Layout
The Chaintech APOGEE AA5700U like all its predecessor, comes in a carry box. Gone though is the typical APOGEE box with a see through cut out window that shows the card's cooling system. The box has all the specs and features listed at a glance. Inside you'll find your APOGEE card packed in an anti-static wrap. Directly under it you'll find the entire contents of the package neatly laid and arranged.
Like the reference nVIDIA FX 5700 Ultra card, the AA5700U APOGEE's pcb follows the same reference design. SFF systems will find that installing this card will cause headaches when it comes to space. Below you will see how big the APOGEE card is when compared to the reference FX 5700 Ultra design, the Radeon 9600XT and the FX 5600 Ultra.
The AA5700U's cooling solution is perhaps the main selling point of this card. It sports a Dual Fan design with the heatsink made of pure copper. The base is flat and has a mirror finish. A golden aluminum plate at the top of the fins then shrouds this copper heatsink. Holding the card you will notice the big weight difference between it and the reference design. The AA5700U is definitely a lot heavier. This heatsink also cools the DDR2 modules at the front. Noise level is extremely low.
At the back, you'll also find a heatsink that cools the memory modules. It is made of aluminum and gold in color as well. On top of the heatsink, we find another plate with Chaintech's name written all over it.
The card only occupies the AGP slot but you'll find fitting a PCI card in the first slot a tight squeeze. It is not advisable though to place one there as you would be blocking the airflow going to the heatsink and impede air circulation in the area directly above the cooling system.
The Chaintech AA5700U unlike the reference card doesn't use 2.2ns chips. Instead it uses a faster chip. 128mb of super fast Samsung DDR2 BGA chips are installed in the APOGEE card. Rated at 1.8ns, its maximum theoretical speed is 1100MHz DDR. Now that's a lot of headroom for overclocking. These chips are the very same ones used in nVIDIA's FX 5800 Ultra of old.
A thermal interface material (TIM) is used to mate the NV36 core to the heatsink. Not really the best. I would have loved to see arctic silver or any other paste between them.
A very nice feature, something that case modders will love, is the inclusion of fancy blue LED lights around the fans. Once the VGA card is powered, the lights illuminate the card and the surrounding area around it. When it comes to aesthetics, this one is definitely best in show.
A molex power connector is present and would be needed to power the card. If forgotten, the system would still boot up but a warning message will appear in Windows telling you that the VGA card has been powered down. This is your cue that you have forgotten to hook up the molex power cable to the card. The molex allows for side connection and a molex extension cable is also included in case the cable coming from the PSU is too short.
There is the presence of a VGA connector for analog CRT, an S-video connector for the TV-Out function and a DVI connector for digital flat panel displays. However the VIVO function which was previously present in the FX 5600 Ultra APOGEE is now gone.
Next: Bundle, Test Setup & Overclocking