When comparing MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G vs EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB FTW GAMING, the Slant community recommends MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G for most people. In the question“What is the best GTX 960 card?” MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G is ranked 1st while EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB FTW GAMING is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G is:
The GTX 960 chip overclocks very well and overclock results of over 20% aren't uncommon. Overclocking allows you to increase the clock speeds of your GPU for increased performance.
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Pros
Pro Excellent overclocking potential
The GTX 960 chip overclocks very well and overclock results of over 20% aren't uncommon. Overclocking allows you to increase the clock speeds of your GPU for increased performance.
Pro Low power consumption
The MSI GTX 960 Gaming requires a single 6-pin PCIe power connector and is decently energy efficient. In non-gaming situations, maximum consumption is measured at about 9 watts while the maximum power usage during full load is 140 watts. Compared to its predecessor - the GTX 760 - that's a 21% improvement.
Pro Ideal for 1080p gaming
The GTX 960 holds up well in gaming benchmarks with a 1080p resolution and all games are perfectly playable. Some of the more recent titles may require you to to use medium settings, but overall 1080p performance is good. For example, Metro Last Light runs at an average of 56.1 frames per second with maximum details.
Pro Same price as a reference GTX 960
Although the MSI GeFroce GTX 960 Gaming 2G is outfitted with a better cooler and comes overclocked out of the box, the price remains the same as a standard GTX 960 giving this MSI edition extra value for the money.
Pro Excellent factory overclock
The standard base clock for a GTX 960 is 1127 MHz, but XFX has factory overclocked the GTX 960 to 1304 MHz, which is a major 16% increase.
Pro Very silent operation
The fans of the EVGA ACX 2.0 cooler won't spin until a temperature of 63 degrees Celsius is reached, which results in an inaudible graphics card in idle situations. During load, the fan speed will reach a maximum of 31% which is experienced as silent.
Pro Excellent overclocking potential
The GTX 960 chip overclocks very well and overclock results of over 20% aren't uncommon. Overclocking allows you to increase the clock speeds of your GPU for increased performance.
Pro Ideal for 1080p gaming
The GTX 960 holds up well in gaming benchmarks with a 1080p resolution and all games are perfectly playable. Some of the more recent titles may require you to to use medium settings, but overall 1080p performance is good. For example, Metro Last Light runs at an average of 56.1 frames per second with maximum details.
Pro Low power consumption
The EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB FTW GAMING requires a single 6-pin PCIe power connector and is decently energy efficient. In non-gaming situations, maximum consumption is measured at about 9 watts while the maximum power usage during full load is 140 watts. Compared to its predecessor - the GTX 760 - that's a 21% improvement.
Cons
Con Memory hasn't been overclocked
Contrary to the GPU clock speed of the GTX 960, MSI has chosen not to overclock the memory of the graphics card - which is a missed opportunity to even further increase performance.
Con Previous generation chip
The GTX 960 chip has been around for a while, and both NVIDIA and AMD are introducing new mid-range graphics cards in the remainder of 2016. It's only a matter of time before a new graphics card debuts with increased performance and the same price tag, such as the RX 480 by AMD.
Con Previous generation chip
The GTX 960 chip has been around for a while, and both NVIDIA and AMD are introducing new mid-range graphics cards in the remainder of 2016. It's only a matter of time before a new graphics card debuts with increased performance and the same price tag, such as the RX 480 by AMD.
Con Memory hasn't been overclocked
Despite the excellent GPU clock boost provided by the FTW GAMING Edition, EVGA has decided not to overclock the memory of the graphics card as well. This is a missed opportunity to further increase performance.