Model Name | STRIX-GTX950-DC2OC-2GD5-GAMING |
Graphics Engine | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 |
Bus Standard | PCI Express 3.0 |
Video Memory | 2GB GDDR5 |
Engine Clock | OC Mode – GPU Boost Clock : 1355 MHZ , GPU Base Clock : 1165 MHz Gaming Mode – GPU Boost Clock : 1329 MHZ , GPU Base Clock : 1140 MHz |
CUDA Core | 768 |
Memory Clock | 6610 MHz |
Memory Interface | 128-bit |
Interface | DVI Output : Yes x 1 (DVI-I), Yes x 1 (DVI-D) HDMI Output : Yes x 1 (HDMI 2.0) Display Port : Yes x 3 (Regular DP) HDCP Support : Yes |
Accessories | 1 x STRIX Laser Sticker |
Software | ASUS GPU Tweak & Driver |
Dimensions | 220mm x 125mm x 40mm |
Among three main memory chips used for graphics card (Elpida, Hynix, Samsung), Samsung chips are known to be the best performer. Since the Samsung made K4G41325FC-HC28 chip was found on the Strix GTX950, we’re expecting a decent overclocking result from it.
Test Rig Configuration | |
CPU Cooler | Corsair H100i |
CPU | Intel Core i7 4770K |
Motherboard | ASUS Maximus Gene VI |
Memory | Kingston HyperX Savage 16GB |
Primary Hard Drive | Crucial M500 120GB |
Power Supply | Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 600W |
Chassis | Vector Benchcase |
We’ve conducted our test by installing the ASUS STRIX GTX950 to our test bench as above. Each and every benchmark is conducted in a room with 30C° ambient temperature.
Performance, Overclocking
We ran a few graphically demanding games and synthetic benchmark in our possession on 1080p with the highest achievable clock speed for both its memory and GPU that is stable enough to be able to complete each benchmark with the following values:
- Maximum boost clock of 1475MHz
- 8012 MHz on the memory clock
- 1.2V on the voltage for GPU
That’s a 120MHz gain from the stock boost clock of 1355MHz for GPU and 1402MHz gain from the stock memory clock of 6610MHz in total.
Performance
We ran a few graphically demanding games and synthetic benchmarks in our possession on a selected settings, which is considered as high for much of our test as usual.The final result of each benchmark is presented in the form of the graph below:
3D Mark Test (Default Clock)
3D Mark Test (Overclocked)
Temperature
We’ve ran a 15 minute burn-in test on the FurMark GPU stress test utility with the fan operate under normal mode and maximum fan speed mode and the temperature for both test is recorded and populated in the graph below.
Verdict
While it is marketed as an entry level mainstream GPU, the ASUS Strix GTX 950 turns out to be quite capable for a card of its category.Not only that it’s factory overclocked to a much higher GPU and memory clock than the reference unit, we’re still able to overclock it a little more to squeeze more performance out. Although it’s not as much as what we’ve hope for, the unusual big boost we’ve achieved on the memory clock is still something that is worth to keep an eye on.
Temperature wise, the Strix cooler is doing a pretty good job in keeping the GPU cool, though going to maximum fan speed kills the acoustic performance. The trade off for ramping up the fan speed to maximum is a 4°C off, but it isn’t something that we would recommend as it defeats the purpose of Strix’s marketed silent cooling.
The ASUS Strix GTX 950 retails at RM 899, a little expensive but still pretty good entry level mainstream GPU that is able to perform pretty well on some of the games that is heavily taxing on the GPU.
Pros
- Comes factory overclocked
- Decent overclocking capability on the memory
- Near silent 0db fan design
- Decent performance from a entry level mainstream GPU that runs on 128-Bit memory bus
- Good form factor that makes it an ideal choice for small form factor system
Cons
- A little expensive
- Limited overclocking headroom on GPU
- Performance could be better if it’s running on 192-bit or 256-bit memory bus
