Gigabyte launches brand new Xtreme Gaming series with GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming
Gigabyte launches brand new Xtreme Gaming series with GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming
Gigabyte has announced the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming, the first card in an entirely new series of graphics cards. It joins a slew of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 custom cards that are already available, including the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 950 WindForce 2OC. As its name suggests, the new Xtreme Gaming series is targeted at gaming enthusiasts, with features like improved overclocking performance and better durability.
The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming utilizes the same WindForce cooling solution that we’re used to seeing on WindForce-branded cards. The dual-fan cooling shroud actually looks quite similar to existing WindForce cards, with the same striated fan design and black-and-silver shroud.
According to Gigabyte, the new GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming is produced using its GPU Gauntlet Sorting technology, which sorts chips for better overclocking stability.
We’re also pleasantly surprised to see that Gigabyte has included a metal backplate on the card, given that it’s supposed to be a budget card. This means more protection for the card’s PCB and its overall structural integrity.
In addition, the PCB features something Gigabyte refers to as a breathable aerospace-grade coating that supposedly protects against moisture, dust, and corrosion. Gigabyte says this will come in handy in regions of high humidity or temperatures, and could even guard against damage from coolant leaks in liquid-cooling setups.
Finally, the card uses the same chokes and capacitors as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan X, an interesting choice for a card that never pretends to deliver cutting-edge performance. Of course, it’s also factory overclocked, with a 1203MHz base clock and 1405MHz boost clock, up from the reference 1026MHz/1190MHz base and boost clocks respectively. Memory clocks have also been bumped up to an effective memory clock of 7000MHz, compared to the reference card’s 6600MHz.
Instead of a 6-pin connector, you’ll also now need a single 8-pin power connector to power the card. The minimum power supply requirement is still 350 watts – the same as the reference card – so the 8-pin connector is probably there to bolster the card’s overclocking capabilities.
Source: Gigabyte