MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked

After looking at the newly released GTX 560 Ti-448 to select regions earlier in the week thanks to MSI's tricked up Twin Frozr III Power Edition, we now give it a solid overclocking kick to see where its limits lie.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: MSI
12 minutes & 46 seconds read time

Introduction

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 02

The other day we checked out the brand new MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition and found ourselves extremely impressed what the limited edition model from NVIDIA was offering us for the holiday season. Being part of the Power Edition series from MSI, though, means that it stands out more so than a lot of other companies, and via the help of MSI Afterburner we're able to overclock the card.

The biggest benefit to the Power Edition cards, though, is they expand the range of voltages we can adjust when it comes to overclocking. With more range for voltage adjustment, we're able to get higher overclocks and of course higher overclocks, meaning we're going to see more performance out of the card.

Today we'll be firing up MSI Afterburner and seeing just what we can do on the overclocking side. Knowing MSI, the Power Edition should give us a decent overclock and we should hopefully see a nice boost in performance. Before we get into the performance side of things, though, the first thing we need to do is check out our test system setup. Once we've done that we'll quickly cover how we went with the overclocking side of things before we of course run the card through our gauntlet.

Let's find out if our limited edition card has limited overclocking capabilities or if the Power Edition naming to the card can live up to its name and give us some more power.

Test System Setup

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 99

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

On the testbed side we haven't got anything out of the ordinary at all, especially when compared to our setup when we tested the card originally in our launch article . Since there's not much that really needs to be said, we'll just get into the overclocking side of things before we of course get into the performance stuff.

Speaking to MSI, we were told that we should see around the 950MHz core mark on the card with +150mv on the core. Knowing where we should end up is always handy as it means that we don't have to start at the stock 750MHz and push the core up 25MHz at a time. Instead we can shoot up to 900MHz and take it from there.

We'd bump the core up and run 3DMark 11 over and over again until we hit a point where it was crashing out for us. As you can see below, that point was 1000MHz or 1GHz on the core; a huge overclock and a "very good" one according to MSI.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 01

This in turn boosted the Shader clock to 2000MHz. As for the 1280MB of GDDR5 memory, we moved that from 3900MHz QDR to 4552MHz QDR; another very strong overclock.

This is a really strong overclock and while we could get 3DMark 11 running at around the 1010MHz - 1015MHz mark on the core, we found under Heaven that the card would fall over. Moving back to an even 1GHz clock, though, brought with it rock solid performance.

Hopefully we will see some really strong performance out of the card and greatly improve upon the very respectable numbers we've already seen out of the MSI GTX 560 Ti 448 card.

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.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 20

Straight away out of the gate we can see the massive performance boost that's on offer from our GTX 560 Ti 448 when clocked at a massive 1000MHz on the core.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 21

Looking at Heaven performance, you can see a massive boost. At the highest resolution the increase falls just under 30%. You can see at 1920 x 1200, the GTX 560 Ti 448 overclocked offers about the same performance as the GTX 570 when it's running at 1680 x 1050.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 22

H.A.W.X. 2 already sees very strong performance, but across the board you can see a massive boost in performance with the numbers sitting at double over the HD 6970. Of course, H.A.W.X. 2 has never been kind to AMD cards.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 23

We continue to see those big bumps in performance and you can see we move from below that 60 FPS mark we aim for at 2560 x 1600 to a good 9 FPS over it.

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."

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 24

Big increases across the board and you can see at the highest resolution we've almost got playable numbers. Considering we're dealing with Lost Planet 2, that's really quite amazing.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 25

Looking at Aliens vs. Predator, we can see that there's a really strong gain at 2560 x 1600. Unfortunately we don't get to that 60 FPS mark we always aim for. At 1920 x 1200 where the card at stock pulled in just a single FPS over that mark, we can see we're now 17 FPS over that 60 FPS goal which will mean we'll have silky smooth gameplay.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 26

At the highest resolution we can again see that we're just shy of that 60 FPS we want, but the smallest detail drop would bring that number up to where we want it to be. Below that, we continue to see those strong gains and we've got some mammoth FPS coming out of the new model.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 27

Looking at Metro 2033, we can see that our GTX 560 and GTX 570 struggled at 1920 x 1200. Overclocked, we can see a really nice boost in performance with an average FPS of 69 which will be great.

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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 28

We continue to see at 2560 x 1600 in these intensive games that our new card is right on the edge of that 60 FPS mark we aim for. Considering our in-game detail is maxed, the slight adjustment would bring that over the 60 FPS mark we like to have.

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 Montreal 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.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 29

Looking at Far Cry 2, it comes as no surprise we continue to see a strong boost in performance and of course we've got very playable numbers here.

Benchmarks - High Quality AA and AF

High Quality AA and AF

Our high quality tests let us separate the men from the boys and the ladies from the girls. If the cards weren't struggling before they will start to now.

MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 30
MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 31
MSI GTX 560 Ti-448 1280MB Twin Frozr III Power Edition Video Card Overclocked 32

Far Cry 2 continues to be playable and you can see that Aliens vs. Predator falls below that mark again. Mafia II is a prime example of why we love to overclock, though, as we move from below that playable 60 FPS we aim for to over it, and in quite a big way with a 72 FPS average.

Final Thoughts

Whoa! I'm not sure what else I can say to be honest. I'm not shocked to see a strong overclock out of the Power Edition model from MSI; 1GHz continues to be a core clock that a lot of cards struggle with, though, especially as we get to the higher end area. Our MSI GTX 560 Ti 448 Twin Frozr III Power Edition didn't miss a beat today and the performance increase it gave was just massive.

While the MSI version of the card out of the box probably won't be the fastest as they've always been a little lenient on the out of the box overclocking, it's fairly safe to say that this will be one of, if not the fastest GTX 560 Ti 448 cards because of the Triple Voltage option that's on offer from the Power Edition model.

NVIDIA really couldn't have put out a better card for the holidays as they've run off the highly popular GTX 560 Ti naming scheme, but based off the GTX 570 with just less CUDA Cores. I said in my launch review, though, that instead of marketing this as a crippled GTX 570, a model that has never had the "WOW" factor, it's instead being marketed as a GTX 560 Ti on steroids, and to be honest, that's when it's running at stock.

900MHz+ on the core, or 1000MHz on the one we've got here, and you've just got a card that is offering amazing performance. You can see in so many situations we move from unplayable numbers in areas to playable ones. At 2560 x 1600 as well, you would see we're 20 FPS below that average we aim for, so much so that you'd have to drop detail massively to enjoy intensive games at that resolution. Now we're like 3 FPS away from it; a minor detail drop would give us an extra 5 FPS and you should enjoy silky smooth gameplay.

You'd probably enjoy it perfectly fine at around the 57 FPS mark as well, but we need to set a number that we aim for and try not to move to much from it, otherwise all of a sudden 55 FPS is alright, then 53 FPS, and then we're 10% - 15% away from that 60 FPS mark that we really do aim to hit.

Normally we'd hit a video card launch a lot harder than we have with the GTX 560 Ti 448, but with limited availability and being sold into only certain regions, looking at a bunch of them over the span of a few weeks is pointless. This model is all about cashing in on the holidays and it couldn't have come at a better time in a better form.

I think it's safe to assume, though, the MSI GTX 560 Ti 448 Twin Frozr III Power Edition is going to be one that you should be looking at. Coordinated with MSI Afterburner, the overclocking capabilities should exceed other brands thanks to that Triple Voltage option. This card just kicks ass! It's a pity it's just a limited run.

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

USUnited States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com

UKUnited Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk

AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

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.

Newsletter Subscription
We openly invite the companies who provide us with review samples / who are mentioned or discussed to express their opinion. If any company representative wishes to respond, we will publish the response here. Please contact us if you wish to respond.