Gigabyte Launches Faster GTX 950: Xtreme Gaming Series
Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming is the company's premium offering in this segment. From the factory, this card comes pre-overclocked with a 1203 MHz base clock and 1405 MHz boost clock. Nvidia's reference spec for the GTX 950 is 1026 MHz base and 1190 MHz boost, so Gigabyte has already given it an aggressive overclock, but with the company's "GPU Gauntlet Sorting" binning process, it guarantees Xtreme Gaming cards have better overclocking headroom than the other GTX 950s it offers.
To help the binned GPUs reach their true potential, Gigabyte has included a single 8-pin PCIe port rather than sticking with the traditional 6-pin, which theoretically should enable higher power draw limits. The company has also opted to use the same high quality chokes and capacitors found on the Titan X, which Gigabyte said ensures a longer lifespan of the card. The PCB has even been coated with an aerospace-grade material that is designed to shield it from moisture and corrosion, as well as damage from dust buildup.
The GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming card features Gigabyte's dual fan Windforce 2X cooler with copper heatpipes and aluminum heatsink fins. The fans included have what Gigabyte calls 3D stripe curve design, which features triangular-shaped blades. The company said this design helps reduce air turbulence, while increasing cooling capacity.
The fans on the Gigabyte GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming feature the 3D-Active Fan technology found in the company's cards since 2007. 3D-Active Fan is Gigabyte's 0 dB technology that allows one or both fans to stop spinning when the card is idle. The Xtreme Gaming card goes a little further and includes LED lights to indicate the state the fans are in.
There are LEDs that indicate silent, and stop on either side of the Windforce logo. The logo itself is illuminated by a multicolored LED that can be configured through the OC GURU II utility. The logo lights up in a variety of the different color options when the fans are spinning.
Rounding out the package, Gigabyte has opted to include a metal back plate, which is something you don't often see at this price point.
Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 950 Xtreme Gaming edition is available now, for a suggested price of $179.99.
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Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years.
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Xibyth Just shy of a GTX 960 price tag, sounds like a huge waste given the nominal difference in power usage, and the performance difference.Reply -
TechyInAZ Looks great! Finally a budget card for us poor gamers that actually comes with a RGB led! :)Reply -
TallestJon96 A highly OCed, well binned, increased power limit 960 could have potential, especially if they went for 4GB. But this 950 just bridges the very small gap between the 950 and 960.Reply -
Sirex712 That just seems highly unnecessary. You could get a basic 960 for a few dollars more. If money is tight, staying in one weekend could save you even more and you could probably even get the 4gb version. Definitely not a smart buy imo. But to each his own, I suppose.Reply -
wtfxxxgp ReplyFor the same price I could get a 960 and oc it too...
Frankly, I think I could O/C my Strix to very similar levels too. I went with the 950 because of the type of games I'm playing and for FHD I think it's just a remarkable card. -
ozicom I think I'll wait until GTX 940 or something come out. In past they start with bottom and add up so pricing was made according to lowest product. But now they start with high end everyone is comparing low ones by high ones. Every manufacturer is doing this nomatter what they produce - car, processor, computer products.Reply -
TechyInAZ Reply16609536 said:I think I'll wait until GTX 940 or something come out. In past they start with bottom and add up so pricing was made according to lowest product. But now they start with high end everyone is comparing low ones by high ones. Every manufacturer is doing this nomatter what they produce - car, processor, computer products.
I don't think another GTX model will come out for Maxwell, all the Maxwell GPUs have replaced their counterparts. However we might find a 960 ti and/or a GTX 990 eventually.
x40 and under belongs to the GT lineup, x50 and up belongs to the GTX lineup.