EVGA has finally unleashed their brand new GeForce 10 iCX series graphics cards. The new cards are fitted with better cooling and PCB designs to help ensure optimal load stability and thermal levels.
EVGA Launches Ten GeForce 10 Series Graphics Cards With iCX Cooling
EVGA was recently hit with a massive backlash due to their cards featuring poor VRM cooling. This led to a lot of users facing thermal problems and even entire cards exploding which made a dent in EVGA's reputation. The company decided to fix this issue by replacing the older ACX (Active Cooling Xtreme) line of graphics cards with the new iCX family.
The GeForce 10 iCX family comes with a range of enhancements over ACX. A total of 9 new features have been deployed in the lineup which include:
- iCX has 9 thermal sensors & multiple MCUs
- Asynchronous fan control
- A new and more efficient way to cool
- Full control with EVGA Precision XOC
- Interactive cooling with thermal display system
- Peace of mind gaming
- Optimized airflow FIN DESIGN
- PLAY LONGER! Overclock Better!
- INTERACTION with other system devices
The cards feature a fully custom built PCB that is a combination of quality engineering, new thermal modules and an elegant LED and Precision XOC tuning system.
- Featuring a total of 11 global patents (pending and granted), iCX is efficiency perfected.
- 9 additional sensors and MCU’s embedded on the PCB.
- Purposefully-directed airflow chambers.
- Newly designed die-cast baseplate and backplate.
- Full control using EVGA Precision XOC.
Finally, we have the internals which are made of an airflow optimized fin design that has several fin holes that direct air through them. The half open fin maximizes airflow and L-shaped fins increase surface contact with GPU and memory. The interlaced pin fin on the baseplate maximizes heat dissipation through increased surface area on the baseplate. To top it all up, there's a gorgeous die-cast, form fitted baseplate and backplate that comes included with the new cards. You can read some reviews/previews of the new iCX graphics cards in the links below:
- GeForce GTX 1080 SC2 ICX Preview @PCWorld
- GeForce GTX 1080 FTW2 ICX Review @Hothardware
- GeForce GTX 1080 FTW2 ICX Review @Overclockers
- GeForce GTX 1080 SC2 ICX Review @Hardware.Info
- GeForce GTX 1080 FTW2 ICX Review @Sweclockers
EVGA iCX Graphics Cards Are The Company's Best PCB and Thermal Design To Date
iCX graphics cards come with a PCB that features 9 thermal sensors and multiple MCUs (Micro Controller Units ). All 9 sensors are displayed in the EVGA Precision XOC and OSD utility. These sensors point out load and temperatures of the various power delivery systems featured on the card, including the GPU. EVGA has also integrated a safety fuse that adds an additional layer of protection. It ensures that the card doesn't reach the point where it would explode as the previous ACX variants.
The cards also feature new asynchronous fan control technology which includes separate fan control and fan curve for both fans. This technology ensures that the specific parts underneath them are cooled adequately. For instance, the GPU may be running hot but the VRMs under the second fan would be under optimal load. The first fan would start spinning at higher RPM compared to the second fan. The two functions of this fan cooling technology are:
- GPU fan determined by GPU temperature (left fan)
- Power / memory fan determined by power / memory temperature (right fan)
The cards also feature an internal RGB side panel which displays thermal activity. It's a small yet useful feature which would let you know the temperatures of various components (GPU/Mem/PWR) on your new EVGA iCX cards.
EVGA ACX Owners Can Upgrade To iCX By Paying $100 US
The EVGA ACX 3.0 to iCX Program is an optional program that allows owners of select EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 ACX 3.0, GeForce GTX 1070 ACX 3.0, and GeForce GTX 1060 ACX 3.0 Graphics Cards to upgrade to its EVGA GTX 1080 iCX, GTX 1070 iCX, or GTX 1060 iCX equivalent graphics card.
What does it cost and what do I receive with an iCX Upgrade?
The iCX Upgrade Program costs $99.99 per iCX Upgrade, and includes an EVGA iCX shirt and complimentary return shipping. For the limited duration the iCX Upgrade Program is available, iCX Upgrade Program participants may upgrade any and all qualifying ACX 3.0 graphics cards registered to their EVGA account.
- Each additional ACX 3.0 to iCX upgrade is $99.99.
- Each ACX 3.0 graphics card may only be upgraded to a like iCX product. No exceptions allowed.
The EVGA ACX 3.0 to iCX Upgrade Program also has other great benefits:
- EVGA iCX cards received through the iCX Upgrade program are eligible for the EVGA Step-Up program for 90-days from the date the iCX Upgrade product is shipped to you. For EVGA Step-Up purposes, the value of the iCX Upgrade will be based on the MSRP value of the respective iCX graphics card listed on EVGA.com.
- EVGA iCX Upgrades may be paid in full with EVGA Bucks.
The EVGA GeForce 10 iCX Lineup - 10 Cards With New Designs
There are 10 new cards in the lineup which include three GTX 1080s, three GTX 1070s and four GTX 1060s. The various cards are based on FTW2, SSCC2, SSC2 and reference clocked designs. The following is a list of all graphics cards along with their pictures, prices and product links:
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW2 iCX ($679 US - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 SC2 iCX ($649 US - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 iCX ($639 US - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 FTW2 iCX ($469 US - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC2 iCX ($449 US - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 iCX ($439 US - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 FTW2 6 GB iCX (TBD - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SSCC2 6 GB iCX (TBD - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 FTW2 3 GB iCX (TBD - Product Link)
EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SSCC2 3 GB iCX (TBD - Product Link)
All models have their clock speeds and further specifications listed on their respective product pages. Most of these cards will be available at retail, starting today. We can expect a few more variants such as GTX 1060 class products available in the coming weeks. They have already mentioned Classified variants to be added to the iCX lineup so expect details on those soon too.
EVGA ACX card owners can take advantage of the iCX upgrade promotion. Users who apply for the iCX upgrade will get a free t-shirt and complimentary return shipping.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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