EVGA’s GTX 680 SC Signature is one of the fastest air cooled GTX 680 cards around. Its GPU runs at 1086MHz and the memory at 1552MHz (6208MHz effectively). In comparison, reference clocks for GTX 680 cards are 1006/1502MHz GPU/memory. At first, EVGA’s GTX 680 SC Signature looks like it has special cooling, but it’s actually reference cooling with some make up and wider air exhausts. Although the card has wider air exhaust, it’s still a bit louder than the reference card. Naturally, it’s to be expected since we’re talking about a factory overclocked cards. In general, we were pretty pleased with the cooler’s performance since thermals barely exceeded the reference values. Perhaps this is due to EVGA’s special bracket, for which the company claims to decrease temperatures up to 3°C.

EVGA’s GTX 680 SC Signature card is ready for additional overclocking as well, since it has one 8-pin connector and one 6-pin connector, instead of two 6-pin connectors found on the reference card. There is also an additional phase for PWM regulation. Reference cooling did quite well and allowed us to overclock the GPU by 100MHz with the fan in AUTO mode. While it was louder, it’s still not loud enough to be unbearable.

EVGA’s GTX 680 SC Signature comes with a 3 year Limited warranty, although it’s possible to pay extra for a 5 or 10 year warranties.

EVGA GTX 680 SC Signature will set you back about $530 (€500 here ) which is about $30 higher than the reference card. This $30 buys you higher guaranteed Boost clocks, high flow bracket, more stable voltages thanks to five-phase design and 8+6-pin connectors as well as better looks. If you want a backplate, it will set you back another $10. So if you’re looking for a fast and reliable card with plenty of potential for further overclocking, then EVGA’s GTX 680 SC Signature definitely has to make your list.