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Verdict: EVGA’s reference-clock GeForce GTX 680 was an excellent high-end gaming card in 2012 and remains interesting for a period-correct PC or an existing system. In 2026, its 2 GB of VRAM, legacy software position, 195 W board rating and aging cooler make it a poor general-purpose purchase unless it is inexpensive, tested and intended for older games.
Which EVGA GTX 680 does this review cover?
Hardware Secrets reviewed the standard EVGA GeForce GTX 680, part number 02G-P4-2680-KR, in an article published April 5, 2012 and updated February 24, 2023. It uses NVIDIA reference clocks: a 1,006 MHz base clock, 1,058 MHz reference boost clock and 6,008 MHz effective memory clock. The card has a reference-style dual-slot cooler and 2 GB of GDDR5.
This is not the faster EVGA Superclocked, SC+ Backplate, FTW or Hydro Copper model. At launch, EVGA listed the reference card at a $500 U.S. MSRP, the Superclocked at $520, the SC+ with backplate at $530 and the liquid-cooled Hydro Copper at $700. Those are historical launch prices, not current values. See the original review at Hardware Secrets and EVGA’s archived specification page at EVGA.
Specifications
| Specification | EVGA reference GTX 680 |
|---|---|
| Architecture and process | Kepler, 28 nm |
| CUDA cores | 1,536 |
| Base / reference boost clock | 1,006 / 1,058 MHz |
| Memory | 2 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory bus / bandwidth | 256-bit / 192.2 GB/s |
| Interface | PCI Express 3.0 |
| Graphics-card power rating | 195 W |
| Recommended system PSU | 550 W |
| Supplementary power | Two 6-pin PCIe connectors |
| Dimensions | 10.0 inches long, 4.376 inches high, dual-slot |
| Outputs | Dual-link DVI-I, dual-link DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort |
| Maximum listed digital resolution | 4096×2160 |
NVIDIA’s reference specification is available at NVIDIA. Add-in-board versions can differ, so verify the label and cooler on any used card.
#1 Best Overall
- Base Clock: 1006MHz
- Boost Clock: 1058MHz
- Memory Clock: 6000MHz
- Cuda Cores: 1536
- Pci-E 3.0. Minimum of a 550 Watt power supply
Why the GTX 680 mattered in 2012
Kepler was a major change from the preceding Fermi generation rather than a simple clock increase over the GTX 580. The 28 nm GPU introduced GPU Boost, PCI Express 3.0 support and a lower rated board power than the GTX 580 while targeting DirectX 11 gaming. NVIDIA also positioned it against AMD’s Radeon HD 7970.
GPU Boost dynamically raises the clock when workload, temperature and power limits permit. The 1,058 MHz figure is therefore a reference boost target, not a guaranteed sustained frequency. Cooling condition and the individual GPU affect real operating clocks and benchmark results. NVIDIA described the launch behavior in its 301.10 driver notes at NVIDIA’s driver page.
Rank #2
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The renovation process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90 day warranty and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high-performance bar can offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
Launch features
- GPU Boost and Adaptive V-Sync
- FXAA and TXAA anti-aliasing options
- NVIDIA Surround, SLI and PhysX
- CUDA and hardware H.264 encoding through NVENC
- OpenGL 4.2 and DisplayPort 1.2
- NVIDIA’s specification listed DirectX 12 API support, but that does not mean modern feature-level support for current DirectX 12 games
What the original review found
Hardware Secrets tested StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Far Cry 2, Aliens vs. Predator, DiRT3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Battlefield 3, 3DMark 11 Professional and MediaEspresso 6.5. The StarCraft II run used a large-army replay, the Extreme preset, Ultra textures and 1920×1200 or 2560×1600 resolution.
| StarCraft II setting | GTX 680 | Radeon HD 7970 | GTX 580 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920×1200 | 113.6 fps | 107.8 fps | 101.4 fps |
| 2560×1600 | 92.5 fps | 90.5 fps | 87.6 fps |
In that specific historical test, the GTX 680 led the Radeon HD 7970 by about 5% at 1920×1200 and 2% at 2560×1600. These are results from period game versions, drivers and test hardware; they are not current-game benchmarks.
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- Real Base Clock: 1556 MHz/Real Boost Clock: 1670 MHz; Memory Detail: 11264MB GDDR5X. Redesigned cooling with L-shaped contact fins to improve contact surface area for better heat dissipation
- EVGA iCX Cooling - Delivering industry-leading cooling performance to your Graphics Card. Vulkan API
- Requirements-Minimum of a 600 Watt power supply. An available 6-pin PCI-E power connector and an available 8 pin PCI-E power connector.Total Power Draw- 250 Watts
- New vented heatsink fin design and pin fins for optimized airflow. An available 6-pin PCI-E power connector and an available 8 pin PCI-E power connector. Windows 10 32/64bit ,Windows 8 32/64bit, Windows 7 32/64bit
- DX12 OSD Support with EVGA Precision XOC. Stream extreme GeForce GTX PC gaming experiences to portable device like NVIDIA SHIELD with super-smooth, low-latency performance
Power, cooling and installation checks
- Use a functioning, quality power supply with at least NVIDIA’s 550 W system recommendation. Wattage alone does not make an old PSU safe.
- Confirm two undamaged 6-pin PCIe connectors. Do not rely on improvised adapters from a weak or proprietary supply.
- Measure roughly 10 inches of card clearance, plus room for the power plugs, and provide a full-length PCIe slot.
- Give the dual-slot blower-style cooler unobstructed airflow. Dust, dried thermal paste and worn fan bearings are common risks on a fourteen-year-old board.
- Check your monitor connection. DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort are present, but a newer display may require an adapter whose resolution and refresh support must be verified.
SLI: historically supported, rarely sensible now
NVIDIA listed support for up to three-way SLI, and a GTX 680 must be paired with another GTX 680 GPU, although board brands may differ. SLI does not create a useful shared 4 GB VRAM pool. It adds heat, power draw and another failure point, while modern games often lack worthwhile multi-GPU scaling. A single newer GPU is generally the practical choice.
Driver and software reality in 2026
The GTX 680 is legacy hardware. NVIDIA’s legacy documentation places it in the Linux 470.xx driver series; distribution, kernel, X-server, Wayland and Vulkan compatibility must be checked individually at NVIDIA’s legacy GPU page. The original Windows launch driver supported Windows Vista and Windows 7, but that historical fact is not a promise of support on a current Windows installation.
Rank #4
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The renovation process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90 day warranty and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high-performance bar can offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
The dominant limitation is the 2 GB frame buffer. Modern games can exhaust it with high-resolution textures, anti-aliasing or large open worlds, causing stutter and texture-streaming problems before the shader performance itself is fully utilized. Some newer software may fail to launch or lack required features even when the card appears to install correctly. Current creator, CUDA and video workflows should not be assumed to work.
How to evaluate a used card
- Request a GPU-Z screenshot showing the GTX 680 GPU and 2 GB memory, and confirm the 02G-P4-2680-KR marking when possible.
- Ask for a sustained graphics-load video or benchmark, not merely a powered-on desktop image.
- Watch for artifacts, driver crashes, black screens, throttling and fan grinding.
- Inspect the PCB and cooler for corrosion, missing components, heavy dust or evidence of careless disassembly.
- Confirm both 6-pin sockets are present and undamaged, and ask whether the cooler was removed or repasted.
- Prefer a return period. Treat “untested,” “pulled from working system” and “no returns” as material risk signals.
- Budget for cleaning, thermal-paste replacement and possible fan repair.
Who should use one?
Existing owners
Keep it if it is stable and your games are older DirectX 9 or DirectX 11 titles. There is no need to replace a working retro card solely because it is old.
Best Value
- Real Base Clock: 1607 MHz / Real Boost Clock: 1835 MHz; Memory Detail: 6144MB GDDR5. Revolutionary new 360-degree image capture
- EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC - Small Size, Huge Performance. Height: 4.376in - 111.15mm; Length: 6.8in - 172.72mm; Width: Dual Slot
- What you see is what you get! – No additional software required to achieve listed clock speeds
- DX12 OSD Support with EVGA Precision XOC. Requirements: Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply, 6-pin PCIe power connector
- 3 Year Warranty & EVGA's 24/7 Technical Support.Operating System Support:Windows 7,8,10(32/64bit).OpenGL 4.6 Support
Retro-PC builders
It is a historically appropriate choice for a 2012-era build, especially when the specific EVGA reference design matters and the card has been tested.
Basic display duty
It can drive an older PCIe system, but connector and adapter limitations make it less convenient than newer low-power cards.
Modern gamers and creators
Avoid it for current AAA gaming, modern high-resolution output, active mainstream driver support, current creator applications or compute workloads. Do not pay a price that approaches a newer used entry-level GPU; no responsible 2026 used-market price is established here.
Final recommendation
The EVGA 02G-P4-2680-KR was a strong 2012 flagship-class card and its launch benchmarks remain useful historical evidence. In 2026, buy or retain one only for a defined older-game, repair or restoration purpose, with proof that the particular board works. For a new gaming system, the 2 GB VRAM limit, legacy software status, power requirements and aged cooling outweigh its historical strengths.
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