Single-slot graphics cards aren’t easy to find, and the higher up the performance stack you go, the rarer they seem to be. We reported onthe sightingof a single-slot GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB blower graphics card last October, and now it seems to have become available. Chinese tech siteEXP Reviewgot its hands on one of these slim GPUs and gave it a thorough testing and assessment.
1 fan, 1 slot, RTX 4060 Ti from Galax https://t.co/rbVLZdnXld pic.twitter.com/1rWDAwFrpEApril 19, 2024
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has been reviewed onTom’s Hardwarein both its8GBand16GBincarnations. Whatever the memory configuration, we have to grumble that these GPUs offer weak performance for the price, and the doubled VRAM model offers limited extra appeal. This slim blower design fromGalaxseems to be based on a 16GB model, as per the previous leak, and this choice may support any premium product pricing plans Galax might have.
Potential buyers of the slim new Galax card should expect reference specs, such as a 2,535 MHz boost clock, according to the data shared in the review. The 16GB model from Gigabyte we looked at had a slight factory overclock. EXP Review compared the Galax single-slot model against an overclocked iGame OC model (2,580 MHz) that wasn’t quite as speedy as the Gigabyte model in our review (2,595 MHz).
Noise is the product’s Achilles' heel
Benchmarking revealed the Galax launches single-slot RTX 4060 Ti performed very similarly to its fatter iGame rival (the OC advantage was very minor if present), which indicates that the slim cooler did its job pretty well. EXP Review notes that the slim Galax saw a maximum GPU temperature of 69.5°C, and maximum hot spot temperature of 81.9°C under testing at full load.
Fan noise looks like it might be the most significant drawback of the Galax – the price you pay for the compactness – with 51.4dBA recorded in tests. The aforementioned iGame model only hit 32.2dBA in the same situation, and Nvidia’s FE model hit 28.4dBA.
It is interesting to see EXP Review take this Galax graphics card model apart, as it is quite different from many rivals. The long PCB with a trio of cutout arcs, the laptop-style fan, and its rectangular metal thermal module reveal quite a lot of thought has gone into making this product.
In conclusion, the slimblower fanconstruction helps Galax deliver the svelte 280 x 126 x 20mm design. Moreover, it doesn’t seem to impact the level of performance you might expect from a reference RTX 4060 Ti model. However, cooler noise might be an issue that you can’t live with, depending on your personal tolerance.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom’s Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
