Review of the gtx 960 4gb card. Conclusions on the theoretical part

The modern products of the gaming industry are strikingly different from those developments that were 10 years ago. Accordingly, a higher quality and large-scale product requires high computing power of a personal computer. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 graphics card is positioned by the manufacturer as an open source solution for users who want to take advantage of all the technologies and software improvements of the Maxwell GPU microarchitecture. In turn, this architecture is characterized by low power consumption, moderate temperature levels, and full support for proprietary Nvidia and DirectX 12 technologies.

Major manufacturers include Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Zotac and Palit. Depending on the modifications of the video card, the characteristics of the GTX 960 will differ, but not significantly, since for the most part companies only increase the amount of memory by raising the operating frequencies.

The released GeForce 960 was equipped with 2 Gb and 4 Gb of 5th generation GDDR video memory. The main characteristics of the reference model are presented below.

GPU specifications. The number of CUDA cores is 1024 blocks. The base clock frequency is 1127 MHz, with the accelerator - 1178 MHz. The texture sampling rate shows a mark of 72 GigaTexels / s.

Video memory specifications. The bandwidth of the GeForce 960 is 112 GB / s.

Temperature and food. The maximum factory temperature level is indicated at 98 degrees. Power consumption is 120W while the minimum power requirement is 400W. The card itself has a standard six-pin power connector.

GTX 960 review

The GeForce 900 series is the second generation of graphics cards using the Maxwell GPU architecture. Nvidia has already made successful attempts to implement this architecture in its later generation cards, namely the GTX 750 and 750 Ti.

Models using the new GPU technology showed significant performance gains over their Kepler predecessors. GeForce 960 supports the following major technologies.

Voxel Global Illumination. The use of bill of exchange global illumination will allow for better lighting in video games. This possibility is achieved by shaping light and shadows not only on the basis of direct light rays, but also taking into account the reflection of this from the edges of 3D models. Today "VXCI" is one of the best technologies for creating realistic lighting.

"Multi-Framed Sample AA". MFAA is a new multi-frame anti-aliasing method developed by Nvidia. Thanks to this technology, the productivity gain is about 30% with the same quality of work as the standard MSAA.

Dynamic Super Resolution. When using high resolution in games, the quality of displaying objects in the background is often reduced. This technology will increase the clarity of images of models through dynamic sharpening.

NVIDIA Hairworks. This method greatly increases the realism of the coat and hair of the creatures in games.

We should also note the noise level, stable temperature and power consumption of the GTX 960. The video cards released on the basis of the reference model show the best performance among their competitors.

The noise level in idle mode is about 32 dB (A), while at maximum load it rises to 42-44 dB (A).

The temperature of the video card in passive mode ranges from 30 to 33 degrees, at maximum load it rises to 65-69 degrees.

The power consumption of the entire GeForce 960 system in idle mode will be about 120 W, at maximum operation the value will increase to 240-260 W.

What PSU is needed for GTX 960

Taking into account the technical indicators, we can conclude that for this video card model it will be enough to use a standard 200 W power supply.

How to overclock an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 card

The 960 is a mid-range graphics card with plenty of overclocking potential, not least because of its low power consumption and moderate temperature levels. Overclocking the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 graphics card will increase its performance by 14-15%.

There are 3 main programs used to increase productivity:

1. GPU-Z. It is a portable utility that shows the parameters of a video card in normal mode.
2. MSI Afterburner. The main tool used to overclock the GTX 960.
3. 3DMark or FurMark. Benchmark required to test the card with new parameters.

For overclocking, it is necessary to increase such parameters as CoreClock (graphics core frequency) and MemoryClock (video memory frequency) in turn. The procedure in both cases is the same:

1. Increase in frequency by 40-45 MHz.
2. Checking for stable performance by testing through a benchmark.
3. It is recommended to reduce the subsequent frequency increases to 20 MHz.
4. Increase the value until various graphical artifacts (freezing, blinking, black dots) appear during stability testing.
5. Decrease of indicators to optimal parameters at which the card showed stable operation.

Mining cryptocurrency with Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

Efficient mining of tokens of various digital currencies will be possible only with the use of the latest current video cards. However, it cannot be said that mining with a GTX 960 is not possible. This graphics card is a great budget option for users who decide to try out mining.

However, it should be borne in mind that the best result can be achieved only when mining alternative currencies (LiteCoin, Monero, Etherium Classic).

Testing in games

The GeForce 960 game benchmark showed excellent stable performance at maximum settings. In normal operation, this model does not lag far behind its competitors in terms of performance, and in overclocked mode, in some cases it even significantly outperforms them.

You can learn more about the capabilities of the video card by watching the video at the end of the article.

Comparison of manufacturers

Based on the basic characteristics, you can make the following comparison of modifications from various manufacturers, taking into account the characteristics and cost of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 video card in rubles.

Characteristics	Asus GeForce GTX 960 Strix	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 WindForce 2X	MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G	Zotac GeForce GTX 960 AMP! Edition	Palit GeForce GTX 960 Super JetStream
Base clock frequency, MHz	1253	1216	1216	1266	1279
Clock frequency with accelerator, MHz	1317	1279	1279	1329	1342
Memory frequency, MHz	1800	1753	1753	1753	1753
Memory size	2048	2048	2048	2048	2048
Bandwidth, Gb / s	112	112	112	112	112
Pixel filtering, GPixels per second	40.1	38.9	38.9	40.5	40.9
Texture filtering, GTexel per second	80.2	77.8	77.8	107.6	81.9
Price of GTX 960 for the I quarter of 2018, rub	~14.000	~14.000	~12.500	~13.500	~13.000

How to update Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 drivers

You can download drivers for Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 from the official website of the company. Installing the latest release of drivers and additional software packages will keep your hardware running smoothly and with maximum performance.

The GeForce GTX 960 graphics card has often been the focus of our attention lately. Most models come with a recommended 2GB memory by default. But in light of the growing system requirements of modern games, an increased video buffer size is becoming more and more in demand, even in the national Full HD resolution. Not surprisingly, many manufacturers have decided to expand the capabilities of the GeForce GTX 960 by doubling the video memory. Is this justified for a middle class card? Let's try to answer this question using the ASUS Strix as an example.

The adapter is supplied in a small box with a standard design.

There is another box inside the outer packaging. The delivery set is as follows:

• adapter DVI / D-Sub;
• instruction;
• cD with software;
• sticker with the Strix logo.

Quite expectedly, this video card outwardly turned out to be a complete copy of the previously reviewed ASUS STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-2GD5 model. It is likely that there are no changes at the technological level either. In the simple version, there are already seats for additional memory chips, and in STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-4GD5 they simply found a corresponding application.

The video card is covered with a cooling system with two fans. Moreover, the overall dimensions are very modest - the length is less than 22 centimeters. But this is not a record holder for compactness. ASUS has a model GTX960-MOC-2GD5 with a length of only 17 centimeters.

The reverse side is covered with a metal plate. One of the screws in the cooling system is protected by a warranty seal. This copy came to us from retail, so we had to do without a complete analysis. But, as mentioned above, this is a copy of the Strix card with 2 GB, so we would not see anything new.

Auxiliary power is supplied through one six-pin connector. The radiator is larger than the board and hangs over it from the side.

The set of interface connectors is standard: three DisplayPort, one HDMI and DVI.

The plastic casing is fastened with latches, which allows you to remove the top cover without dismantling the cooler. The radiator with four heat pipes repeats that of the fellow Strix with less memory. Under the top heatsink, you can see the finned heatsink on the elements of the power unit. Everything is blown by a pair of FirstD FD7010H12S 80 mm fans.

The factory frequency formula is familiar - the base value is 1228 MHz with a Boost Clock of 1291 MHz. The memory operates at an effective communication frequency of 7010 MHz.

ASIC Quality of the sample in question is 77.6%.

The actual Boost frequency turned out to be slightly lower in comparison with STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-2GD5 - stable 1380 MHz, no more. At 25 ° C indoors, gaming tests warmed the card to 66 ° C with fan speeds of 1330-1490 RPM. The 2GB ASUS graphics card with a slight difference in external temperature was slightly colder at higher revs. Consequently, the fan speed control algorithms are slightly different. And the revision of the priority towards a slight reduction in noise can only be assessed positively, even if there were no problems with this initially.

Below you can see the monitoring data for the STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-4GD5 parameters in Total War: Attila (left) and Battlefield 4 with Far Cry 4 (right).

Attempts to overclock did not bring any surprises either. The core reached 1535 MHz in peak Boost with a base value of 1383 MHz, which does not differ from the result of our friend. But the memory turned out to be weaker - 7840 MHz. This is the lowest memory overclocking result among all the GeForce GTX 960s we tested, albeit with a minimal difference relative to many competitors.

The initial results allow us to hope for the possibility of overclocking without increasing the fan speed. In reality, to increase stability, we had to "overclock" them a little, although still within the framework of a comfortable acoustic mode. But a single failure after a long load may indicate that the speed should be increased further. Or you can just slightly reduce the overclocking relative to our final values \u200b\u200bfor everyday use. The latter option is more practical for the average user. Characteristics of the tested video cards

There will be several tasks in this testing. Apart from the goal of finding out the performance of a particular product in nominal value and in overclocking, we will try to determine the direct effect of the increased memory size. For the latter, you need to compare GeForce GTX 960 video cards with different video buffer sizes at exactly the same frequencies. Ideally, you should reset the frequency of the GeForce GTX 960 4GB to the reference level. In this case, this is problematic due to the restrictions on lowering the base frequency. ASUS STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-4GD5 cannot be launched below 1289 MHz. Therefore, another GeForce copy will have to be adjusted to this frequency. Then we add ASUS GTX960-MOC-2GD5 and EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+ to the comparison. Combining the three different versions with different factory frequencies will allow you to evaluate how the increased memory compensates for the frequency advantage (if any).

For clarity, the graphics GeForce GTX 960 with the same core frequencies of 1289 MHz are highlighted in a single color, like all data for ASUS STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-4GD5. The participants in the NVIDIA 900 series themselves are grouped according to the increase in their factory frequencies - from lower values \u200b\u200bto higher ones.

The list of other competitors is familiar from the latest GeForce GTX 960 reviews. The only newcomer will be the Radeon R9 270X (actually Gigabyte GV-R787OC-2GD at adjusted frequencies). In overclocking, only the younger competitors were tested.

Below are the data of all test participants. The table shows the official data on Boost frequencies for GeForce. The graphs show the real frequency range of the core, including the peak values.

Video adapter	GeForce GTX 780	GeForce GTX 770	EVGA GTX 960 SSC ACX 2.0+		ASUS GTX960-MOC-2GD5	GeForce GTX 960	GeForce GTX 760	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon HD 7970	Radeon R9 270X
Nucleus	GK110	GK104	GM206	GM206	GM206	GM206	GK104	Tahiti	Tahiti	Curacao (Pitcairn)
Number of transistors, mln.pcs	7100	3500	2940	2940	2940	2940	3500	4313	4313	2800
Technological process, nm	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28
Core area, sq. mm	561	294	228	228	228	228	294	352	352	212
Number of stream processors	2304	1536	1024	1024	1024	1024	1152	2048	2048	1280
Number of texture units	192	128	64	64	64	64	96	128	128	80
Number of rendering units	48	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32
Core frequency, MHz	863-900	1045-1085	1279-1342	1228-1291	1190-1253	1126-1178	980-1033	1000	925	1050
Memory bus, bit	384	256	128	128	128	128	256	384	384	256
Memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory frequency, MHz	6008	7010	7010	7010	7010	7010	6008	6000	5500	5600
Memory size, MB	3072	2048	2048	4096	2048	2048	2048	3072	3072	2048
Supported DirectX Version	11.1	11.1	12	12	12	12	11.1	11.2	11.1	11.2
Interface	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0	PCI-E 3.0
TDP level, W	230	230	120	120	120	120	170	250	250	180

Test stand

The test bench configuration is as follows:

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

• operating system: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 x64;
• geForce driver: NVIDIA GeForce 350.12;
• radeon driver: ATI Catalyst 15.14 beta.

User Account Control, Superfetch and visual effects of the interface were disabled in the operating system. Driver settings are standard. The testing technique is described. Some test applications have added additional test modes at heavier settings or at higher voltages. In additional modes, the list of rivals is limited by senior graphics solutions.

Test results

Assassin's Creed: Unity

The latest game in the Assassin's Creed adventure series is memory-intensive, and our results only confirm this. At the same frequencies, an increase in memory for the GeForce GTX 960 provides an increase in fps by about 10%. STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-4GD5 confidently outperforms EVGA SSC at lower frequencies. The lag of the hero of the review from the Radeon HD 7970 is minimal. In overclocking, ASUS outperforms its comrades in the series by 10-14%, with a noticeable lag in memory frequencies. Overclocking allows you to slightly overtake the GeForce GTX 780 and Radeon R9 280X. According to MSI Afterburner monitoring, the memory load on ASUS during testing reached a peak value of 3.3 GB.

Battlefield 4

At Full HD resolution, Battlefield 4 invisibly no growth from the increased storage capacity. ASUS results strictly fit into the "pyramid" of the rest of the GeForce GTX 960 results. In overclocking, Strix is \u200b\u200b1-2% inferior to cards with faster memory.

According to monitoring on different cards, the video memory load did not exceed 1.8-1.9 GB. Perhaps raising the resolution will increase the buffer load and the 4GB graphics adapter will have real benefits? Let's check this on the example of additional testing with older competitors at 2560x1440.

No drastic changes. Is that the difference between the two ASUS participants in overclocking is almost imperceptible. It is noteworthy that if in a lower resolution the Strix is \u200b\u200bslightly faster than the Radeon HD 7970, then in a higher resolution the AMD representative is already better. The peak load of video memory is 2.1 GB.

Dragon age: inquisition

No difference between GeForce GTX 960 with different memory sizes. ASUS Strix at factory frequencies is 5% faster than the reference, the results are on par with the Radeon HD 7970. Overclocking allows you to overclock the Radeon R9 280X. Memory load 1.8 GB. It makes no sense to run tests in a higher resolution, because even in Full HD with anti-aliasing, a comfortable fps level is provided only when overclocked.

Dying light

Dying Light does not provide any significant advantage of 4 GB. Although ASUS Strix is \u200b\u200bnot inferior to EVGA SSC at lower factory frequencies. The difference in overclocking is also minimal. In nominal terms, the hero of the review is faster than the Radeon R9 280X and is almost not inferior to the GeForce GTX 770. Overclocking allows you to overtake the GeForce GTX 780. The most interesting thing is that the memory load of video adapters with 3 GB can reach 2.7 GB, with 4 GB onboard the peak values \u200b\u200breach 2.9 GB. What is the impact of switching to a higher resolution?

A noticeable difference is already visible here. The memory boost for GeForce GTX 960 provides up to 15% advantage in minimum fps with a difference in average frame rate of about 3%. The difference between ASUS Strix and the mini-version is even greater when overclocked. It is worth noting that when the resolution increases, NVIDIA video cards lose ground relative to AMD solutions with 3 GB.

Far cry 4

When comparing the same frequency configurations with different memory sizes in Far Cry 4, we again see differences mainly in the minimum fps - more than 8%. ASUS Strix is \u200b\u200bpractically not inferior to the Radeon R9 280X in the nominal value, and when overclocked it is faster than its brothers with faster memory. NVIDIA solutions have a memory load of 2.5 GB, while Radeon has more than 2.8 GB.

To increase the critical value of video memory, this time we did without a different resolution, we just raised the MSAA quality.

The difference between GeForce GTX 960 with different video buffer sizes is up to 9% in minimum fps. But when overclocked, the advantage is more impressive. The lag behind the Radeon R9 280X increases slightly, but it is easily compensated for by the Strix overclocking. Memory load over 2.9 GB.

Grand theft auto 5

With the selected settings in GTA 5, there is a meager advantage of 4 GB over 2 GB. ASUS Strix outperforms the Radeon HD 7970, and easily overclocks the Radeon R9 280X.

In previous reviews, we constantly mentioned the likelihood of catching "lags" during one of the benchmark runs. This becomes more frequent with a further increase in the drawing range of detailed objects. The only problem is the ordering of the results. Therefore, it was decided to increase the required parameters by 30%, bring the number of benchmark runs to six, and count four results in normal performance mode, and count two with those terrible "brakes" that sometimes fail the in-game test in some scenes. It is clear that the ratio of normal and “bad” runs could be slightly different, but the chosen option more or less corresponded to the general trend.

Sharp differentiation between GeForce GTX 960 with different memory sizes. At 2 GB, serious fps drops are possible, at 4 GB you can comfortably play with the selected graphics settings. At frequencies of 1138-1289 / 7012, there is a very slight lag behind the Radeon HD 7970, and at 1128-1380 / 7012 MHz, the GeForce GTX 960 adapter breathes in the back of the Radeon R9 280X. Overclocking minimizes the difference with the reference version of the GeForce GTX 780. The video buffer load reaches 3 GB, which is quite consistent with the warning in the game menu when the appropriate settings are selected. On video adapters with 3 GB, the load is slightly less. At + 20%, the GeForce GTX 960 4GB also uses all the memory, although other cards may peak below 2.7GB.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Another game with tough memory requirements. For high quality textures, up to 3 GB is recommended. But here in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, there is no difference between the GeForce GTX 960 with different video buffer sizes. And according to monitoring, the memory load is less, although AMD is approaching the 2.9 GB mark.

What will change when you switch to Ultra textures requiring up to 6 GB?

Everything will change! A colossal gap between 2GB and 4GB GeForce in terms of minimum fps. All memory on ASUS Strix is \u200b\u200bused. And even on graphics accelerators with 3 GB, there are more serious drawdowns, which, with an overall high fps level, can seriously spoil the experience.

Project CARS

NVIDIA solutions lead. The amount of memory is not important, its consumption in the test scene is less than 1.4 GB. ASUS Strix is \u200b\u200bon par with the rest of the series.

Ryse: Son of Rome

Ryse at 2GB doesn't even want to enable maximum texture quality, it has to be done manually by editing the config file. However, the amount of video memory is not critical for performance. No difference can be seen between 2 GB and 4 GB. ASUS Strix results fit well into the overall performance picture of other NVIDIA solutions. Load memory at 2.5 GB.

Total War: Attila

The Attila benchmark is capable of loading 2.3 GB, and the physical volume of the video buffer slightly affects the results, but only minimally. At the same frequencies, GeForce with a large volume wins less than 1%. Strix at factory frequencies is more productive than the Radeon R9 280X, with overclocking it surely leaves the GeForce GTX 770 behind.

War thunder

The memory load is less than 1.3 GB, so its size does not affect anything. ASUS Strix is \u200b\u200b5% better than its reference counterpart. It outperforms the Radeon R9 280X in terms of minimum fps, but slightly better in terms of the overall gaming average.

Watch dogs

A large amount of memory eliminates periodic sharp drops in fps in Watch Dogs. As a result, there is again an impressive gap in minimum fps between the GeForce GTX 960 with different memory sizes - about 45%. The increased frequencies of ASUS Strix provide not only stable high performance in the nominal value, but also better results in comparison with the Radeon R9 280X. GeForce GTX 770 loses only in the minimum parameter, but obviously because of the 2 GB memory. The gain from overclocking is 11%.

ASUS Strix is \u200b\u200b7% more productive than the reference in this test. It has the same advantage over the senior AMD representative. The gain from overclocking is 11%. Low memory frequencies have almost no effect on the result, the lag behind comrades is scanty.

Here, the Strix is \u200b\u200bslightly weaker than the Radeon R9 280X at the factory frequencies. In overclocking with a minimal GPU frequency advantage, it loses 1% to its partners with a higher memory frequency.

conclusions

Expanded video memory brings tangible benefits for the GeForce GTX 960, but not always. For most applications, the standard 2GB is sufficient when using 1920x1080 resolution. But if an application is critical of the available physical video buffer, then 4 GB can provide a good advantage over 2 GB by stabilizing performance and neutralizing periodic drops in fps with an overall increase in frame rates. The user will be able to play comfortably in those graphics modes that are too tough for the regular version of the GeForce GTX 960. The transition to 2560x1440 resolution or heavy anti-aliasing modes increases the benefits of 4 GB. But it should be borne in mind that the GeForce GTX 960 will not always be able to “pull out” such heavy modes. So cost will be an important factor in assessing the feasibility of buying a GeForce GTX 960 4GB. With a moderate overpayment of the relative standard versions, there will be no doubt about the choice. At the high price, it is worth considering alternatives from NVIDIA and AMD.

The reviewed ASUS STRIX-GTX960-DC2OC-4GD5 graphics card, in addition to a high memory capacity, offers high-quality cooling that provides moderate operating temperatures in combination with low noise levels. Good overclocking potential of the GPU is combined with low memory overclocking rates, which ultimately allows you to achieve performance on a par with other overclocked GeForce GTX 960. Increasing frequencies is quite realizable while maintaining acoustic comfort. Good graphics card with decent performance and more memory.

NVIDIA continues to roll out its new 900-series desktop graphics cards. The second generation graphics architecture is now implemented in the mid-price segment of the new GeForce line. Following the pioneering flagships and, which appeared four months ago, the series was replenished with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960presented to the world on January 22, 2015.

After the announcement of the first version of Maxwell in February 2014 in low power models, the computer world was looking forward to the continuation. However, the aforementioned top-end video cards GeForce GTX 9xx continued, as a result of which a "middle class niche" was formed. Realizing this, the green corporation finally decided to fill it with the GeForce GTX 960 model. How successful was this release? Let's see.

The video card for this review is based on a graphics core labeled GM206, which is almost half of the flagship GM204. Logically, the new product is replacing, therefore, first, let's compare the characteristics of these video adapters.

GeForce GTX 960GeForce GTX 760Graphics core GM206 (Maxwell) GK104 (Kepler)Process technology 28nm 28nmNumber of transistors 2940 million 3540 millionShader processors 1,024 1,152Texture units 64 96Processor frequency, base / 1126 MHz / 1178 MHz 980 MHz / 1033 MHzMemory bus width 128 bit 256 bitMemory Type GDDR5 GDDR5Memory capacity 2048 MB 2048/4096 MBMemory Bandwidth 112.2 GB / s 192.3 GB / sPCI-Express 3.0 interface PCI-Express 3.0Power consumption 120 W 170 WMSRP $ 200 $ 250
Testing GeForce GTX 960 in games *(average FPS ) Games / Settings Ultra 1920x1080 pxHigh 1920x1080 pxBattlefield 1 42 fps 54 fpsWatch Dogs 2 23 fps 35 fps FarCry Primal 42 fps 47 fpsDOOM 2016 59 fps 64 fpsFallout 4 42 fps 50 fps The Division 37 fps 44 fpsMafia III 20 fps 25 fps GTA V 39 fps 64 fpsThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 27 fps 32 fps Battlefield 4 55 fps 68 fps

* The following stand configuration was used for testing: Intel Core i5-6600 processor, ASUS Maximus VIII Extreme motherboard, 16 GB G.Skill RAM, Plextor PX-256M6Pro SSD, Corsair AX1500i power supply, Windows 10 (64 Bit) operating system. NVIDIA GeForce driver version: 375.95.

Of course, Maxwell is a new graphic architecture named after a famous mathematician, which pleases with its energy efficiency and "coldness". But in our subjective opinion, the release of the GeForce GTX 960 did not bring any special, bright moment. Still, we used to expect that a video card of one number in the next series should be noticeably faster than its predecessor. In this case, expectations were practically not met. The 128-bit bus and the small amount of video memory do not allow to reveal the full potential of the modern GM206. Nevertheless, this situation allows the market of gaming video cards to expect the imminent release of a more productive version of the GeForce GTX 960 with the Ti prefix.

As for the monitored novelty, it can confidently take its place among compact, economical and quiet systems that do not claim to have serious gaming ambitions. In this segment, the performance and price of the GeForce GTX 960 will look very good and competitive.

A few months ago, the official announcement of the new mid-budget class took place. We were introduced to the latest representative of the new line from Nvidia, based on the well-proven Maxwell architecture (28 nm) - GeForce GTX 960.

The model belongs to the middle-class graphics accelerators and is based on the GM206 GPU, which contains 2.9 billion transistors, 1024 CUDA cores, 64 texture units and 32 rasterization units, as well as a pair of 64-bit GDDR5 memory controllers. It was expected that it will be the direct heir to the GeForce GTX 760, but in practice everything turned out to be sadder than expected. As you already know, the whole point is in a number of technical limitations implemented in the video card by the company's engineers. This is only 2 GB of video memory, and a 128-bit memory bus. Moreover, if in the first case everything is fixable, since you can buy a version with a volume of 4 GB, then you will only have to put up with the second.

In this article, we will try to consider all the interesting GeForce GTX 960 models that are on sale in Russian retail. As before, it will be listed alphabetically to avoid confusion.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 960

The reference version of the GeForce GTX 960 video card was ultimately never presented by Nvidia, which freed the hands of partners for the release of models based on it: the Californian manufacturer presented only the main technical characteristics of the graphics accelerator, from which it is worth starting from. Further, the whole initiative passed to the developers.

Now we can only guess what the reference model GeForce GTX 960 was supposed to look like, but chances are that it would inherit the look of the GeForce GTX 760, which has become a favorite of the public for its good performance / price ratio. And this is a black plastic casing with decorative inserts and a tangential fan located in the head part, the air flow from which, passing through the radiator, comes out through the grill on the rear panel.

If we turn to the technical specification, then Nvidia talks about its video card in general terms, and although it was not presented, even the length and width values \u200b\u200bappear. Standard video outputs are poorly described - these are HDMI, DisplayPort and DVI-I.

The power section is made according to the 4 + 1 scheme (GPU, Mem). The core power system is implemented on the NCP81174 controller - this is the classic choice for the entire line of GeForce GTX 9xx graphics accelerators. Since it lacks a smart bus, you will have to manage power through the video card driver. The nominal voltage for all GeForce GTX 960s is set to 1.2 V. There is a small margin of approximately 0.1 V.

The memory of the video card (with a total volume of 2 GB) is recruited using four chips with a capacity of 512 MB each, soldered on both sides of the printed circuit board. Data exchange between the graphics core and memory is carried out via a 128-bit bus. It is for such a small bus width and video memory that the GeForce GTX 960 is most criticized and not without reason: despite the high level of performance, in the Full HD category, you have to sacrifice graphics settings to get a smooth picture.

The GeForce GTX 960 is based on the Nvidia GM206 (Maxwell 2.x) GPU in the GM206-300-A1 modification, manufactured using a 28 nm process technology. It includes 8 active SMX blocks, 1,024 CUDA cores and 32 ROPs. The base frequency of the video core is 1127 MHz (Boost up to 1178 MHz) at a voltage of 1.2 V, the memory is 1753 MHz.

That's all we wanted to tell you about the reference model, which never saw the light of day. It's time to move on to versions of the original design.

GeForce GTX 960 lineup

ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix

link.

Not so long ago, ASUS introduced the world to the line of ASUS Strix video cards, which included the ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix model in question. The novelty can boast not only high-quality performance and factory overclocking, but also an original cooling system with 0dB FAN technology.

The length of the video card is 217 mm, it takes up two expansion slots. As a cooler, a radiator with a longitudinal arrangement of fins is used, numbering 47 aluminum plates, which are pierced with four heat pipes: central 8 mm and extreme 6 mm. The technology of direct contact is used, it's a pity that the graphics processor is not in contact with all of them.

The DirectCU II cooling system uses two 74mm fans that shut off when idle. They are manufactured by FirstD, marking FD7010H12S, their characteristics are 12 V voltage, current consumption 0.35 A.

As for the power section, it is equipped with a small radiator that removes heat through a special thermal pad. The entire back of the PCB is covered with a black metal plate.

The ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix PCB is only 170 mm long and reminds us very much of the PCB of its predecessors - ASUS GeForce GTX 670 / GTX 760 DirectCU Mini. The engineers used a high-quality element base corresponding to the proprietary concept of Super Alloy Power - it includes solid capacitors, ferrite core chokes, and tantalum-polymer capacitors.

The video card is equipped with a five-phase (4 + 1, GPU / Memory) power regulator, which is controlled by the uP1608TK PWM controller from uPI Semiconductor.

As you would expect, a single six-pin connector is used as the auxiliary power connector, similar to the reference version.

In the nominal operating mode, the frequency of the graphics core has been increased relative to the recommendations of Nvidia and is 1253 MHz. Considering the support of Nvidia GPU Boost 2.0 technology, in turbo mode, the GPU frequency averages 1392-1405 MHz. Small changes have also been made to the video memory, which operates at 1800 MHz versus the reference 1753 MHz.

In the mode of automatic control of the rotational speed of the blades with the maximum load of the graphics core, its temperature was fixed at around 63 ° C, which is an excellent result.

However, the rotational speed of the fan impellers was 55% of the maximum - about 1750 rpm. In this mode, the noise level was average: the developers should have sacrificed a couple of degrees to make the model a little quieter, which would be a good solution.

EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+

Description on the manufacturer's website - link.

EVGA also delighted its fans with the release of the GeForce GTX 960 with the updated ACX 2.0+ cooling system. According to the developers, it includes all the most advanced technologies.

Unlike the graphics card discussed above, the EVGA GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+ lacks a particularly interesting design, with the exception of two large fans and a total length of 257 mm.

The ACX cooling system is not experiencing the first rebirth, and, to be honest, I have already lost count of what the next modification is before me. In one of the presentations, the developers said that they would abandon the longitudinal fins due to the need to bend the heat pipes and spend part of the efficiency during heat exchange, which can be seen in the photo below. The cooler itself consists of a multitude of nickel-plated aluminum plates of complex geometric shapes. At the base there is a copper plate for contact with the GPU and heat distribution between all CO elements using three 10 mm heat pipes.

A pair of turntables from the well-known Power Logic company with an impeller diameter of 88 mm is responsible for the active part. Their marking is PLA09215B12H, the declared characteristics: voltage 12 V, current consumption 0.55 A.

The engineers did not forget about the power section of the video card and video memory chips, covered with a single metal plate without ribbing.

When reviewing the EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+, no similarities with other versions were found, this is another plus for the developers. The model uses a high-quality element base, for example, tantalum capacitors and DirectFET transistors.

The power supply system of the video card is built according to a reinforced 6 + 2 scheme, where six phases are allocated for the GPU and two for memory, the NCP81174 is used as a PWM controller.

It is worth mentioning the switch between the two BIOS versions - "Slave" and "Master".

In contrast to the reference design, the developers took a step forward and installed one 8pin connector for additional power supply, which looms good prospects for overclocking.

The EVGA video card is initially equipped with a high factory overclocking, as indicated by the SuperSC suffix, which stands for Super SuperClocked. Basic overclocking in the core is up to 1279 MHz versus 1127 MHz for the reference GeForce GTX 960, in Boost mode - 1342 MHz (at a voltage of 1.206 V) versus 1178 MHz. The memory frequency remained unchanged - 1753 MHz.

In 3D, thanks to GPU Boost v2.0 technology, the frequency of the video core is increased up to 1455-1468 MHz, which entails an increase in performance.

At the same time, the cooling system algorithm is tuned so that the GPU warms up to 60 ° C, after which the fans come into operation.

In this mode, the GPU temperature can reach 70 ° C, and the turntables rotate at 880 rpm. The cooling system remains fairly quiet.

For a more in-depth review of the EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+, visit “

The GeForce GTX 960 series graphics cards are a very interesting option in the mid-range. Adapters of this class provide good gaming performance in modes up to Full HD inclusive. There are a great many original models based on the GM206 chip. This is a great object for manufacturers to experiment with. Let's see how MSI has improved its version by taking a closer look at the capabilities of the MSI GTX 960 GAMING 4G.

Contents of delivery

The video card comes in a bright colorful box. On the front panel there is a dragon profile - a large logo of the gaming series, the name of the graphic line and model.

Included with the adapter is a quick installation guide for a video card, a CD with drivers and software, a DVI to VGA (D-Sub) adapter, and a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter for connecting additional power.

Design and layout

GeForce GTX 960 is a mid-range graphics card that is very popular among users who are accustomed to choosing optimal solutions. Unsurprisingly, MSI alone has over a dozen different modifications of this series. All of these are original versions, with the exception of one model with a reference design. The creative flight of the engineers of the Taiwanese manufacturer cannot be stopped, but it is very curious to look at the results of labor and evaluate their consumer qualities, nevertheless, the products at the output are extraordinary.

MSI GTX 960 GAMING 4G is a striking representative of the cohort of branded GeForce GTX 960. As you can see, the OS index is not explicitly indicated in the designation, often implying factory overclocking. However, in itself, the device belonging to the GAMING series as it were obliges, therefore, it could not do without regular tuning.

The base clock speed of the GPU is 1216 MHz with an average dynamic acceleration of 1279 MHz. The video card is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, running at the recommended 7012 MHz. The doubled amount of local RAM is reflected in the model name, therefore, when choosing a specific adapter model, you will not be mistaken.

To cool the video card, the fifth generation of the proprietary CO - Twin Frozr V is used. The development of this line of coolers has a long history.

The cooler is based on a rather massive radiator block consisting of a set of aluminum fins. Three nickel-plated heat pipes are used to accelerate heat transfer. Two of them are 6 mm in diameter, another is 8 mm in diameter.

A nickel-plated copper heat sink is used for uniform contact with the silicon crystal. The tubes are soldered to the plate to improve heat transfer. The radiator block is very massive. This is definitely an advantage of the video card, because even a potentially large dissipation area allows you to more efficiently cope with heat dissipation.

An important element of the cooling system is a pair of 100mm axial fans that blow through the radiator cassette. In addition to the increased dimensions, the fans are made using the proprietary TORX technology.

Some of the blades have an original profile shape, which allows to increase the air flow and the blowing zone. How this will affect the efficiency of CO, we will see during practical tests.

The cooling system is covered on top by a plastic composite casing with black and red elements.

MSI GTX 960 GAMING 4G has a long PCB. At first glance, at least a third of the PCB area is not used very efficiently - there are practically no elements on this part of the surface. But the apparent irrationality makes it possible to simplify the power wiring. In addition, the dimensions of the cooling system make it possible not to huddle on a small piece of textolite, because of this the video card will not become more compact anyway.

The GPU power stabilization subsystem includes 4 phases. An additional aluminum radiator is provided for the power elements. The video card uses Samsung K4G41325FC-HC28 memory chips. According to the specification, they are declared to work at 7000 MHz. A total of 8 chips are involved, 4 on each side of the PCB. Additional cooling for microcircuits is not used in this case.

To connect additional power, one 8-pin connector is provided at the top edge, instead of the 6-pin one that adapters with the reference design of the GeForce GTX 960 are equipped with. A connector with a large number of pins allows to increase the power transmitted from the PSU. In this case, taking into account the resources of the PCI Express slot, the adapter can be supplied up to 225 W, instead of 150 W, which would be available using a 6-pin connector. The system requirements recommended by the manufacturers indicate that to build a system with the video card in question, you need a power supply with a capacity of 400 W or higher, which is capable of providing 42 A current on the 12 V line).

Note that the power connector itself is rotated 180 degrees for easy connection of the power cable.

The total length of the video card is 270 mm. For devices of the GeForce GTX 960 series, these are rather atypical dimensions, adapters of this line are often noticeably more compact. However, the dimensions of the device were not increased by chance, but with a very definite intent. In general, there should be no problems with installing such an adapter in an average case, but if you are using an original case with a reduced chassis base length, it will not be superfluous to first make sure that the available space is sufficient to install the adapter.

A perforated aluminum plate is attached to the back of the PCB. It is not used to cool the elements, but it increases the strength of the structure, and also protects against possible mechanical damage. Well, what is really there, adds attractiveness to the device. Especially considering the keeper of the game hearth displayed on the slab.

For added rigidity, the adapter also uses a metal bracket that connects the PCB and interface panel.

For external decoration, the video card is equipped with a logo on the upper edge of the cooler. The dragon's silhouette is illuminated by a white LED.

In this case, several modes of operation of additional illumination are possible, which are configured in the proprietary MSI Gaming App.

There are five video outputs on the interface panel of the video card: DVI-I, three full-format Display Ports and one HDMI. If you suddenly need to connect a display device via an analog channel, you can use the DVI - VGA adapter that comes with the video card.

All interface connectors are initially covered with red plastic caps to protect against dust. A practical little thing that complements the visual range.

Part of the interface panel is occupied by a grille for heated air outlet. In the case of axial fans, we can only talk about a partial blowout, but this is definitely better than nothing.

In work

MSI GTX 960 GAMING 4G supports Zero Frozr technology, which assumes a passive cooling system as long as the GPU temperature does not exceed 60 degrees. In rest mode, the CO fans stop, respectively, without making any noise.

In this case, the efficiency of the large radiator unit was sufficient to keep the GPU temperature within 38-42 degrees in an open bench (+ 24C). Actual values \u200b\u200bwill depend on environmental conditions, but there is a margin of error here.

Initially, the manufacturer offers three operating modes of the video card, which can be switched between with one click in the MSI Gaming App. By default, the frequency formula corresponds to the Gaming Mode. In this case, the base frequency of the chip is 1216 MHz, and the average acceleration value is 1279 MHz.

The chip was boosted up to 1291 MHz under load. This is not the most aggressive GPU Boost algorithm. Given the increased base value, higher frequencies could be expected.

As for heating, the GPU temperature rose to 63 degrees. And this at a fan speed of about 800 rpm. In this mode, it is quite difficult to hear the operation of the cooling system. In our case, the noise emitted by the video card was lost against the background of the slow-speed fan of the processor cooler. That is, the video card runs very quietly at maximum load. The fans stop when the temperature drops to 60 degrees. On the open stand, this could be observed even during the loading of the next game stage. It is curious that after a load, when the OS goes into passive mode, the GPU temperature continues to drop rather quickly. This is generally not typical for situations where there is not even the slightest additional airflow. Here, a large radiator does its job.

In OC Mode, the base clock speed of the GPU is increased to 1241 MHz, the average auto-overclocking value is increased to 1304 MHz. Memory chips are also slightly accelerated; their operating frequency rises to 7212 MHz.

The frequency gain is relatively small, so it actually has no effect on the temperature conditions of the video card. That is, albeit small, but the increase in performance is actually free. There is no reason not to use this particular mode as the main one. No need to deal with the intricacies of overclocking, just one click of the mouse.

In Silent Mode, the base clock frequency of the chip is reduced to 1126 MHz, and the average acceleration to 1190 MHz. The memory operating frequency does not change.

During the load stages, the actual GPU frequency increased to 1202 MHz. The general decrease in frequency actually had no effect either on the chip temperature or on the cooling system operation algorithm. We have the same 63 C and less than 800 rpm. The video card works very quietly anyway, so Silent Mode is simply not needed for this model.

Overclocking

During experiments with overclocking, we increased the Power Limit parameter to 108%, increasing the graphics core voltage additionally by 30 mV. After that, the base frequency of the GPU was increased to 1456 MHz.

Based on the recommended value for the reference GeForce GTX 960, the chip was accelerated by 29.3%. Good is not bad. As tests showed, during GPU Boost, the core frequency was automatically increased up to 1543 MHz. The symbolic 1.5 GHz was easily overcome. As for the memory chips, their operating frequency was increased to 7900 MHz (+ 12.7%). Also bread. The increase in memory bandwidth for the GTX 960 is shown anyway.

After overclocking, the load on the power subsystem increases, as does the heating of the GPU. However, in this case, the temperature of the graphics chip increased to only 65 degrees at its peak, while the fan speed did not exceed 900 rpm. The video card was still very quiet, so you can extract extra frames / sec without any fear.

Performance

The capabilities of the GeForce GTX 960 as a whole are already well known to us and the balance of forces in this price segment does not raise any special questions. In a head-to-head confrontation with the Radeon R9 380, these are roughly equal rivals with a slight advantage over AMD's solutions. Therefore, considering the original model from MSI, we paid more attention to the readings of a specific device operating in various standard modes and after overclocking. Comparing single-class video cards, you often won't see a big difference in performance, that's why this time we decided to include the results of the GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB. This is an entry-level gaming solution that will allow you to experience the difference in the capabilities of adapters of fundamentally different classes. The results are very revealing.

GeForce GTX 960 allows you to boldly increase the quality of graphics in Full HD mode without fear of getting insufficient performance for a comfortable game. For the GTX 750 Ti, these settings are virtually unavailable.

Average 20-30 fps is on the verge. With an adapter of this level, you will most likely have to focus only on average quality settings. However, I must say that the GeForce GTX 960 does not always cope with the most resource-intensive post-effects, but its safety margin is much higher. Returning to the MSI GTX 960 GAMING 4G, we note that the video card can be used without any fear in OC Mode. The performance gain is not very large, but it is there and provides a couple of additional frames / s. If this does not seem to be enough, you can add another 10-15% by spending a little time on overclocking yourself. The afterburner has virtually no effect on the adapter temperature and noise level.

Resolutions 2560 × 1440/1600 often require even faster solutions, but assessing the situation in such modes was also interesting for the video cards used. Without changing the graphics settings, even a GTX 960 is already hard to cope with such modes, but there is much more room for maneuver here than in the case of the more affordable, but much slower, GTX 750 Ti.

Minuses: Not the most aggressive auto-overclocking algorithm; price

Conclusion: MSI GTX 960 GAMING 4G is one of the best modifications in the line of GeForce GTX 960 graphics cards. The original version has a very efficient and almost silent cooling system even under load. Factory tuning provides some advantage over the recommended frequency formula adapters. The MSI version also has excellent overclocking potential, and the installed cooler copes with heat removal without any problems even after additional afterburner. 4 GB allows you to initially close an issue with a lack of local memory, eliminating unexpected performance drops in heavy graphics modes. The reviewed model is one of the most expensive versions in its family, but if you wanted to get a good mid-range adapter without saving on "matches", you should take a closer look.