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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 custom card roundup!

By Koh Wanzi - on 22 Aug 2015, 1:54am

ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte

ASUS Strix GeForce GTX 950. (Image Source: ASUS)

NVIDIA yesterday launched the GeForce GTX 950, with optimizations like lower latency to target MOBA gamers. As a card at the budget end of NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 900 series of Maxwell cards, NVIDIA isn’t releasing a reference card and as instead gone with a hard launch, with custom designs available immediately from add-in card partners.

As expected, they’ve tacked on modifications like custom cooling solutions and factory overclocks for an extra performance boost over the reference core clock of 1024MHz and boost clock of 1188MHz. Furthermore, as is de rigueur these days, the fans stop spinning when the card is operating below a certain thermal threshold, so you can expect fairly quiet operation.

Here’s a list of cards from key market players to give you an idea of the choices available to you.

ASUS

Image Source: ASUS

The ASUS Strix GeForce GTX 950 is equipped with ASUS’ dual-fan DirectCU II cooler for cooling. The thick copper heatpipes are in direct contact with the GPU, which enables greater heat transfer efficiency. Like most other non-blower style coolers, the two 80mm fans pull air over the heatsink and exhausts it back into the case. Compared to more powerful cards like the GeForce GTX 980, the card measures just 218mm long, which means it'll happily fit into mini-ITX and other small form factor systems.

It’s also manufactured using ASUS’ Auto-Extreme technology, an automated manufacturing process which supposedly helps ensure more consistent quality. ASUS is so far still the only manufacturer to use a completely automated assembly process. In addition, the card features ASUS' Super Alloy II components for improved quality and reliability.

The card’s core clock has been overclocked to a 1165MHz base block and 1355MHz boost clock in OC mode, an approximately 14% increase over the reference clock. The effective memory clock has likewise been bumped up to 6612MHz. It requires a single 6-pin PCIe power connector just like the specified reference design.

EVGA

EVGA is releasing four variants of the GeForce GTX 950, with clock speed differences and value-added features like a backplate being the primary differentiating factors.

The EVGA GeForce GTX950 FTW sits at the top of EVGA’s GeForce GTX 950 line-up. It features a muted, all-black design and EVGA’s dual-fan ACX 2.0 cooler, which is also found on the GeForce GTX 950 SSC and SC+ cards.

EVGA GeForce GTX 950 FTW. (Image Source: EVGA)

According to EVGA, the ACX 2.0 cooler has been designed with double-ball bearing, swept-blade fans and a low-power motor for improved air flow and power efficiency. 

The card is factory overclocked with a base block of 1203MHz and boost clock of 1405MHz, a fairly aggressive speed boost. It is also the only card to feature a metal backplate for extra support.

 On the other hand, the EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SSC takes things down a notch with a 1190MHz base clock and 1393MHz boost clock. Along with the GeForce GTX 950 FTW, it also supports EVGA’s Quick Switch Dual BIOS, which allows overclockers to switch to a secondary BIOS by flicking a switch.

EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SSC. (Image Source: EVGA)

The EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SC+ continues the downward trend with a 1165MHz base clock and 1355MHz boost clock.

Finally, EVGA also offers the GeForce GTX 950 SC, which is a single-fan card that measures just 173mm. It’ll do well in extremely compact cases, but do note that it’s still a dual-slot card. It sports a 1152MHz base clock and 1342MHz boost clock. It is also listed as lacking features like EVGA’s dB Inverter semi-passive fan technology, which might mean that the fans will still keep spinning even under low loads.

EVGA GeForce GTX 950 SC. (Image Source: EVGA)

Gigabyte

The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 950 WindForce 2OC utilizes Gigabyte’s familiar WindForce cooler, complete with its unique fan blade design. The raised ridges on the fan blade and the triangle protrusion at its edge combine to direct air more efficiently to the heatsink.

It also ships with factory overclocks of a 1102MHz core clock and 1279MHz boost clock, a considerably tamer speed boost than most of the other cards here.

EVGA GeForce GTX 950 WindForce. (Image Source: Gigabyte)

Gigabyte is also releasing a single-card variant in the form of the GeForce GTX 950 OC, which features marginally boosted clock speeds of a 1064MHz base clock and 1241MHz boost clock. The single 90mm fan is actually quite large, and uses the same fan design as those on the WindForce cooler. At 186mm long, it’s also slightly longer than EVGA’s single-fan card.

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 950 OC. (Image Source: Gigabyte)

 

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