a passive card we think of a mid range card aimed at light gaming or a HTPC. Currently the most widely available passive cards are around the HD 7750 level of performance. What Colorful have produced is something really admirable, a fully passive GTX 680. That’s right, a GTX 680 card without a single fan.
The iGame GTX 680 passive uses a pair of large aluminium heatsinks, of which one is fully detachable. Seven heatpipes cool the GPU on the PCB, whilst a further 6 heatpipes carry heat from the main heatsink into the second attachable heatsink. The second heatsink module is recommended for users in a hot ambient environment or who want to overclock. Two 8 pin power connectors are included, suggesting this card can be overclocked to extreme levels, but probably not during passive operation. The card is guaranteed to work safely at stock and slightly overclocked speeds on passive cooling.
Display outputs include HDMI, Display Port and Dual Link DVI. Colorful is currently still assessing the viability of this product, it is expected to pack a hefty price tag. When the card is equipped with both heatsinks it takes up 4 PCI slots, meaning the supported quad SLI is probably not possible in a passive configuration.
Source: Expreview
