Among the new graphics cards, the most heated confrontation unfolded between the GeForce GTX 1060 and the Radeon RX 480. We have already managed to consider different options for these video cards, but the time has come to return to this topic. In the first months of autumn, many remarkable and frankly good games came out. Has the balance changed? This is what we will find out. This time our list of tests is not very large, but it almost entirely consists of games that did not appear in previous tests. This includes performance comparisons in Battlefield 1, Gears of War 4, DirectX 12 Remastered Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and other games. Along the way, consider another non-reference video card GeForce GTX 1060, this time by Inno3D.

Inno3D iChill GeForce GTX 1060 X3

Our focus is on the top version GeForce GTX 1060 6GB from the Inno3D iChill product line. All representatives of this family are distinguished by powerful cooling, often surpassing many analogues from other manufacturers. Let’s see what this model will offer us.

The video card is delivered in a black box with a simple and strict design.

The package includes many nice bonuses:

• mousepad;
• 3DMark registration code;
• 3DMark VRMark registration code;
• hex L-shaped key;
• disk with software;
• instruction.

The iChill graphics card impresses with its dimensions. Its total length is about 30 centimeters, and all thanks to a huge cooler, which is equipped with three fans and occupies three expansion slots. You expect to see such powerful cooling on a flagship like the GeForce GTX 1080. Therefore, this model immediately inspires respect.

The front side of the cooler is covered with large decorative plates, which partially interfere with the air flow from the fans. But against the background of the general cooling potential, such a design feature loses some influence. Even without testing, it is clear that the heating and noise of this video card should be extremely low.

The exterior design offers a combination of black and metallic elements. The whole structure got rid of the abundance of large screws that fix them together. However, now it is more difficult to disassemble the case, but it is possible to remove the casing from the radiator.

The reverse side is protected by a perforated metal plate, which stiffens the textolite and protects it from external influences.

There is one eight-pin power connector in the corner.

Let’s take a closer look at the cooling system. The heatsink consists of two sections of plates that run through five heatpipes. Contact with the GPU surface is made through a nickel-plated copper base.

Inno3D engineers abandoned a separate heatsink for the power elements of the power unit. Now the main radiator removes heat from them, for which contact pads are provided on the second section. Thermal pads and additional fixation with screws provide a secure hold.

The radiator plates on the sides have a small cutout, and the shroud with fans clings to these “teeth”.

Memory chips are covered with a separate plate that dissipates heat.

Three 90mm Colorful CF-12915S fans are responsible for airflow. This ensures good ventilation of the entire heatsink even at a low rotational speed and additional air flow to the board.

The printed circuit board is 27 centimeters long. Its design is reminiscent of older GeForces and can’t be compared to the shortened PCB of the reference samples.

The GPU power system has five phases.

The model in question is the older version of the GeForce GTX 1060 with all computing units and 6 GB of memory. Therefore, the GP106 GPU has a full configuration of 1280 stream processors and 48 texture units.

GDDR5 memory runs on a 192-bit bus. Soldered six chips Samsung K4G80325FB-HC25.

Inno3D iChill GTX 1060 X3 runs at higher clock speeds. The base core clock is set at 1569 MHz with a Boost Clock of 1785 MHz. The effective memory frequency has been increased to 8200 MHz.

The level of factory frequencies is not a record for the GeForce GTX 1060 series. But the real Boost is at the level of the best models — it stably keeps at the bar of 1974 MHz without any drops even in the heaviest games. Long-term testing with the Metro: Last Light benchmark only warmed up the core to 58°C at 22°C indoors, which is an excellent result. The Inno3D iChill is colder than any model in the series tested so far, and is arguably the coolest air-cooled version of the GeForce GTX 1060. The fan speed is less than 1200 rpm, the noise level is low.

But the acceleration was not surprising. Final frequencies at the level of other non-reference models. But we have repeatedly noted that the solutions of the Pascal family do not differ from each other in the frequency potential. A powerful power supply and a high-quality element base do not provide any obvious advantages for overclocking, but they will provide better stability at maximum frequencies. The base frequency was increased to 1699 MHz with a peak Boost value of 2101 MHz. The memory was overclocked without failure to 9456 MHz.

Increasing the power limit provided a stable 2101 MHz without dropping below this level. I didn’t have to resort to manual fan control. In automatic mode, cooling easily coped with its task. Core temperatures rose to a modest 63°C while keeping the fan speed at 1200 rpm.