The EVGA GeForce GTX 580 SC ships in a stylish mid-sized box that only the weight belies the awesome inside. A crush proof shape formed package offers good shipping protection, and as usual for EVGA there is a window into the box to see the card's serial number so you can see if the product inside is what it says it is.

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Box

EVGA's GTX 580 SC has a stylish and eye-catching electric blue fade for the graphics. The PCB and cooler follow Nvidia's reference design, just with the EVGA sticker applied. Included with the card are an installation instruction guide and 4-pin molex power adapters. Nvidia and EVGA recommend a 600W power supply, with a total of 42A on the 12v rail. I don't think there will be many PSUs with those specifications that don't have the required 6-pin + 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, but in case your PSU is lacking the provided adapters will allow you to plug in the 8-pin required by the card.

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 SC

The GeForce GTX 580 features two dual-link DVI outputs and a mini-HDMI 1.4a output. Included with the card is a mini-HDMI to full HDMI adapter, allowing you to connect your 3D ready TV or display.

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 SC

The GTX 580 is more compact than the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series, and significantly shorter than the ATI Radeon 5900 series. The side insertion power connectors allow the card to be installed in a wider variety of cases. If you forget to plug in the power connectors before powering on the system, you'll hear the fan ramp to full speed and hopefully your mainboard will beep at you that it has no graphics card installed, in contrast to reference ATI Radeon 5800s that will emit a high-pitched tone.

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 SC

The large heatsink and fan covers any adjacent slots and components on a full ATX motherboard, so be sure to note where your fan, SATA and PATA ports are before installing in case of conflicts. The included CD has a GeForce GTX 580 branded version of EVGA Precision for tweaking your card. Updating to the newest version over the top preserves the skin so you can retain the specialized look and enjoy new updates.

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 SC

Software

EVGA Precision, E-leet and OC Tuner are also available for download, offering voltage control and burn-in/stability testing options for the EVGA GeForce GTX 580 SC.

EVGA Precision

EVGA E-Leet GPU Voltage Control

EVGA OC Scanner