Explanations for the graphics:

• The red line is the maximum temperature.
• Blue – in idle mode.
• The black line shows the level of noise emitted at certain fan speeds.
• The dotted line indicates the adjustment range in automatic mode fan

The percentage indicates the speed of the fan/s set in MSI Afterburner, ranging from 20% (sometimes 10% when the PWM of the fan/s allows it; for Nvidia video cards from 35% or less when the PWM of the fan/s allows it) to 100 %, in 5% increments. Thus, to understand how hot the video card will be and how much noise it will make, say, at 50% fan speed, it is enough to run vertical line through the 50% mark. At the intersection points we get three values: with the red line - the maximum temperature under load, with the blue line - the idle temperature, with the black line - the noise level.

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Temperatures of the graphics core/power system and fan speeds.

The MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G won't hurt your ears. During idle and partial loads, the fans stop completely. They start smoothly, without a sharp increase in voltage, and accordingly the moment of spin-up is practically not felt. After an hour of 3D testing, stable speeds reached 750 rpm. It is impossible to subjectively hear the cooling system at a distance of one meter.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G | Games

GeForce GTX 960 Often criticized for its narrow 128-bit memory bus and small 2GB memory capacity, which is considered insufficient for gaming in 2015. However, this card was designed for 1920x1080 resolution. Does FHD load resources that much? GPU GM206?

We currently have a card from EVGA in use in our other lab, but we were able to compare MSI's solution with Asus models And Zotac GTX 960 AMP! Edition. Unfortunately, due to lack of time, we were able to complete only a small part of the tests.

Battlefield 4, 1080p, frame rate (more is better)

All cards handled Battlefield 4's ultra settings without issue, demonstrating that Nvidia's GM206 GPU is quite capable of running the popular game at 1080p. Overclocking did not show a significant improvement in results compared to standard frequencies.

GTA V, 1080p, frame rate (more is better)

Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most popular games today. Although the built-in benchmark does not use the maximum detail settings, the graphics quality is nevertheless very good, and all cards provide perfectly smooth gameplay. On GeForce GTX 960 It is definitely possible to play this game at 1920x1080.

In addition, overclocking has a noticeable impact on performance, adding an average of eight FPS.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G | Temperature under load

Is the fourth version GeForce GTX 960, which we are testing, therefore, we have added data from previous tests to the graph.

GPU temperature during a 10 minute run of Battlefield 4, ambient temperature 22 C (MSI 960 tested at 25 C), (lower is better)

The Twin Frozer V heatsink does its job well, but the Asus Strix 960 keeps the GPU temperature a few degrees lower. However, the tests were carried out in the summer, when the ambient temperature was several degrees higher.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G | Acoustic characteristics

To measure the noise level of each card, we stop all fans in the system and take measurements in a quiet room. The readings are collected by the device at a distance of five centimeters from the card’s I/O bar after a 10-minute test in Battlefield 4.

The instrument we used for this testing is not as accurate as other instruments in some of our labs. It starts measuring at a level of 35 decibels. Previously there were no problems with this, but today the indicators rest on the lower threshold of the device.

Noise level in decibels (less is better): measurements taken at a distance of 5 cm from the card's I/O panel during idle after a 10-minute Battlefield 4 test

The graph shows a value of 34 decibels. In this way, we want to show how quiet the Twin Frozr V cooler is. The device did not record readings at a distance of five centimeters from the rear panel, even when the fans were started.

To check the accuracy, we placed the device inside the case at a distance of 2.5 centimeters from the fans. Only then did it show 36.5 dB. The fans are very quiet! Zotac GTX 960 AMP! Edition Under similar conditions it showed 39.5 dB.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G | Energy consumption

MSI may have achieved its acoustic performance targets, but its power consumption is higher than its competitors. At idle we got 8.5 W – this is the highest figure among those tested. GeForce GTX 960. Under load, the results were even higher in relation to other participants - 112 W, that is, 8 W more than the nearest competitor.

Video card power consumption in watts (less is better): idle, 10 minutes in Battlefield 4 (games), Furmark (stress test)

Power consumption in the stress test was on par with the Asus Strix, which is powered through a single 6-pin connector. EVGA with an 8-pin connector has a power consumption limit of up to 155 W, which can be useful for overclocking.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G | Overclocking

First, we want to remind you that every GPU is different, and our results may differ from yours. But even with variables beyond our control, we will try to determine the ceiling for our subjects.

These tests use special software packages that come with each card. For example, Asus has GPU Tweak, Zotac GTX 960 AMP! Edition– FireStorm, EVGA – PrecisionX. All these applications are similar to MSI Afterburner. For our own overclocking, we used it. However, MSI has also created a Gaming app utility that comes with all models of its gaming graphics card line. The Gaming app has a button to start the fans at 100% power. There is also a menu for changing the map highlight color. In addition, the application allows you to overclock the card in one click using a set of factory templates.

Silent Mode sets the GPU base clock to a reference value of 1127 MHz and the GPU Boost clock to 1178 MHz. Gaming Mode ( Game Mode) runs by default: base frequency 1190 MHz, GPU Boost – up to 1253 MHz. OC Mode (overclocking mode) uses the most aggressive settings, increasing the GPU frequency to 1216 MHz and GPU Boost to 1279 MHz. In all these modes, the card operates stably and has appropriate acoustic performance.

After testing the factory overclock settings, we used MSI Afterburner to further optimize the frequency. The program works exactly the same as competitors' software. There are adjustments for core voltage, power limit, temperature limit, core clock speed, memory frequency and fan speed. You can save up to five profiles to use for individual games.

Before overclocking, the target power was set to maximum, in this case 108%. The temperature limit is related to the previous parameter and was independently set to 95 degrees.

Increasing the frequency in 10 MHz increments, we went through the painstaking path of finding the maximum stable frequency. It was +150 MHz. Initially we expected to record a result of 160 MHz. However, when examining temperatures in Battlefield 4, there were noticeable texture glitches after five to six minutes of running the game. The problem was solved by reducing the frequency increase to 150 MHz.

Interestingly, in Gaming Mode the clock speed is 50 MHz lower than when the Gaming app is loaded. In addition, this application takes priority in controlling the fans, and the corresponding adjustment in Afterburner stops working.

Having determined the upper stable core frequency, we moved on to memory. Since the memory frequency is usually much higher than the GPU core frequency, we increased it in 30 MHz increments. As a result, we added 500 MHz, subject to stable operation.

Performance after overclocking: 3DMark Fire Strike, graphics test, scores (higher is better)

The overclocking results chart does not show the EVGA card's performance because it was not retested. Results with new driver and new version 3DMark differ quite significantly and cannot be compared with previous values. After retesting Zotac GTX 960 AMP! Edition, our assumption was confirmed, since the result was 300 points higher than in the previous configuration.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G | Conclusion

- This is already the fourth video card with the GM206 GPU from Nvidia that we have tested. Before the tests began, we already knew what to expect from it. Each card works slightly differently, showing off its strengths and weaknesses. In the case of MSI, we knew we would see high cooling efficiency. The heatsink on her card is slightly larger than others GeForce GTX 960, which we tested, but we wouldn’t call the temperature of competitors’ cards high either.

But we did not expect to see such quiet operation of the fans. Even without special tools We can say with confidence that we have never seen such a quiet video card, except for solutions with passive cooling. Even at full speed, the fans were barely audible in our quiet test room. Additionally, the GPU temperature rarely exceeds the 65 degrees Celsius threshold required to run the fans.

The video card demonstrated a decent level of overclocking, comparable to other models. Clock speeds are not the highest among GeForce GTX 960, but it's hardly worth complaining about.

There are only two shortcomings that come to mind that may leave some buyers dissatisfied. Firstly, for some reason the power consumption of the MSI card is slightly higher than that of the tested models GeForce GTX 960. The difference is not critical, but still a little puzzling. Secondly, the buyer may be put off by the price.

on average $10 more expensive than the four cards we tested. It's not a huge difference, but when all the other cards are cheaper, it's hard to justify buying the most expensive option.

• Advantages:
• Low operating temperature (rarely exceeds 65°C);

Ticking, even under load.

• Flaws:
• Energy consumption;
• Size;

Price. The gaming industry has been developing in the same direction for many years now - improving the quality of graphics and the resulting requirements for computer hardware. With the transition to new generation consoles, the requirements for video memory have increased noticeably. Therefore, some mid-range graphics accelerators are often available in two versions with different video buffer sizes. Recently, the GeForce GTX 960 with 4 GB of memory has been increasingly promoted on the market, and there are fewer and fewer models with 2 GB. IN this review

We will return to this topic again, compare the GeForce GTX 960 with different amounts of memory in a resolution of 1920x1080 and at the same time test the Radeon R9 280X 3GB and Radeon R9 380 2GB in the updated list of test applications. The GeForce GTX 960 4GB video card will be presented in the MSI Gaming

This model is sold in a medium-sized box, which is made in a standard style for Gaming products. Inside there is a second box in which the video card is fixed. All accessories are stored in an additional compartment.

The delivery set is as follows:

• DVI/D-Sub adapter
• power adapter from PCI-E 6-pin to 8-pin;
• disk with software;
• instructions.

There is nothing new in the external design of the MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 4G; it is a complete copy of the GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G. A fairly large video card (for its level) with massive cooling and a bright casing with red inserts.

Large fans are marked with company logos and the dragon symbol of the Gaming series. The fans themselves stand out not only in size, but also in the special shape of the blades.

From the side of the casing, curved massive heat pipes. There is an illuminated MSI dragon logo on the case.

The back side is covered with a perforated metal plate, which the MSI Gaming 2GB graphics card does not have. One eight-pin power connector is located in the corner and is turned with the latch up.

There are five interface connectors on the rear panel: DVI, three DisplayPort and one HDMI.

The cooling system is the same as the cooler of the younger version of the GeForce GTX 960 with 2 GB. Three heat pipes are soldered onto a wide, massive base, one of which has an increased diameter of 8 mm.

The tubes evenly penetrate the radiator. On the bottom side there are two elastic pads that rest against the board and another heatsink.

The radiator is blown by a pair of 100 mm fans. Their impeller is made using Torx Fan technology with a unique blade shape.

The blades are grouped in twos, where the upper blade is curved and the lower is normal. This combination allows you to create a more powerful and dispersed air flow, which improves radiator ventilation.

A heatsink is provided for the power components of the power supply unit.

A plate covering the back side of the video card protects the board surface from external influences, but does not remove heat from the components. An additional stiffening rib is screwed to the side edge of the PCB, although if there is a back plate there will no longer be problems with board deformation.

Both versions of the MSI GTX 960 Gaming use the same PCB design, only this model has twice as many memory chips, which are soldered on both sides.

The GPU is powered by a four-phase converter. The chokes are covered with a pad resting against the radiator. Memory power supply is single-phase.

The GM206-300-A1 processor operates with all available computing units: 1024 stream processors, 64 texture units and 32 ROPs.

Eight chips soldered Samsung memory K4G41325FC-HC28

Let us remind you that MSI Gaming video adapters have three operating profiles with different frequencies and different settings speed of blowing fans. In the case of “cold” mid-range representatives from NVIDIA, the initial frequencies often correspond to the fastest mode. In this case, by default the frequencies corresponding to the average Gaming Mode are active; they are only slightly higher than the recommended ones. Base core frequency 1216 MHz with Boost Clock 1279 MHz, effective memory frequency 7012 MHz.

Our ASIC Quality was 64.3%.

To some surprise, the maximum Boost value did not exceed 1291 MHz, which is minimally higher than the average Boost Clock value. Usually the difference between them is greater. With help special application MSI Gaming App can change operating modes in one click. The video adapter also supports the Silent profile with a reduction in the base frequency to 1127 MHz with a real Boost no higher than 1202 MHz. This is also a discouraging moment, because many previously tested video cards of this series, with a base value of 1126 MHz, demonstrated a Boost of 1300 MHz. The fastest mode, OC Mode, offers a base frequency of 1241 MHz with a real frequency of 1315 MHz (Boost Clock 1304 MHz) and memory overclocking to 7204 MHz.

To test performance we used OC mode. And to replace the standard version of the GeForce GTX 960 4GB, frequencies were selected so that Boost did not exceed 1265 MHz. The younger version of the GeForce GTX 960 with 2 GB of memory was adjusted to similar frequencies.

Under gaming load, a stable Boost was observed at a peak level of 1315 MHz. The core temperature was kept at 63°C at 24°C indoors. The fan speed did not exceed 900 rpm even at peak moments, so there is virtually no noise. Below are screenshots of parameter monitoring during the Metro: Last Light and DiRT Rally tests.

GPU overclocking results are excellent. We were able to achieve stability with a peak Boost value of 1562 MHz. This required a slight increase in voltage by 20 mV and an increase in the base frequency to 1475 MHz. At higher frequencies, artifacts were observed. As for the memory, its frequency was raised to 7920 MHz, which is quite consistent with the results of other MSI video cards based on the GM206.

To improve stability, the fan speed was forced to 1200 rpm, and even resulted in lower temperatures relative to the initial mode.

Characteristics of tested video cards

MSI GTX 960 Gaming 4G will be tested in nominal mode (OC Mode) and when adjusting frequencies to the standard level. Based on the results of tests of reference samples on other resources, we previously limited the core frequencies to 1270 MHz, but now we have slightly reduced the upper limit to 1265 MHz. Standard MSI specifications for Gaming Mode and OC Mode are shown in the table.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Testing was carried out at help Fraps. FPS was measured during a trip on the road to the village of White Garden. Five reps.

Graphics settings are selected manually based on our extensive settings guide. All the main parameters are at an “exorbitant” level, but the HairWorks technology is completely disabled. The post-processing section includes effects of clarity, glow, light rays (“light shafts”), anti-aliasing, and SSAO shading mode. Other post-processing options are disabled.

Last game in the series Total War has a built-in benchmark that demonstrates a typical battle scene. This test was run six times.

The quality of most parameters is set to maximum. Anti-aliasing and image depth effects are completely disabled. The quality of shadows and reflections has been reduced to a high level. Our settings configuration is shown below.

XCOM 2

Start of the first mission after joining. A short sequence of actions was repeated, and the frame rate was measured using Fraps.

Graphics quality is set to maximum, but anti-aliasing is at its best simple mode FXAA.

3DMark 11

Testing in Extreme mode

3DMark Fire Strike

Energy consumption

The results of measurements in six annexes are presented:

• Batman: Arkham Knight;
• DiRT Rally;
• Far Cry 4;
• Grand Theft Auto 5;
• Metro: Last Light;

The peak values ​​during each run were taken into account, based on which the average peak value was calculated for individual tests, and then the overall average value was calculated. The data was collected using a Cost Control 3000 device.

Test results

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

The latest part of Assassin's Creed uses the Unity engine and demonstrates a similar level of performance. In the test scene, just under 3 GB of video memory is loaded, and we see the difference between the GeForce GTX 960 with different video buffer sizes. The model with 4 GB is better by about 5% in terms of minimum fps Both versions are faster than the Radeon R9 380 and slightly weaker than the Radeon R9 280X. After overclocking, the difference between the NVIDIA Gaming comrades at factory frequencies is minimally different from the older Radeon, maintaining this ratio even after increasing the frequencies.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Another memory demanding game. Batman: Arkham Knight loads approximately 3.8-3.9 GB during the benchmark. The difference between the two GeForce GTX 960 is significant - 18% in minimum fps and more than 4% in medium frequency frames. And even overclocking has little effect on the growth of the minimum indicator for the GeForce GTX 960 2 GB, while the MSI video adapter with 4 GB receives an 18% acceleration. With all its advantages, the GeForce GTX 960 4 GB is inferior to the Radeon R9 280X 3 GB. The Radeon R9 380 is the weakest, especially in terms of minimum fps.

Battlefield 4

In Battlefield 4, memory doesn't matter at all at the operating resolution of 1920x1080. Both versions of GeForce demonstrate identical results at standard frequencies, outperforming the Radeon R9 380 by 2-12%. About 3% faster than MSI Gaming comrades at frequencies of 1241-1315/7204 MHz. Overclocking allows you to speed up by another 14% and close the gap with the Radeon R9 280X.

DiRT Rally

For the first time in our testing, the GeForce GTX 960 is inferior to the Radeon R9 380. The game uses just over 2 GB of video memory at the selected settings, but the second gigabyte provides a meager advantage. Overclocking helps to catch up with the younger Radeon. The older Radeon R9 280X is beyond competition.

After enabling more complex blending, the situation changes. AMD video adapters are sharply losing ground, sliding to the bottom of the ratings. Both GeForce GTX 960 are ahead. Memory load increases to 2.4 GB, but the advantage of the 4 GB model is still minimal. It is noteworthy that even after overclocking, the Radeon R9 280X does not reach the MSI level at nominal.

Dying Light Enhanced Edition

Dying Light has been updated to the Enhanced Edition and received a major addition, The Following. In addition to game changes in the main game, minor changes to the graphics were promised.

The GeForce GTX 960 4GB outperforms its companion with a smaller amount of memory by only about a percentage when loading up to 3 GB of data into the video buffer. Both of them differ minimally from the Radeon R9 280X and confidently outperform the Radeon R9 380. The latter experienced periodic drawdowns, which led to a very low minimum fps result. It seems that for the Radeon R9 380 the amount of memory is more critical than for the GeForce GTX 960. After overclocking, NVIDIA representatives maintain parity with the older AMD participant.

Fallout 4

In the test scene, Fallout 4 uses less than 2 GB, so the memory factor is not a factor. A little unexpectedly, the Radeon R9 380 comes out on top, ahead of the Radeon R9 280X and NVIDIA competitors. In overclocking, everyone has very similar results. The GeForce GTX 960 then easily compensates for a slight lag in the nominal value thanks to its better overclocking potential.

Far Cry 4

At the selected quality settings, Far Cry 4 can use up to 3GB of memory. It is noticeable that this again hits the Radeon R9 380 hard, but is not yet critical for the GeForce GTX 960. The maximum difference between the two versions of GeForce GTX 960 is in minimum fps, but it is also 4%. Thanks to the increased nominal frequencies, MSI Gaming is almost no different from the Radeon R9 280X, increasing its performance by 15% when overclocked.

Grand Theft Auto 5

In GTA 5, the Radeon R9 280X is a confident leader. The newer Radeon R9 380 video adapter is slightly inferior in average frame rate, but shows catastrophic drops in minimum fps. The GeForce GTX 960 has more balanced results, both versions provide acceptable results. The second gigabyte provides minimal benefit in terms of visible results, although the game itself already uses 3.1 GB. There is a small difference between the GeForce GTX 960 and after overclocking. Overclocking the Radeon R9 380 does not save you from drops in minimum fps; this video adapter remains in the role of an outsider.

Just Cause 3

New game in our testing. In our test scene, it can also load up to 3 GB of video memory. This results in the GeForce GTX 960 4 GB being 12% better than its counterpart in terms of minimum fps, with a difference of about 1% in average frame rate. MSI Gaming at factory frequencies (OC Mode profile) is identical to the Radeon R9 280X in terms of minimum performance, with a lag of about 8% in the average gaming frame rate. The Radeon R9 380 2 GB differs slightly in average fps from the GeForce GTX 960 with the same amount of memory, but there are serious drops in performance during sudden movements. As a result, the junior representative of AMD again finds himself in the position of an outsider.

Metro: Last Light

All test participants in Last Light had very similar results. At the same time, the first place (albeit with a minimal margin) remains for the Radeon R9 280X. MSI Gaming at exactly the same level thanks to more high frequencies, the regular version is 3% weaker. After overclocking, MSI holds second place behind the Radeon R9 280X. The Radeon R9 380 has the lowest overclocking performance.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

The latest part of Tomb Raider is already known to everyone for its wild memory requirements. We wrote about the criticality of this and the impact of individual settings on overall performance in a special article. Now we have selected an even more difficult test scene.

For GeForce GTX 960, the amount of onboard memory gives a twofold difference in results. In the 2 GB version we get a stable slideshow; with 4 GB we already have about 30 fps. Although you still won’t be able to play normally, and even after overclocking, drops below 20 fps persist. In principle, such results mean absolutely normal performance and comfortable fps in closed locations and caves. But inside a Soviet camp or in a geothermal valley, the frame rate will drop to barely acceptable levels. Let's also pay attention to the advantage of the GeForce GTX 960 4GB over the Radeon R9 280X 3GB. It is also interesting that the Radeon R9 380 holds up quite well against the younger version of the GeForce GTX 960.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Triumph of the Radeon R9 380 in Witcher 3. The new GCN architecture provides a significant advantage over the Radeon R9 280X and GeForce GTX 960. All other competitors are approximately at the same level, both at nominal and after overclocking. The game uses less than 2 GB even at 2560x1440 resolution, so the second gigabyte for the GeForce does not make any difference.

The latest installment of the Total War series can load up to 2.7 GB in the gaming benchmark at maximum texture quality. But the advantage of the older version of the GeForce GTX 960 over an adapter with less memory is minimal. On the Radeon R9 380, the lack of memory manifests itself in unstable results, which even required additional test repetitions. As a result, this Radeon is again at the bottom of the rating, and the simplest GeForce GTX 960 is on par with the Radeon R9 280X. The leader in overclocking is the MSI GTX 960 Gaming 4G, which is 2-3% faster than the regular GeForce GTX 960.

XCOM 2

This testing in XCOM 2 can be called preliminary, it was performed almost at the very beginning of the game, no difficult graphical moment was selected. But you can get a general idea of ​​the performance in the game.

The GeForce GTX 960 is inferior to its rivals from AMD, with the Radeon R9 380 again in first place. This lag is easily compensated for by overclocking the GeForce. Increasing frequencies provides acceleration of up to 18% for the hero of our review, based on the recommended frequency configuration.

3DMark 11

The MSI Gaming and Radeon R9 280X have almost identical performance, with the recommended frequencies of the GeForce GTX 960 being 3.5% weaker. Last place goes to the Radeon R9 380.

3DMark Fire Strike

Now both versions of the GeForce GTX 960 are in last place. The Radeon R9 380 and Radeon R9 280X have an advantage of about 17%. This gap can still be compensated by increasing GeForce frequencies.

Energy consumption

Before comparing the indicators, we note that in the case of the GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380, a small softvolt mod was used, while the Radeon R9 280X had a more serious increase in voltage.

The most economical are the GeForce GTX 960. The second gigabyte of memory does not particularly affect the final performance - there is a difference, but minimal.

conclusions

Based on the testing results, we can once again state that the regular versions of the GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380 with 2 GB of memory are close in performance. GeForce GTX 960 better than the competitor in eight applications out of 16. If we take into account the results of DiRT Rally with Advanced Blending, GeForce will receive another victory. Well, in GTA 5, AMD’s competitor demonstrates an extremely low minimum fps, which also somewhat reduces its position against the general background. But we can’t talk about any serious advantage. Moreover, in some cases the Radeon R9 380 has a good lead, as, for example, in The Witcher 3. GeForce GTX 960 with 4 GB of memory is more productive regular version, but often the benefits of a second gigabyte are minimal. The only drastic difference is in Rise of the Tomb Raider. A good advantage in Batman: Arkham Knight, in other games it is only a few percent. It is worth considering that with long gaming sessions the positive impact of additional memory capacity may be greater. Therefore, when buying a GeForce GTX 960, it is better to pay attention to models with increased memory. Such a video card will provide more opportunities to further increase the quality of graphics - for example, it will allow you to activate anti-aliasing, which will be too much for the 2 GB version. If you're an overclocker, the extra memory is all the more important, as the 4GB configuration will help you get the most out of the GM206 in modern games.

If you are strictly limited in funds, they only have enough for a GeForce GTX 960 2 GB, then this can be survived. Low memory capacity can be compensated for by lowering some settings. Even in the case of Rise of the Tomb Raider, a slight reduction in textures will allow you to achieve an acceptable fps level.

The reviewed MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 4G video card can only be given a positive description. Its factory overclocking is modest, but the overall frequency potential is excellent. A powerful cooling system keeps operating temperatures low while maintaining silence, and even overclocking potential is easily realized with minimal noise levels. Combined with plenty of memory, this makes the MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 4G one of the best and most interesting offerings in its category.

A fastidious reader may complain about the absence of a Radeon R9 380X in our comparison. This small omission will be corrected shortly. Our next material is dedicated to AMD's mid-range solutions. So stay tuned for our reviews!

02/04/2015 | wolfsanek |

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Recently, the first introductory review of the GeForce GTX 960 appeared on the pages of our website, in which the top version of the adapter from Inno3D was reviewed. The tests carried out were enough to form a general opinion about the new NVIDIA product. But the question of the performance of a regular reference remains outside the brackets. This material compensates for this omission. An interesting model from MSI will be reviewed and at the same time the GeForce GTX 960 will be tested at frequencies close to the recommended level. At the same time, the number of test applications has been significantly expanded. The number of competitors for the new product has also been increased.

Let's start by looking at the packaging of the MSI card. Medium size box. The design is typical for Gaming line products.

The equipment is as follows:

• DVI/D-Sub adapter;
• disk with software;
• instructions.

Below are screenshots of monitoring parameters under load in Metro Last Light (five benchmark repetitions) and Thief (seven test runs). The latter recorded a rare moment with a frequency of 1254 MHz. But in reality, the frequency of 1267 MHz can be considered absolutely stable.

The results of overclocking the GPU are excellent. It worked at 1546 MHz with a base frequency of 1396 MHz. But memory above 7970 MHz lost stability. The previously tested Inno3D iChill GeForce GTX 960 2GB Ultra turned out to be weaker in core, but better in memory overclocking.

IN comparative testing GeForce GTX 760 (Palit GTX 760 JetStream) and GeForce GTX 770 will take part. From AMD there are three representatives - Radeon R9 285 represented by HIS R9 285 IceQ X2 OC, Radeon HD 7970 and Radeon R9 280X represented by MSI R7970 Lightning. Only younger rivals were tested for overclocking.

The reviewed MSI video adapter will also act as a standard version of the GeForce GTX 960. But there are some subtleties here. As noted above, in Silent Mode at 1126 MHz the Boost Clock value is higher than the recommended value by 12 MHz. Accordingly, the peak Boost value is also higher in comparison with the reference. The only question is how much. For example, it is worth mentioning the Inno3D iChill GeForce GTX 960 2GB Ultra - this graphics accelerator has a difference of 101 MHz between the base value and the peak value. For MSI this difference is 151 MHz. If the Inno3D algorithm is closer to the reference one, then the standard video adapter should not reach 1230 MHz. Ideally, you need a real physical copy of the reference for comparison. In the absence of it, you can get by with a further reduction in the base frequency. But the software does not allow you to lower this value below 90 MHz relative to the initial one. So we had to make do with 1126 MHz at 1277 MHz. And to bring the final frequency to a more realistic value, a temperature limit of 60 °C and a power limit of 75% were set. As a result, the core frequency began to decrease slightly. Video card performance graphs in Metro: Last Light and Thief are shown below.

The table shows official data on Boost frequencies for GeForce. The graphs show the actual range of core operating frequencies, including peak values.

Test stand

The test bench configuration is as follows:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K ([email protected] GHz, 12 MB);
• cooler: Thermalright Venomous X;
• motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Formula/Battlefield 3 (Intel X79 Express);
• memory: Kingston KHX2133C11D3K4/16GX (4x4 GB, DDR3-2133@1866 MHz, 10-11-10-28-1T);
• system disk: Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB (240 GB, SATA 6Gb/s);
• additional drive: Hitachi HDS721010CLA332 (1 TB, SATA 3Gb/s, 7200 rpm);
• power supply: Seasonic SS-750KM (750 W);
• monitor: ASUS PB278Q (2560x1440, 27″);

• operating system: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 x64;
• GeForce driver: NVIDIA GeForce 347.25;
• Radeon driver: ATI Catalyst 14.12.

Testing methodology

Game testing was carried out at a resolution of 1920x1080. On the left in the diagrams the values ​​of the minimum frame rate are indicated, on the right - the average fps value. At the end of the list are the results of 3DMark 11 and 3DMark Fire Strike in Extreme modes, plus data on the overall system power consumption.

Alien: Isolation

Testing was carried out at the beginning of the Lighthouse level. The characters communicate in the airlock room, and then go out to the surface of the planet. Several lighting sources, the glass of the spacesuit with glare and reflections - all this creates a more serious load in comparison with the space station corridors familiar to the game. Frame rate was measured by Fraps.

Assassin's Creed: Unity

Latest version of the game with all updates. The frame rate was measured during the first foot chase immediately after the prologue. The grown-up hero rushes through the streets of Paris after a thief who stole a watch. The selected episode was replayed six times, the sequence of actions was repeated.

Battlefield 4

Testing was carried out in the first mission after the wall was blown up. The run was repeated through a small area of ​​dense vegetation before descending onto a large construction site. Five reps. Frame rate was measured using Fraps. In case of large data scatter, repeated runs were carried out.

BioShock Infinite

Four runs of the built-in benchmark in Ultra quality under DirectX 11 at 1920x1080 resolution.

Using Fraps, the average and minimum fps were measured during the repetition of a short episode after the first checkpoint of the "Crash" mission. The hero lands in Antarctica near a crashed plane, there is a scene of dialogue between his partners, after which one clip is fired towards the enemy. For each card, this improvised test was repeated six times.

Crysis 3

The test was conducted at the beginning of the Only Human level. A short run through a limited visibility zone was combined with an inspection of distant objects through a sight (that’s why such a large-scale level was chosen). Five reps. Measurements were made using Fraps.

Dead Rising 3

A short episode with a car driving through crowds of zombies was replayed. Five reps.

Far Cry 4

Prologue, the release of the hero, who is being driven by car along a mountain road. Everything happens automatically, without requiring special user intervention, but for a more reliable game simulation, weapons were fired. The 40-second episode was repeated seven times for each test participant. In case of large scatter of data, additional repetitions were carried out.

Lords Of The Fallen

There was a walk from the save point to the location “Judges Square” and along it. The procedure is shown in the video. Five runs for each participant.

Metro: Last Light

Testing was carried out using the built-in game test at the D6 level and in manual mode when playing a short episode at the Ashes level. Five repetitions of each test.

Seven runs of the built-in gaming test, excluding the first launch of the benchmark, which produces an underestimated minimum fps relative to subsequent launches.

The working image is 1920x1080, but the actual rendering is 2048x1152. The game is so clever that it itself determines the native resolution of the test monitor 2560x1440 as the base one. And 2048x1152 (80%) is the closest value to the Full HD target. In the graphics settings, texture quality has been lowered to “High” (even in this mode, 3 GB is recommended). Motion Blur is disabled. The remaining parameters are at the highest possible level when all additional effects are activated.

Rise: Son of Rome

Performance was measured using Fraps while replaying a short sequence at the beginning of Chapter 4. A scene with dense vegetation along the banks of a mountain stream was specially chosen.

Thief

For testing, we used the built-in gaming benchmark, which was run six times for each participant. In the case of a strong scatter in the minimum fps, additional runs were carried out. The graphics quality is maximum, all effects are enabled, low quality SSAA anti-aliasing.

Tomb Raider

The built-in test does not demonstrate the real situation in the game, simulating a too simple game scene. Therefore, the frame rate was measured during the introductory scene - Lara is floundering in the water, climbs onto the shore and watches the dialogue of her comrades. This episode is displayed below.

Watch Dogs

There was a jog around the area near the storage facility at the Pawnee location. The area is saturated with dense vegetation, which creates a greater load compared to urban areas. Due to the large variation in the minimum fps on video cards with 2 GB, two test runs of the game were performed, each with six runs of the test scene.

World of Tanks

For testing, we selected a recording of a dynamic, intense battle, which causes serious (albeit rare) fps drops at some points.

Testing in Extreme mode

Testing with the Extreme settings profile, which this time involves using a resolution of 2560x1440.

Energy consumption

The results of measurements in six annexes are presented:

• Dead Rising 3;
• Far Cry 4;
• Metro: Last Light;
• Ryse: Son of Rome;
• Thief;
• World of Tanks.

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Unity

Battlefield 4

BioShock Infinite

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Crysis 3

Dead Rising 3

Far Cry 4

Lords Of The Fallen

Metro: Last Light

Rise: Son of Rome

Thief

The results of AMD participants differ from those obtained previously, when even with more high quality SSAA Radeon R9 285 was better than Radeon R9 280X in terms of average fps. It's a little strange that the Radeon R9 285 lost ground due to a driver update. Perhaps something improved when working in other modes. It was decided to conduct additional testing AMD video cards in API Mantle.

Tomb Raider

Watch Dogs

World of Tanks

Energy consumption

conclusions

Based on the results of testing in eight out of 18 test applications, the new GeForce GTX 960 turns out to be more productive than the Radeon R9 285. When rendering in DirectX 11, Thief can also be added here, although when using Mantle the competitor will be faster. There is a controversial situation in Shadow of Mordor - the average fps of the GeForce is lower, but the minimum is higher, and much higher. So the new NVIDIA product will provide a smoother picture. Parity in Metro: Last Light. Minimal lag from competitor AMD in Watch Dogs. All this allows us to talk about the equality of the GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 285. Perhaps a full-fledged reference would be slightly weaker than the video card that replaced it at frequencies of 1126-1277/7012 MHz, but it is unlikely that the difference will be fundamental. At the same time, NVIDIA's newcomer is the most economical and coolest solution in its class. Consequently, the GeForce GTX 960 will be quieter than all its closest competitors.

The old GeForce GTX 760 graphics accelerator loses in all applications, only performing at the beginner level in Crysis 3. The GeForce GTX 960 occupies a niche between its direct predecessor and the GeForce GTX 770, and in some cases is initially on par with the more powerful representative of the old series. Overclocking brings a beginner to the level of the GeForce GTX 770 and allows you to achieve better results. The exception is two applications out of 18, when the results of the GeForce GTX 770 remain unattainable for the forced GeForce GTX 960. In 11 games, overclocking allows you to achieve a complete advantage in minimum and average fps relative to the Radeon R9 280X with standard frequencies. In two more cases, this advantage is reduced only to the average game indicator. And this level of overclocking is easily achieved in quiet mode with good cooling.

This is exactly the cooling system found on the MSI GTX 960 Gaming 2G. This video card demonstrates very modest operating temperatures at nominal and overclocked at a minimum fan rotation level. MSI will provide the perfect combination of silence and power for those who play at 1920x1080 and do not chase heavy anti-aliasing modes in the latest games. Factory overclocking is not the best; the memory generally operates at the recommended frequencies. But further acceleration is impressive. The memory does not demonstrate frequency records, but the GPU has almost reached the mark of 1.55 GHz - out of three different models The GeForce GTX 960 that we tested is the best achievement. Once again, MSI Gaming did not disappoint and deserved the title of one of the best in its series.

nVidia GeForce GTX 960 can rightfully belong to the division of widely used products. Of course, the list of its characteristics is quite provocative and not as attractive as that of the same GTX 970, but the price level is very, very interesting for users who, by today’s standards, are not ready to shell out more than 20,000 rubles for a video card alone.

We have already looked at the GTX 960 variants from ASUS and Inno3D, each of them was different and had its own distinctive features. Today, I propose to consider a variation of the GTX 960 from MSI. Let's find out what features the manufacturer has endowed with this card. By the way, now the company’s list already has five different variants of the GTX 960, probably a lot for one manufacturer, enough for all occasions.

Additionally, based on the results of the meeting, we will check the overclocking potential of the graphics core with an alternative cooling system in the form of a full-fledged cooling system. Based on the results of installing the cooling system, I would like to know whether there will be a real increase in performance that fully justifies the cost of the cooling system. Perhaps, in the case of the GTX 960, overclocking is not worth those “candles”, although in this price segment users have always tried to get the maximum...

MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 2G comes in a bulky package with MSI branding, but initially the entire package is in a case with the game WarFace logo. In general, the box is informative and does not raise questions in terms of reliability.

Inside the card there was the following: a disk with drivers and utilities, a small instruction manual, a DVI to VGA adapter, a promo code for a gift weapon and a set of appearances in the game WarFace!

Visually, the GTX 960 GAMING 2G fully justifies its relationship to the manufacturer’s Gaming series; the main black color and bright red inserts easily set the external design for the video card.

The set of video outputs is standard for the GTX 960; there are three DisplayPorts and one HDMI and one DVI each. This combination can be considered quite universal, and taking into account the included adapter, even VGA continues to exist. Therefore, users who have started a small upgrade should not experience any obvious problems.

Thanks to the dual-slot cooling system, the card looks much more compact than the version from Inno3D. However, fans minimal systems Still, you should be careful; the mini-ITX dimensions are clearly exceeded. At the same time, owners of some “thin” cases should also pay attention; with the available width of 126 millimeters, the card may not fit in every case. So, when installed in heat pipes, they rested exactly against the side wall.

The cooling system is secured with four spring-loaded bolts; no additional fasteners are provided. Taking into account the massiveness of the radiator and the absence of a protective frame, this approach is not the most reliable solution.

The radiator has a massive copper base in its structure. Next, using five heat pipes evenly distributed over the entire area, heat is transferred to the dissipating fins.

The entire radiator is covered with a plastic casing, and two fans with a diameter of 95 millimeters are attached to it. They are notable for the structure of the impeller; two types of blades are used here. The blades are assembled in groups of two, which looks very interesting compared to a regular turntable.

The printed circuit board, as already noted, is not limited in size. However, most of it remains empty. In this case, the power system is again located in a less spacious part, but here everything is similar to the previously discussed options. By the way, along the entire length of the front rib there is a good stiffening rib.

The power supply system contains four phases for the graphics core and one for video memory. There is a small heatsink for mosfets; its fins create a small dispersion area; in appearance, it does not inspire much confidence. But, as practice has shown, it is able to provide a working temperature range even in a passive state (when installing a water block). And if there is a standard radiator, it is completely blown by an air flow.

For the video memory set, four Samsung K4G41325FC-HC28 chips are used, they are standardly located on both sides printed circuit board.

Apart from the video memory, the reverse side of the printed circuit board does not contain any main microcircuits, but as always there was room for a good set of wiring elements. The photo clearly shows how much the dimensions of the entire card have been increased, due to the heat pipes, relative to the usual width of the printed circuit board.

For testing, a test bench with the following configuration was used; the main purpose of testing was to study the overclocking potential of the new product.

• Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K @ 4400 MHz (HT enabled, Turbo disabled);
• Motherboard: ;
• RAM: ;
• Hard drive: (for system);
• Power unit: ;

So, the graphics core frequency of the heroine of today’s review is at around 1216 MHz, the memory frequency is at 7012 MHz. In any case, in Boost mode the MSI GTX 960 Gaming ran at 1329 MHz, and this is no different from the Inno3D variant.

The standard cooling system allows you to obtain very, very attractive noise indicators; at 32% the card is completely inaudible. I am glad that there is a technology that completely stops the fans in idle mode, which, by the way, do not immediately begin to rotate under load :). Unlike the previously reviewed options, MSI placed a clear emphasis on silence! The GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 2G turned out to be a little warmer than its analogues, but at the same time it remained quieter.

As I already said, the card will be overclocked in two modes. Initially, we set the speed of the standard cooler to 60%; in general, it is not so loud and quite effective. In this mode, using the MSI Afterburner utility, we were able to boost the card to a core frequency of 1537 MHz in “boost” mode. The video memory operated at 7776 MHz.

Next, using the small Maxwell Bios tweaker utility, the permissible values ​​for the power consumption level were significantly increased, the GPU voltage increased to 1.34V. With these values, the water cooling system made it possible to keep the temperature of the graphics core within 52°C. However, the manipulations made made it possible to increase the GPU frequency to only 1577 MHz. Admit, this result was a little predictable. But personal interest in overcoming the 1600 MHz bar forced this attempt.

If we talk about percentage growth rates, then they are relative to the first stage of the experiment. In the second stage, the water cooling system did not bring any obvious improvements. Of course, we can talk about a more comfortable operating mode for the graphics core, but even a standard cooler allows you to keep it within acceptable values.

As we can see, at the moment manufacturers are very well using almost all the available potential of the graphics core. The maximum levels of daily overclocking are almost no different from the standard modes. Of course, each user can slightly “tune” the final frequency, which depends on the success of a particular instance. The only common thing is that such tuning definitely does not allow you to change the balance of power between different cards, or to catch up and overtake a representative from a different price segment. It seems that the days of 50% overclocking are long gone and are now available only to retro enthusiasts :).

Now, after a short lyrical digression, it’s still time to sum up the MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 2G reviewed today. The price level relative to similar competitors is at identical values. Of course, there are differences, but they relate more to the “specifics” of competition between sellers than to the obvious move of the manufacturer.

The MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 2G stands out for its excellent noise performance, which is realized in defiance of a slight loss in temperature. In any case, it must be recognized that for the end user a difference of ten degrees is less critical than an audible cooling fan. And as we could see, in this case productive system cooling does not provide clear benefits. Therefore, we can say that MSI managed to find that golden mean.