MSI GEFORCE GTX 650 Ti 1GB Power Edition Video Card Overclocked

We overclock the Power Edition version of the GTX 650 Ti and see what we can do with the model.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: MSI
13 minutes & 15 seconds read time

Introduction and Overclocking

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I was excited about overclocking the GTX 650 Ti as I'd hope we'd see the same kind of success when it came to the numbers that we saw from the MSI GTX 650 1GB Power Edition which overclocked extremely well. If we could see a strong overclock I knew that we'd be able to close the gap on that 60 FPS number we're constantly aiming for which we at often found ourselves sitting quite close to.

With a good jumping point already being given for the GTX 650 Ti 1GB Power Edition, we came to the conclusion that when we did fall shy of that 60 FPS number, it was never by all that much. With just a small detail drop we'd be able to lift those numbers to where we need them to be. In our original review on MSI GTX 650 Ti 1GB Power Edition, though, we mentioned that if we could see similar kind of overclock success to what we saw out of the non-Ti version, then we should be able to get the numbers we want.

Being a Power Edition based video card also means that overclocking should be something that you're considering as it's one of the main reasons to choose this series over others as the Triple Over-Voltage brings with it the ability to achieve higher clocks.

Because we've already done a standalone review on the card we won't be going over the package or the card itself again. If you want to take a closer look at that we recommend that you check out the original MSI GTX 650 Ti 1GB Power Edition review that we just recently did. Instead we'll just get into the overclocking side of things below before moving into our testbed, the cards that will be in our graphs today, and finally the performance side of things.

Overclocking

Out of the box the new GTX 650 Ti will give you a 928MHz core clock while the 1GB of GDDR5 will come in at 5400MHz QDR. The MSI OC version of the Power Edition card comes in with a slightly bumped core clock of 993MHz while they decide to leave the 1GB of GDDR5 at 5400MHz QDR.

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Bumping our voltages up you can see above that we managed to push the core up to 1220MHz which is almost 300MHz over what a reference clocked GTX 650 Ti will give you out of the box.

As for the 1GB of GDDR5 we're not like MSI and will be attacking that today. Looking above you can see we managed to push it from 5400MHz QDR to an impressive 6200MHz QDR.

Benchmarks - Test System Setup

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We would like to thank the following companies for supplying and supporting us with our test system hardware and equipment: Intel, ASUS and Corsair.

There are no changes on the testbed side of things and you can see all the main components are covered in the image above. As for the cards in our graphs today they're near identical to what was included in our original review of the MSI GTX 650 Ti 1GB Power Edition.

That means we've got the GTX 650 1GB Power Edition at both stock and overclocked along with the GTX 660 and GTX 660 Ti. On the AMD side of things we've got the HD 7770, HD 7850 and HD 7870. We've decided to drop the lower end HD 7750 out of our graphs today.

Let's get started!

The FPS Numbers Explained

When we benchmark our video cards and look at the graphs, we aim to get to a certain level of FPS which we consider playable. While many may argue that the human eye can't see over 24 FPS or 30 FPS, any true gamer will tell you that as we climb higher in Frames Per Seconds (FPS), the overall gameplay feels smoother. There are three numbers we're looking out for when it comes to our benchmarks.

30 FPS - It's the minimum number we aim for when it comes to games. If you're not dropping below 30 FPS during games, you're going to have a nice and smooth gaming experience. The ideal situation is that even in a heavy fire fight, the minimum stays above 30 FPS making sure that you can continue to aim easily or turn the corner with no dramas.

60 FPS - It's the average we look for when we don't have a minimum coming at us. If we're getting an average of 60 FPS, we should have a minimum of 30 FPS or better and as mentioned above, it means we've got some smooth game play happening.

120 FPS - The new number that we've been hunting down over recent months. If you're the owner of a 120 Hz monitor, to get the most out of it you want to get around the 120 FPS mark. Moving from 60 FPS / 60 Hz to 120 FPS / 120 Hz brings with it a certain fluidity that can't really be explained, but instead has to be experienced. Of course, if you're buying a 120 Hz monitor to take advantage of 3D, an average of 120 FPS in our benchmark means that in 3D you will have an average of 60 FPS, which again means you should expect some smooth gameplay.

Benchmarks - 3DMark 11

3DMark 11

Version and / or Patch Used: 1.1

Developer Homepage: http://www.futuremark.com

Product Homepage: http://www.3dmark.com/3dmark11/

Buy It Here

3DMark 11 is the latest version of the world's most popular benchmark. Designed to measure your PC's gaming performance 3DMark 11 makes extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading. Trusted by gamers worldwide to give accurate and unbiased results, 3DMark 11 is the best way to consistently and reliably test DirectX 11 under game-like loads.

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Moving out the gate with 3DMark 11 we can see a nice boost with the overclock here today. You can see that in the Performance preset we've got a score increase of almost 1000 points, while the Extreme preset sees a solid 200 point increase.

Benchmarks - Unigine Heaven Benchmark

Unigine Heaven Benchmark

Version and / or Patch Used: 2.5

Developer Homepage: http://www.unigine.com

Product Homepage: http://unigine.com/press-releases/091022-heaven_benchmark//

New benchmark grants the power to unleash the DirectX 11 potential in the gift wrapping of impressively towering graphics capabilities. It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. With the interactive mode emerging experience of exploring the intricate world is ensured within reach. Through its advanced renderer, Unigine is one of the first to set precedence in showcasing the art assets with tessellation, bringing compelling visual finesse, utilizing the technology to the full extend and exhibiting the possibilities of enriching 3D gaming.

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We saw the MSI GTX 650 Power Edition when overclocked here get a really nice boost in performance and you can see it isn't all that far from the stock GTX 650 Ti Power Edition. Overclocked, though, we see a really nice boost in performance which helps separate the two cards clearly.

Benchmarks - Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.2

Version and / or Patch Used: Benchmark Demo

Timedemo or Level Used: Built-in Test

Developer Homepage: http://www.ubi.com/UK/default.aspx

Product Homepage: http://www.hawxgame.com/

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 is an arcade-style flight action game developed by Ubisoft Romania and published by Ubisoft. The game is the sequel to Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., released in 2009.

The game begins with Colonel David Crenshaw participating in a routine patrol mission in the Middle East. After halting an insurgent attack, a volley of missiles is fired at the Air Force base that Crenshaw was stationed at, with one of the missiles disabling Crenshaw's aircraft, resulting Crenshaw being in enemy captivity. A joint strike force composed of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and a Ghost Recon squad executes an operation to rescue Crenshaw. In Scotland, Royal Navy Pilot Colin Munro encounters an unidentified passenger aircraft that explodes from an on-board bomb when undergoing training exercise. In Russia, an air force squadron led by Colonel Denisov and Captain Dmitri Sokov engages separatist aircraft but is ordered to retreat from the region after numerous Russian military installations have been attacked.

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H.A.W.X. 2 performance was already very strong and you can see the overclock just helps boost performance even further. Let's get into some more intensive games and see how the overclock goes.

Benchmarks - Mafia II

Mafia II

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.2kczech.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.mafia2game.com/

Buy It Here

Mafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games. The game is set from 1943 to 1951 in Empire Bay (the name is a reference to New York's state nickname "The Empire State"), a fictional city based on San Francisco and New York City, with influences from Chicago and Detroit. The game features a completely open-ended game map of 10 square miles. No restrictions are included from the start of the game. There are around 50 vehicles in the game, as well as licensed music from the era.

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Looking above you can see the overclock helps give us some more breathing room and while not so important at 1680 x 1050, it's nice to move away from that 63 FPS average we got at 1920 x 1200.

Benchmarks - Lost Planet 2

Lost Planet 2

Version and / or Patch Used: Benchmark Demo

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark - Test A Scene 1

Developer Homepage: http://www.capcom.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.lostplanet2game.com/

Lost Planet 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition which is also made by Capcom, taking place ten years after the events of the first game, on the same fictional planet. The story takes place back on E.D.N. III 10 years after the events of the first game. The snow has melted to reveal jungles and more tropical areas that have taken the place of more frozen regions. The plot begins with Mercenaries fighting against Jungle Pirates. After destroying a mine, the Mercenaries continue on to evacuate the area, in which a Category-G Akrid appears and attacks them. After being rescued, they find out their evacuation point (Where the Category-G appeared) was a set-up and no pick up team awaited them. The last words imply possible DLC additions to the game, "There's nothing to be gained by wiping out snow pirates... unless you had some kind of grudge."

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This is a great result for our overclock here; we see some more breathing room at 1680 x 1050 which managed to get just a single FPS over that 60 FPS mark. At 1920 x 1200 you can see the overclock takes us from under 60 FPS to over it now. This is exactly what we like to so when it comes to overclocking.

Benchmarks - Aliens vs. Predator

Aliens vs. Predator

Version and / or Patch Used: Standalone Benchmark

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.rebellion.co.uk/

Product Homepage: http://www.sega.com/games/aliens-vs-predator/

Aliens vs. Predator is a science fiction first-person shooter video game, developed by Rebellion Developments, the team behind the 1999 original PC game, and published by Sega for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. The game is based on the Alien vs. Predator franchise, a combination of the characters and creatures of the Alien franchise and the Predator franchise. There are three campaigns in the game, one for each race/faction (the Predators, the Aliens and the Colonial Marines), that, while separate in terms of individual plot and gameplay, form one overarching storyline.

Following the storyline of the campaign modes comes the multiplayer aspect of the game. In this Multiplayer section of the game, players face off in various different gametypes in various different ways.

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Looking at our Aliens vs. Predator numbers you can see we're able to get into the 60 FPS realm at 1680 x 1050. While we do see a nice boost at 1920 x 1200, you can see we do still fall shy of what we would consider playable FPS.

Benchmarks - Just Cause 2

Just Cause 2

Version and / or Patch Used: 1.0.0.2

Timedemo or Level Used: Dark Tower

Developer Homepage: http://www.eidos.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.justcause.com/

Just Cause 2 employs the Avalanche Engine 2.0, an updated version of the engine used in Just Cause. The game is set on the other side of the world from the original Just Cause, on the fictional island of Panau in Southeast Asia. Panau has varied terrain, from desert to alpine to rainforest. Rico Rodriguez returns as the protagonist, aiming to overthrow the evil dictator Pandak "Baby" Panay and confront his former mentor, Tom Sheldon.

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While not so needed the extra FPS at 1680 x 1050 are appreciated. 1920 x 1200 on the other hand sees us again fall from under 60 FPS with the out of the box performance to over 60 FPS with the overclock we managed here today.

Benchmarks - Metro 2033

Metro 2033

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.4a-games.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.thqnordic.com/

Metro 2033 is an action-oriented video game with a combination of survival horror and first-person shooter elements. The game is based on the novel Metro 2033 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. It was developed by 4A Games in Ukraine and released in March 2010 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360.[3] In March 2006, 4A Games announced a partnership with Glukhovsky to collaborate on the game.[4] The game was announced at the 2009 Games Convention in Leipzig;[5] a first trailer came along with the announcement.[6] A sequel was announced, currently titled Metro: Last Light.

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Metro 2033 sees some strong gains at both resolutions and we're pushed into playable number territory at 1680 x 1050. Unfortunately we're still below that 60 FPS number at 1920 x 1200 for solid gameplay.

Benchmarks - Dirt 3

Dirt 3

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.codemasters.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.dirt3game.com/

DiRT 3 boasts more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series, including over 50 rally cars representing the very best from five decades of the sport. With more than double the track content of 2009's hit, DiRT 3 will see players start at the top as a professional driver, with a top-flight career in competitive off-road racing complimented by the opportunity to express themselves in Gymkhana-style showpiece driving events.

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Looking at Dirt 3 numbers we see a strong boost again and at 1920 x 1200 the overclock helps boost our numbers to over 60 FPS again.

Benchmarks - Far Cry 2

Far Cry 2

Version and / or Patch Used: 1.01

Timedemo or Level Used: Ranch Long

Developer Homepage: http://www.ubi.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.farcry2.com/

Buy It Here

The Dunia Engine was built specifically for Far Cry 2 by the award-winning Ubisoft Montréal development team. It delivers the most realistic destructible environments, amazing special effects such as dynamic fire propagation and storm effects, real-time night-and-day cycle, dynamic music system, non-scripted enemy A.I. and so much more.

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Again strong gains across the board and you can see we've got playable numbers at all resolutions in this instance.

Temperature Test

The temperature of the core is pulled from MSI Afterburner with the max reading used after a completed run off 3DMark Vantage and the Performance preset.

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On the temperature side of things you can see not a whole lot changes which is a testament to the quality of that Cyclone II cooler that MSI uses.

Sound Test

Pulling out the TES 1350A Sound Level Meter we find ourselves quickly yelling into the top of it to see how loud we can be.

After five minutes of that we get a bit more serious and place the device two CM away from the fan on the card to find the maximum noise level of the card when idle (2D mode) and in load (3D mode).

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Noise levels are ever so slightly elevated, but continue to sit towards the bottom of the pack, which is exactly where you want to be when it comes to noise levels.

Power Consumption Test

Using our PROVA Power Analyzer WM-01 or "Power Thingy" as it has become quickly known as to our readers, we are now able to find out what kind of power is being used by our test system and the associated graphics cards installed. Keep in mind; it tests the complete system (minus LCD monitor, which is plugged directly into AC wall socket).

There are a few important notes to remember though; while our maximum power is taken in 3DMark06 at the same exact point, we have seen in particular tests the power being drawn as much as 10% more. We test at the exact same stage every time; therefore tests should be very consistent and accurate.

The other thing to remember is that our test system is bare minimum - only a SSD hard drive is used with a single CD ROM and minimal cooling fans.

So while the system might draw 400 watts in our test system, placing it into your own PC with a number of other items, the draw is going to be higher.

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Power draw continues to sit around that mid 300 watt mark and most branded power supplies should have no trouble dealing with this video card.

Final Thoughts

Overclocking the MSI GTX 650 1GB Ti Power Edition video card really opens it up for some great performance. You can see in those instances where we managed to fall a little shy of that 60 FPS number we aim for we're now able to reach bringing us from what we consider unplayable numbers to playable results.

Outside of that we also saw when we managed to just squeeze in that 60 FPS number we get a nice boost in performance making sure that our game is going to run extra smooth. Those times we were also a decent little chunk away from the 60 FPS mark we can now see the gap has closed in and while we still fall slightly behind it, a small detail drop should bring the number up to a smooth playable level.

For that mid $100 mark the GTX 650 Ti Power Edition from MSI continues to be a fantastic buy and probably one of the best buys when it comes to this kind of money. The Power Edition series as always brings with it a nice boost in performance thanks to that Triple Over-Voltage feature and higher quality line up of components which helps the model always stand out against the competition.

For 1680 x 1050 gamers the GTX 650 Ti Power Edition from MSI is a good looking model as it manages to perform very strong at this resolution. The times it does fall behind those numbers we want out of the box, we can take the time to head into MSI Afterburner to overclock the model slightly helping boost performance to levels where we need them to be.

If you're a 1920 x 1080 / 1200 gamer it's also a good model, but you don't have the same freedom when it comes to setting your graphics at that resolution, and overclocking becomes a lot more necessary.

Overall out of the box the GTX 650 Ti Power Edition from MSI did a good job of impressing us, but if you throw overclocking into the mix, you manage to get some really strong performance across the board. For the money going past this video card is going to be extremely difficult.

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Shawn takes care of all of our video card reviews. From 2009, Shawn is also taking care of our memory reviews, and from May 2011, Shawn also takes care of our CPU, chipset and motherboard reviews. As of December 2011, Shawn is based out of Taipei, Taiwan.

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