While Palit have you covered in terms of a low-profile GeForce GTS 450, until now there hasn't been a solution for those with height to spare but not much width. Sparkle has the answer, though, with a new card that squeezes into a single-slot form factor.
Impressively, the manufacturer manages to fit all of the necessary cooling into a slender package without compromising performance. In fact, the clock speeds have all been increased, with the core humming along at 789MHz - 6MHz above reference - meaning that the 192 shaders are clocked to 1,579MHz.
The memory will get a slightly more significant boost with a frequency of 3,760MHz, compared to 3,608MHz on reference cards. The increases might be small - borderline insignificant - but extra performance at no extra cost is always appreciated.
Because the card is full-height, there's enough room for all of the normal outputs, meaning that it's equipped with two DVI ports and a single mini HDMI connector.
As with any card that reduces the cooling, our first concern will always be for the noise levels and temperatures. However, it sounds like the cooler has been given some serious attention, with both the heatpipes and the cooling fins being made from copper for improved cooling performance. Given that the GF106 core doesn't get too hot anyway, we're sure Sparkle's solution will be more than adequate.
Unfortunately, there's been no indication on pricing or availability just yet, but we're sure this card will slink its way into retail soon for a small premium over reference cards.
