NVIDIA asks EVGA to Pull EVBot Support from GTX 680 Classified
It was to be expected. According to an Overclockers website, NVIDIA asked EVGA to remove voltage control support from its EVBot module, specifically for the GeForce GTX 680 Classified graphics card. EVBot gives realtime monitoring, gives users the ability to fine-tune voltages, a feature NVIDIA doesn't want users access to.
Here's the skinny from overclockers.com:
It has come to our attention that NVIDIA is making sure that there will be no voltage control for their GK100 line up. In a forum post on EVGA forums, EVGA employee Jacob (EVGA_JacobF), responded to question about why a new GTX 680 Classified shipped without an EVBot port.
The initial assumption by members was that this was just a manufacturing defect that accidentally passed QA. However, here’s Jacob’s response to the initial question.
“Unfortunately newer 680 Classified cards will not come with the EVBot feature. If any questions or concerns please contact us directly so we can offer a solution.”
Of course, many members were wondering about why EVGA had decided to remove the signature feature of their flagship GTX 680, in which Jacob responded with…
“Unfortunately we are not permitted to include this feature any longer.”
So, they are not permitted by NVIDIA to include the feature. NVIDIA is the only entity that could “not permit” them from doing something on their own product. Then, members asked the “Why?” question once again to try to coax a less vague answer to this situation and they are supplied with…
“It was removed in order to 100% comply with NVIDIA guidelines for selling GeForce GTX products, no voltage control is allowed, even via external device.”
From this quote, it’s obvious that NVIDIA does not want their partners to supply any means of voltage control with the GK100 series of GPUs. This is a slap in the face to many of the enthusiasts and everyday overclockers who enjoy pushing hardware for that extra performance. That leaves the extreme, warranty-voiding modders that hardmod their GPUs with the ability to increase voltage for the Kepler cards and have a stress-free overclocking experience
The only fault of EVGA throughout this process of removing EVBot ports is that there wasn’t an official announcement before cards without EVBot ports were shipped or listed on their site. Also, a EVGA forums member pointed out that the picture of the GTX 680 Classified in their product section seems to have the EVBot port blacked out using something like MS Paint. So, from the outside looking in it looks like EVGA was trying to hide the fact that the GTX 680 Classified will no longer have EVBot support and hoping no one noticed.
We sent an email out to EVGA for some more details about why this happened and some Classified specific questions. Jacob was able to answer the Classified specific questions.
Will you be reducing the price of the GTX 680 Classified?
“No plans at the moment.”
What makes your Classified worth the premium being charged if it is now limited to NVIDIA’s (low) Power Target limits with no additional voltage control?
“Higher power target, better cooling, higher out of box performance, binned GPU, superior voltage/power regulation, 4GB memory.”
Doesn’t that make all the records Vince keeps setting kind of worthless for anybody but him and EVGA? Not that they aren’t astounding and take a ton of skill, but if only he has access to cards that can do it, what’s the point?
“Anybody can do the same, just need to have the expertise like he does to modify the cards manually (this will VOID warranty though)”
Now, there may be ways of getting around even this if you can do it. Will EVGA be willing to supply a diagram / explanation for making your own EVBot port or directly soldering on the EVBot lead?
“Not from EVBot, but there are other documented ways to override voltage, again this will void warranty though.”
The questions that could not be answered were “Why is NVIDIA doing this?” and “Are they [NVIDIA] experiencing an increased level of RMAs? …as in, does real voltage control kill Kepler GPUs excessively fast?” and it would have been nice to to know the answer to these. Only NVIDIA knows exactly why they are holding back the potential of their GPUs by limiting the cards so much.
All this information makes it seem like it’s just a matter of time before NVIDIA snuffs out other voltage control features from other manufacturers. We know MSI and Galaxy have been having trouble getting NVIDIA to budge on allowing voltage control. ASUS has their GPU Hotwire feature, which can control GPU voltage when combined with their high-end motherboards (simliar to EVGA’s EVBot). I haven’t heard or read anything about ASUS removing hotwire for NVIDIA cards, but it looks to be inevitable. We’ve sent an email to our contacts at ASUS asking about this and we’ll update with any information we get from them.
So, the AIB partners are not to blame here, it’s all NVIDIA.
Check out our EVGA GTX 680 Classified review with that EVBOT right here.
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Senior Member
Posts: 1356
Joined: 2010-06-19
Wow "smart move nvidia" I think nvidia is being a pain in the a$$ now cause first they introduce the crappy boost then the new drivers are crappy for fermi and maybe geforce 200 series cards cause I can't overclock it like I used to and now this. I think Nvidia is destroying the GPU overclocking era.
Senior Member
Posts: 13269
Joined: 2005-03-30
Nvidia really likes to use its pimp hand.
these and other non ref cards can easily handle the extra voltage,unlike the ref boards nvidia made so whats the real issue here?
As for evga you guys know i'm not the biggest fan anymore but i think this may have caught the guys there off guard,thinking that the bases were covered for the no voltage rule with the evbot.
Not sure i'd go as far as saying that "Nvidia is destroying the GPU overclocking era" but they sure are adding new rules to the game.
Sharpen up those solder skillz boys cus right now it is all we can do as modders
As for nv they are going to have to pry my asus DCII from my cold dead hands
Senior Member
Posts: 6049
Joined: 2010-10-17
Am I right in saying AMD still allow for voltage control to some degree (for example through MSI AB), or has that been nerfed as well?
Senior Member
Posts: 21791
Joined: 2008-07-14
Does this "no voltage control is allowed"....apply to Afterburner, Precision and nVInspector as well or are we still allowed to use them?
Posts: 7604
Joined: 2012-07-10
The classified is still EVGA's best 680 no doubts, though when i was considering one i had it fully in mind to pick up a EVbot at a later date.
Retailers should knock off at least $20 i'd say, and the earlier versions will probably go up in value, i'd probably pay around $50 more for one now.
So perhaps nvidia is gonna put a dampner on the gpu water cooling market now it's all anti-OC. - Water cooled GPUs soon won't be needed.