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Nvidia's GTX 950 is a smart card for the company as it aggressively hits a cost-effective price point where AMD has roamed freely for many months. The GTX 950, or more specifically factory-overclocked cards from board partners, is able to offer a smooth 60FPS gaming experience while typically using Very High or Maximum image quality settings and a 1920×1080 resolution. This is a positive for budget-conscious users who want to drive their 1080p panel without significantly reduced settings or a lower-than-60FPS average frame rate.
Running in its factory-overclocked state, Asus' STRIX Gaming GTX 950 DC2 OC sits pretty much directly between factory-overclocked GTX 960 and GTX 750 Ti solutions. This is what Nvidia aimed for, and it is roughly what retail pricing will also show.
Strong overclocking performance from the Maxwell GM206 core allows Asus' STRIX Gaming GTX 950 DC2 OC card to significantly close the gap between the more expensive GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380 solutions that we tested at their factory state.
We had no problem playing our suite of new and slightly older AAA titles at a mixture of High and Ultra quality settings. GTA V, for example, ran smoothly on Very High settings (with the frame-tanking MSAA switched off) and Tomb Raider was comfortably chugging on its Ultimate preset. Users interested in multiplayer games such as CS:GO, LoL, and Dota 2 will have no problem pushing high frame rates (and low latencies) using a 1920×1080 monitor.
Asus' selection of output connectors is smart and caters for a wide audience, from 4K HTPC users to gamers with an older secondary monitor that runs through VGA. A single SLI finger gives the GTX 950 2-way capability, although I do not think this will become a popular direct solution due to more compelling available options for the price of two GTX 950 cards.
The single 6-pin PCIe power connector may be deemed a negative by some. While it allows Nvidia to hit a performance point between the GTX 750 Ti and GTX 950, many HTPC users or gamers upgrading an off-the-shelf desktop system may have liked to see the no-power-connector approach of the GTX 750 Ti repeated. Given the GTX 950 performance results compared to a GTX 750 Ti, I would not consider the single power connector to be a negative point, but it is worth noting.
VRAM capacity may be another area for debate. 2GB is generally enough for 1920×1080 gaming, although games such as GTA V and Shadow of Mordor (and let's not forget Skyrim and its texture mods) will show rewards for higher VRAM capacities. Judging by our testing, the card has enough steam to handle GTA V settings that used 3GB of VRAM on a different card, so that is worth noting to those comparing the 2GB GTX 950 with AMD's 4GB R7 370.
Power consumption numbers from the Asus STRIX GTX 950 are low enough to make a decent quality 430W PSU (such as the Corsair CX430) perfectly capable, even when housed alongside a heavily overclocked CPU. Temperature and noise performance from the DirectCU II cooler was also promising, with Asus' card running cooler than its Palit competitor for a similar noise output.
While actual MSRP for the GTX 950 is £129, partner cards will be priced around the £119-139 mark in retailers. This puts GTX 950 solutions head-to-head with AMD's R7 370. Strong overclocking potential from the GM206 core and low power consumption are positives for Nvidia's solution. We expect the factory-overclocked, dual-fan Asus STRIX Gaming GTX 950 DC2 OC to sell towards the upper end of pricing, at around £139. Edit: the card is currently on pre-order for £149.99.
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Pros:
- GTX 950 provides strong gaming performance at 1920×1080 with high/ultra image settings in AAA titles.
- Superb overclocking potential from the GM206 core and Samsung GDDR5 memory.
- Low power consumption levels.
- Positive cooling and acoustic performance from Asus' DirectCU II cooler.
- Fans support 0dB mode.
- Attractive card design.
- HDMI 2.0 and H.265 (HEVC) encode/decode support for media-lovers.
Cons:
- 6-pin power connector may limit the appeal to those with basic PSUs, compared to the GTX 750 Ti.
- 2GB VRAM is cutting it fine for some AAA titles at 1920×1080.
KitGuru says: A competitive option for 1080P gaming that gives Nvidia a foothold at the £129 price point. Asus' DirectCU II cooler performs admirably, and the factory overclock on its STRIX card provides a healthy frame rate boost.
