Specific Model Reviewed:
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ (04G-P4-3966-KR)
Packaging:
The video card is packed in a clear plastic clamshell suspension 'box.' This 'box' is then placed in cardboard display box. On the back of the box is a clear plastic window which lines up with the sticker on the video card showing the model and serial numbers of the video card. A duplicate of the sticker is placed on the exterior of the display box. There is a cautionary note which warns the purchaser to ensure all the numbers match on the two stickers before purchasing the video card.
I had not seen this security measure in use before and found it intriguing. However, since I purchased this video card from Amazon.com I obviously could not make this comparison until after I had purchased the video card. Nonetheless I like the idea.
Unboxing:
I sliced through one of the two security stickers (one on each end of the display box), opened the flaps and easily pulled out the clamshell suspension 'box.' I pried open the clamshell 'box' and then pulled the video card out from the bottom half of the 'box.' The only thing left to do was to remove the three pieces of plastic film protecting the front, back and top of the video card and remove the I/O port covers. Unboxing complete!
Observations Regarding the Physical Aspects of the Video Card:
The card looks good, with obvious attention to detail regarding the quality of design and engineering, selection of components, and build. The card has a heft to it which projects a feel of quality and durability. It feels like a solid piece of work, with pride of manufacturing very much in evidence.
The back plate is a nice addition to the card. Does it offer a tangible increase in the card’s performance (due to the possibility of providing additional cooling), I don’t know, although I am suspect it does. It certainly does add heft and rigidity to the card. I feel it is a positive addition.
The fans are large and well balanced. The sweep of the fan blades certainly looks good, although, since I am not an airflow engineer, I haven’t a clue as to whether or not the design of the fan blades makes a measurable difference regarding the ability of the fans to move larger volumes of air, more quietly, than do regular fan blades. Due to the design of the video card, most of the hot air is exhausted out the rear of the card (when the fans are running, where the I/O connections are made. This should certainly help to keep the interior of the computer case cooler than it would be otherwise. (On my particular computer, the single case fan resides immediately above the video card slot, exhausting hot air out the back of the case. This should help in keeping the video card, and the other components of the system, cool.)
Installation:
My computer is a Lenovo K450e, with an Intel Core i5 (4460). I had no problem removing the OEM video card (GT 720) and installing the GTX 960. There is plenty of room on all sides for installation and air flow. The card was very easy to insert into the graphics card slot. Connecting the 8-pin power connector was just as easy, although it did require a bit of force to insert all the way in.
Boot Up and Installation of Software:
The computer booted up just fine when I pressed the power button. (I am running Windows 8.1.) As I already had an NVidia video card installed, I did not remove the original video card drivers, but I did use the NVidia’s “GeForce Experience” program to check for video card driver updates. An update was found and installed. I rebooted the computer again, in order to ensure any system settings, which needed to be reset due to the new video card, could be adjusted as the system determined.
Noise
In short, I have not yet heard the fans on the video card. (I have had the card five days.) I have not adjusted the default factory settings for when the fans turn on and at what RPM, and expect I will not need to do so. The longest opportunity I have had to use the card, in one session, has been approximately three hours straight. During the entire time, I did not once hear the video card’s fans. (Although I did hear the power supply fans and the case fan. Fortunately, none of them are extremely loud or annoying.)
Video Game Quality
(Note: The native resolution of my monitor is 1920 x 1200 pixels and this is what setting I use for all of my games, if they allow it.) World of Warcraft, Diablo III, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, Skyrim, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, Witcher II, Crysis III, Archage, etc. all look beautiful. As I use the settings for each game recommended by NVidia’s “GeForce Experience,” most of which are ‘high’ or ‘ultra,’ I won’t list specifically what they are.
I will say I am more than happy and pleased with the results. For the first time since I have been playing video games on a computer, I find myself immersed in each game. I am not distracted by poor video quality or slow frame rates. The games just play, and play very well indeed. It is almost a liberating experience. Video effects which I didn’t even know my games could display are displayed in their full glory and without introducing video artifacts.
Will I tweak each of the games’ settings as the weeks go on, of course! However, this will be more for academic reasons than for actually trying to improve the video quality.
4GB versus 2GB of VRAM
As this card is still new to the market, there are many people performing reviews and posting them online. Many of these reviewers perform tests which try to ascertain if the extra two gigabytes of VRAM are actually useful in the real world and if it is worth the extra money. I will let those sites try to answer those questions. What I will say is your extra cash goes not only for an extra two gigabytes of VRAM, but also for the back plate. Whether or not this makes a difference to you, only you can decide. As for me, I feel the extra VRAM and addition of the back plate is worth the extra money.
One more note on this discussion: As video cards with 4GB of VRAM become more prevalent, I believe video game programmers will code their games to take advantage of the extra storage space. How soon this will happen, who knows? But at least for now, my system can play those games which require (or can take advantage of) the extra VRAM.
Conclusion
Will this card satisfy hard core video game enthusiasts? No. That is why NVidia offers the GTX 970, 980 and Titan video cards. If you have the disposable income, get one of those cards. And even then, those cards will have hard core enthusiasts looking for more. For the remaining 99% of the buying public, I feel the GTX 960 offers an outstanding balance of graphics quality, power efficiency and price-to-performance ratio to more than meet our PC gaming needs. I heartily recommend this card to anyone who wants to play their video games with excellent graphics quality, while not having to spend a fortune doing so.
Two thumbs up!
| Max Screen Resolution | 4096 x 2160 |
|---|---|
| Memory Speed | 7010 MHz |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Nvidia GeForce |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | GeForce GTX 960 |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 4 GB |
