Gigabyte & MSI GeForce GTX 560 Launch Review - PAGE 3

The MSI NGTX560 comes packaged in a box with visual flair. Along with a large image of the tail-end of the Twin Frozr II cooler, MSI has listed the main features for the card at the upper right hand portion of the box, like PhysX, SLI, 3D Vision support and so on. Below that, MSI lists the warranty period of the card, the total sound rating of the Twin Frozr II heatsink and the use of "Military Class" components. Don't miss in the large sticker on the left indicating that the card comes with a free copy of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.

The MSI graphics card comes encased in a large foam insert that also houses all the accessories. MSI has included two 6-pin power adapters, a VGA-to-DVI adapter, HDMI-to-Mini-HDMI converter, and a quick start users guide and manual. The accessories are very similar to what Gigabyte included with their offering, but the free game really helps this card stand out.

The MSI card uses the manufacturer's dual fan Twin Frozr II heatsink along with their Military Class II components. This gives this model high quality parts such as SFC (Super Ferrite Chokes) to provide better current to the GPU and improve the overclocking ability. As part of the Military Class II design, the NGTX560 includes Hi-C Capacitors for the GPU for more precise voltage, and of course All Solid Japanese capacitors.

Like the Gigabyte model, the NGTX560 comes with a factory set overclock, but MSI has tweaked their clock speed up to 870MHz. This gives this model an additional 40MHz in comparison to the Gigabyte card and and 60MHz in comparison to the reference models. With the clock speed set to 870MHz, the CUDA engine is set at 1740 MHz. Additionally, the NGTX560 comes equipped with a 1GB frame buffer of GDDR5 memory that is clocked at 1020MHz (4080MHz effective).

The MSI NGTX560 comes on a brown PCB that includes a single SLI connector and a PCIe x16 2.0 bus type connector.

The NGTX560 has two rear mounted 6-pin PEG power connectors. At 870MHz, the MSI card will have a slightly increased TDP over the reference GTX 560 with a TDP of 150 watts. However, with dual 6-pin connectors this card can potentially be supplied with over 200W of power, so even with the factory overclock there is still plenty of power available to the board.

Like most Nvidia based graphics cards, the NGTX 560 includes dual DVI-I ports along with a single Mini-HDMI connector. With these connections the user will be able to utilize technologies such as 3D Vision and 3D Surround. The HDMI port utilizes the 1.4a standard which features bitstreaming support for Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master audio.

The NGTX560 uses MSI's Twin Frozr II thermal solution that includes dual 80mm PWM fans that supply up to 50% more airflow through the heatsink. Even though the fans supply improved airflow, they still only operate at 30dBA. This is exceptionally quiet for a graphics card, especially when comparing to louder reference models. The Twin Frozr II heatsink also utilizes SuperPipe technology, as their are four nickle-plated heatpipes that connect the base to the fin array. Lastly, the Twin Frozr heatsink includes a large base that is also nickel-plated copper, which will improve the total heat dissipation

The NGTX560 has a very robust design that includes a 6+1 Super Ferrite Chokes surrounded by all Solid Capacitors, and a finned heatsink on the VRM. This design will increase the overall efficiency of the card, improving stability and the total overclocking potential. The board also includes eight Samsung-based memory chips that each have a 128MB capacity.