NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Review: Affordable Maxwell For The Masses
Performance Summary: Due to time constraints, an upgrade to our test bed, and some impending travel, we had to run a limited suite of tests with the new GeForce GTX 950, but a clear trend emerged nonetheless. Both of the GeForce GTX 950 cards we tested ultimately outpaced the Radeon R9 270X, but trailed the R9 285 and, obviously, the higher-end GeForce GTX 960. Overall, performance was good and playable framerates at 1080p with most games are easily possible.
Pricing for the GeForce GTX 950 will start at $159 USD, as per NVIDIA, with factory overclocked cards like the EVGA GeForce GTX 950 FTW and ASUS STRIX arriving at somewhat higher price points. The EVGA card, for example, has an MSRP of $179 and the ASUS STRIX $169. At those prices, competition will be pretty stiff. The Radeon R9 285 can be had for about $180 currently, and that card offered better performance across the board. And for a slightly larger investment, higher performing cards like the GTX 960 or Radeon R9 380 can be had. If your budget doesn’t permit the additional expense necessary for a card like a GTX 960, however, the GTX 950 is still a good choice.With this release, NVIDIA’s product stack now consists of:
- GTX TITAN X: $999
- GTX 980 Ti: $649
- GTX 980: $499
- GTX 970: $329
- GTX 960: $199
- GTX 950: $159
- GTX 750 Ti: $119
GeForce GTX 950 cards should be available immediately at on-line retailers. If you’re chugging along on integrated graphics or an older discrete card like the GTX 650, the GeForce GTX 950 could be worth a look, especially if you’re an avid MOBA player looking for a bit of an edge.
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