The MSI N450GTS Cyclone arrives in a standard sized box, with the front featuring an isolated image of the cooler.
The bundle contains a software disc, power converter, manual, quick start guide and some video converter cables. MSI Afterburner is included, a great overclocking tool based around the Rivatuner application.
The card itself is dominated by the Cyclone cooler, which is almost identical to the cooler on the N460GTX we recently reviewed. The card is 8.25 inches long and has full support for SLI.
The fan is a 9cm unit which is PWM controlled and according to MSI offers 40% more airflow over a reference design. The design is 'rounded' to keep out dust and claims are made than the card will run 17% cooler than the reference design.
The name ‘Cyclone' bears reference to the air flow system incorporated as can be seen in the diagram above.
The card utilises all solid capacitors throughout and runs at lower temperatures with a higher efficiency. MSI also offers the Cyclone card in a non-overclocked state and while we don't have confirmed pricing for this product just yet, we would guess around £100. The standard card will run at 783mhz core and memory at 3600mhz, not 850mhz and 4000mhz as with the OC edition we are testing today. The MSI GTS450 card supports two dual link DVI ports and a mini HDMI connector. It only requires a single 6 pin power connector.
The heatsink is easily removed by removing four screws on the rear of the PCB.
The Fan base is nickel plated copper which offers much better heat transfer when compared with a traditionally designed cooler. The rounded edge on the fins will help prevent dust from ‘holding' on the edge, giving longer fan lifespan. Two heatpipes are incorporated helping to disperse heat outwards to the fins.
Military grade components are used throughout, and the capacitors have Tantalum Cores, which is a rare metal offering high levels of stability. MSI claim the same material is used on space shuttles and satellites, so I guess if you ever wanted to take your PC up to game in space this would be an ideal choice.