Based on NVIDIA's Pascal architecture, the ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 Phoenix Fan Edition Graphics Card provides major improvements in performance, memory bandwidth, and power efficiency over its predecessor, the high-performance Maxwell architecture. It also introduces innovative graphics features and technologies that redefine the computer as the platform for playing AAA games and taking full advantage of virtual reality via NVIDIA VRWorks.
There are one DisplayPort 1.4 output in addition to two HDMI 2.0b outputs, and a DVI-D Dual-Link output. The GTX 1060 is not just about high-resolution gaming. Computationally intensive programs can utilize the GPU's 1280 cores to accelerate tasks using CUDA or other APIs.
For cooling, ASUS implemented a single dual-ball bearing fan. The dual-ball bearing fan avoids the problem of the oil drying, which is common in sleeve-bearing fans. With reduced friction, the dual-ball bearing fan improves the card's lifespan as well as the cooling efficiency.
VRWorks Audio uses the NVIDIA OptiX ray-tracing engine to trace the path of sounds across an environment in real-time, fully reflecting the size, shape, and material of the virtual world.
NVIDIA PhysX for VR detects when a hand controller interacts with a virtual object, and enables the game engine to provide a physically accurate visual and haptic response. It also models the physical behavior of the virtual world around the user so that all interactions -- whether an explosion or a hand splashing through water -- behave as if in the real world.