EVGA has announced a product that should get the hardcore overclockers salivating: an add-on voltage regulation (VRM) board for motherboards and graphics cards.
Dubbed the EVGA EPower Board, the add-in VRM board is designed to replace stock voltage regulation modules on high-power devices in order to allow for even more power to be shoved through; a critical part of extreme overclocking.
According to EVGA's figures, the EPower board can run at a VCORE adjustment range of 800mV to 2000mV at a current of up to 400A, or a VDIMM adjustment range of 1000mV to 5000mV at up to 80A. To put those figures into context: EVGA recommends a 600W power supply with 42A on the 12V rail per EPower board used in the system.
Before you get excited about the potential of the board, there's a catch: the system is hardly plug-and-play. Those who have bought the board are expected to solder it directly to the motherboard or graphics card of their choice, replacing the existing VRMs with a connection to the EPower board. With the installation instructions (PDF) advising users to cut PCB traces to disable on-board regulator modules, it's a hair-raising - and warranty-trashing - experience.
The board itself gets a little warm, too: despite a hefty heatsink, EVGA recommends the use of forced air cooling via an 80mm or 120mm fan as a minimum and warns that those using extreme cooling systems like liquid nitrogen should position the EPower board well away from any possible condensation points unless they want to see the world's most expensive indoor firework display.
Thus far, EVGA hasn't confirmed UK pricing, but the EPower board is available in the US priced at $99.99. The first early revision boards were shipped to customers late last year, with some eyebrow-raising results.
Do you think the EPower board could be a worthy addition to an overclocker's arsenal, or is EVGA just showing off? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Dubbed the EVGA EPower Board, the add-in VRM board is designed to replace stock voltage regulation modules on high-power devices in order to allow for even more power to be shoved through; a critical part of extreme overclocking.
According to EVGA's figures, the EPower board can run at a VCORE adjustment range of 800mV to 2000mV at a current of up to 400A, or a VDIMM adjustment range of 1000mV to 5000mV at up to 80A. To put those figures into context: EVGA recommends a 600W power supply with 42A on the 12V rail per EPower board used in the system.
Before you get excited about the potential of the board, there's a catch: the system is hardly plug-and-play. Those who have bought the board are expected to solder it directly to the motherboard or graphics card of their choice, replacing the existing VRMs with a connection to the EPower board. With the installation instructions (PDF) advising users to cut PCB traces to disable on-board regulator modules, it's a hair-raising - and warranty-trashing - experience.
The board itself gets a little warm, too: despite a hefty heatsink, EVGA recommends the use of forced air cooling via an 80mm or 120mm fan as a minimum and warns that those using extreme cooling systems like liquid nitrogen should position the EPower board well away from any possible condensation points unless they want to see the world's most expensive indoor firework display.
Thus far, EVGA hasn't confirmed UK pricing, but the EPower board is available in the US priced at $99.99. The first early revision boards were shipped to customers late last year, with some eyebrow-raising results.
Do you think the EPower board could be a worthy addition to an overclocker's arsenal, or is EVGA just showing off? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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