Board Layout
The cooler for the GTX 550Ti AMP! is completely different than a reference card in every aspect. Unlike the reference design their cooler blows both into the case and out the PCI slot. Around the fan you have a sharp orange mesh covering each vent. The shape of the cooler is different also, lacking the indent that reference coolers have in the middle around the fan. In one aspect I do like this; the fan doesn’t protrude and is less likely to catch on something. But depending on the overall width, this could also make for even less airflow in tight configurations.
A nice black PCB to match the black and orange cooler.
One of the most interesting design aspects of this card is their use of a full sized HDMI port. Almost every other Nvidia card on the market currently lacks a full size port, saving a small amount of space by using a MiniHDMI port, something I hate. Both of the DVI ports are dual link and also sport the orange color, a nice touch! To top it all off you also have a DisplayPort connection in case you need it.
Under the fan you can see a large, aluminum heatsink covering almost the entire length of the card.
For power the GTX 550Ti AMP! requires one 6 pin connection. Zotac has that connection facing the rear of the card. On some cases placing the power connections at the rear of the card could cause clearance issues, but with the 550Ti’s short length it shouldn’t be an issue in all but the smallest cases.