Failed to realize there was a Review section before I posted this. Also posted the review over there as well!
Best low profile graphics card on the market. The GTX 750Ti 2GD5TLP (Low Profile)
Came across this little monster and decided to do a quick review for anyone looking for a mid range power house. Or any one looking for a decent mid range graphics card for an HTPC.
Figured I share my feels with my fellow brothers and sisters about this card!
This is my first review so please let me know in the comments below!
Without further ado, may I present... The MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti N750ti 2GD5TLP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127836
Back Story:
I'd like to clear the air here before I get on about this graphics card mumbo jumbo. This graphics card isn't just some low end card, this is a full on mid range, proper graphics card, and it kicks some
![thumb.gif]( "thumb.gif")
!
So, here is a little back story on how I came across this card.
My college was tossing out a bunch of computers recently that were from around 2008. There were tons and tons of Dell Optiplex 755's, keyboards, mice, and 1440x900 monitors. Figured my buddy and I would take a bunch back to the lab and see what we can come up with. The specs of these computers were a mid range Core 2 Duo, 4 GBs of ram, a 160 GB hard drive, and with a dated ATi Radeon HD card (can't remember the series and model). My idea was to see if I could build a Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)/ light gaming computer for my fellow friend and I. My goal was to make something similar to an Xbox One, with solid performance in 1080p gaming, low profile case, similar size dimensions, and could easily fit in a tv stand. The Dell Optiplex 755 case's are a slim low profile case, so space for a good graphics card was pretty limited. Mind you, the power supply was also around 220 watt and there is no 6 pin power connector or Molex connectors to give any sort of graphics card power!
Why I purchased it:
My options were very limited, not many low profile cards to begin with that were modern, limited power options (no 6 pin or molex connectors), and space was an issue limiting only to low profile cards. I did quite a bit of research and stumbled upon this little beauty. 640 Cuda cores, 2GB's of Video Ram, and GPU Boost 2.0..... For around $122.99? I picked up two of them! (Was building two of these computers, one for me, one for a friend)
This graphics card was the optimal choice, hand's down... It was exactly what I was looking for, as I was also looking at Gigabyte's low profile GeForce GTX 750Ti low profile card LINK. It had an array of brackets, no molex or 6 pin power connectors required to power the card (PCI-E was the only required power), low profile, packs a punch for the size and cost, runs cool because of the well built and free flowing cooler on it. I also noticed it beat out Gigabytes cooler as well since they only had one fan versus the MSI which had two. An extra fan could mean all the difference in tight cases.
What's it like gaming?
I'm able to play Fallout 4 and other like games at medium/high settings, textures were set to extra. FPS is 35-50. @1080p
Left 4 Dead 2 was 100 FPS on max AA and highest settings. @1080p
GTA V was able to run medium settings, textures on high around 35-50 fps. @1080p
Bioshock Infinite on medium settings at average of 45 FPS. @1080p
SimCity 2013 on high with AA is 35-60 FPS @1080p
Call of Duty Black Ops II maxed out was 60-70 FPS @1080p
Specs:
This is what I managed to salvage for the two Dell Optiplex 755's I built.
Core 2 Quad Q9400 @ 2.66Ghz
DDR2 Corsair Dominator Ram @800mhz 4GB's
Upgraded from a DVD to a Blu-Ray drive
1TB Hard drive in there.
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti low profile card
Running Windows 10 64-bit
These are all estimates using FRAPS and fine tuning settings per game.
Pros:
- Fit perfectly
- Flexibility with the VGA port. Either have the VGA port removed, on the top of the card, or the bottom underneath it.
- Great range of display brackets
- No external power source needed, (powered by PCI-E only)
- Card packs a punch for the price
- Great 1080p performance for mid/high fx
- Cooler is great! (Modded it a bit)
- Came with drivers on a cd, needed it for one of the computers
- Multiple display connections
- Can overclock with provided software
Cons:
- Cooling can be a problem for small cases since the card doesn't vent air externally
- Card puts out a decent amount of heat (could be a problem for small cases with limited airflow)
- Drivers that came on the CD were out dated, but that's not really a con.
- Doesn't cook bacon
I noted under in pros about the cooler and how I modded it. The back of the cooler (farthest part from the display connectors) I put a piece of tape around the heat sinks and between the fan and the bottom of the PCB. This allowed the card to be put into a blower style cooler and exhausts the heat only towards the back of the computer and not forward as well. I figured this would be a better cooling solution since the only fan in the Dell Optiplex 755 is a front intake fan that blows towards the back.
The blue arrows and lines are the current airflow after I blocked off the back of the heat sink. Red is where the tape is, wrapped around the three sides.
Final thoughts:
This card has been running for about 2 months now. Non the less, this card has proven itself and makes a great upgrade for anyone looking for a good graphics card for an HTPC, or for a small form factor computer.
I salute you MSI! I've only ran EVGA cards before I bought this card, this is a very special card for a very special task. And you have out done yourself. I hope to see more cards like this one in the future.
MSI... Please, don't stop what your doing.
Best low profile graphics card on the market. The GTX 750Ti 2GD5TLP (Low Profile)
Came across this little monster and decided to do a quick review for anyone looking for a mid range power house. Or any one looking for a decent mid range graphics card for an HTPC.
Figured I share my feels with my fellow brothers and sisters about this card!
This is my first review so please let me know in the comments below!
Without further ado, may I present... The MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti N750ti 2GD5TLP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127836
Back Story:
I'd like to clear the air here before I get on about this graphics card mumbo jumbo. This graphics card isn't just some low end card, this is a full on mid range, proper graphics card, and it kicks some
So, here is a little back story on how I came across this card.
My college was tossing out a bunch of computers recently that were from around 2008. There were tons and tons of Dell Optiplex 755's, keyboards, mice, and 1440x900 monitors. Figured my buddy and I would take a bunch back to the lab and see what we can come up with. The specs of these computers were a mid range Core 2 Duo, 4 GBs of ram, a 160 GB hard drive, and with a dated ATi Radeon HD card (can't remember the series and model). My idea was to see if I could build a Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)/ light gaming computer for my fellow friend and I. My goal was to make something similar to an Xbox One, with solid performance in 1080p gaming, low profile case, similar size dimensions, and could easily fit in a tv stand. The Dell Optiplex 755 case's are a slim low profile case, so space for a good graphics card was pretty limited. Mind you, the power supply was also around 220 watt and there is no 6 pin power connector or Molex connectors to give any sort of graphics card power!
Why I purchased it:
My options were very limited, not many low profile cards to begin with that were modern, limited power options (no 6 pin or molex connectors), and space was an issue limiting only to low profile cards. I did quite a bit of research and stumbled upon this little beauty. 640 Cuda cores, 2GB's of Video Ram, and GPU Boost 2.0..... For around $122.99? I picked up two of them! (Was building two of these computers, one for me, one for a friend)
This graphics card was the optimal choice, hand's down... It was exactly what I was looking for, as I was also looking at Gigabyte's low profile GeForce GTX 750Ti low profile card LINK. It had an array of brackets, no molex or 6 pin power connectors required to power the card (PCI-E was the only required power), low profile, packs a punch for the size and cost, runs cool because of the well built and free flowing cooler on it. I also noticed it beat out Gigabytes cooler as well since they only had one fan versus the MSI which had two. An extra fan could mean all the difference in tight cases.
What's it like gaming?
I'm able to play Fallout 4 and other like games at medium/high settings, textures were set to extra. FPS is 35-50. @1080p
Left 4 Dead 2 was 100 FPS on max AA and highest settings. @1080p
GTA V was able to run medium settings, textures on high around 35-50 fps. @1080p
Bioshock Infinite on medium settings at average of 45 FPS. @1080p
SimCity 2013 on high with AA is 35-60 FPS @1080p
Call of Duty Black Ops II maxed out was 60-70 FPS @1080p
Specs:
This is what I managed to salvage for the two Dell Optiplex 755's I built.
Core 2 Quad Q9400 @ 2.66Ghz
DDR2 Corsair Dominator Ram @800mhz 4GB's
Upgraded from a DVD to a Blu-Ray drive
1TB Hard drive in there.
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti low profile card
Running Windows 10 64-bit
These are all estimates using FRAPS and fine tuning settings per game.
Pros:
- Fit perfectly
- Flexibility with the VGA port. Either have the VGA port removed, on the top of the card, or the bottom underneath it.
- Great range of display brackets
- No external power source needed, (powered by PCI-E only)
- Card packs a punch for the price
- Great 1080p performance for mid/high fx
- Cooler is great! (Modded it a bit)
- Came with drivers on a cd, needed it for one of the computers
- Multiple display connections
- Can overclock with provided software
Cons:
- Cooling can be a problem for small cases since the card doesn't vent air externally
- Card puts out a decent amount of heat (could be a problem for small cases with limited airflow)
- Drivers that came on the CD were out dated, but that's not really a con.
- Doesn't cook bacon
I noted under in pros about the cooler and how I modded it. The back of the cooler (farthest part from the display connectors) I put a piece of tape around the heat sinks and between the fan and the bottom of the PCB. This allowed the card to be put into a blower style cooler and exhausts the heat only towards the back of the computer and not forward as well. I figured this would be a better cooling solution since the only fan in the Dell Optiplex 755 is a front intake fan that blows towards the back.
The blue arrows and lines are the current airflow after I blocked off the back of the heat sink. Red is where the tape is, wrapped around the three sides.
Final thoughts:
This card has been running for about 2 months now. Non the less, this card has proven itself and makes a great upgrade for anyone looking for a good graphics card for an HTPC, or for a small form factor computer.
I salute you MSI! I've only ran EVGA cards before I bought this card, this is a very special card for a very special task. And you have out done yourself. I hope to see more cards like this one in the future.
MSI... Please, don't stop what your doing.
