We continue our acquaintance with the new GeForce RTX Super. Next in line is an updated version of the GeForce RTX 2060. Let’s see what are the advantages of the Super version over the original video card. And at the same time, let’s sum up some general results for the middle class of devices, bringing together different versions of the GeForce RTX 2060, GeForce RTX 2070, Radeon RX 5700 XT, Radeon RX 5700 and older video cards from NVIDIA and AMD in one test. Since we analyzed in detail the characteristics of the new Super models in the previous material, we will immediately move on to reviewing the MSI video card.

MSI GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming X

Our focus was on the top version of the GeForce RTX 2060 Super from the MSI Gaming line. This implies the presence of high-quality cooling and increased factory frequencies. The video card is supplied in a standard Gaming box.

Traditionally, MSI Gaming comes with a set of cardboard coasters for cups, plus different printing — comics, product catalog, instructions. But this instance did not have coasters. It’s funny if the manufacturer decided to save a couple of cents on completing the updated Super models.

The video card is made in a recognizable design, reminiscent of other MSI Gaming models. The device is covered with a large cooler with two unusually shaped fans. The case has a sharp geometric shape with many facets, which gives it a special predatory look.

The total length of the GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming X reaches 25 cm. The thickness is two and a half expansion slots.

The board is shorter than cooling, so part of the cooler protrudes from the side. The back of the board is covered with a metal plate. There is an eight-pin power connector in the corner.

On the side face there is a window with backlight. There are also illuminated lines in the case around the fans.

The backlight is compatible with other MSI devices, allowing you to synchronize the lighting of different MSI components. Effects and lighting settings are controlled through the MSI Mystic Light app.

There are four image output connectors on the rear panel: three DisplayPort and one HDMI.

Let’s take a closer look at the cooling system. This is a two-section radiator with four heat pipes.

Reminiscent of the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8G cooling, but smaller in size and without one heat pipe. There is also no contact pad for the power elements of the supply circuit. Now the main radiator cools only the GPU.

A 90 mm standard fan is installed on top of each section of the radiator (the impeller diameter is slightly smaller).

The fans are made using TorX Fan technology. The special shape of the blades, their location relative to each other, allows you to increase the air flow and its dispersion. All this improves the ventilation of the radiator.

The printed circuit board is covered with two metal plates. This is a separate heatsink for memory chips and a separate heatsink for power supply elements. There is also an elastic thermal pad on the throttles, which rests against a large radiator. But since the contact is made with the ribs of the plates, this is unlikely to help much in cooling these components.

The metal backplate covering the reverse side of the board is also involved in heat transfer. Under the VRM area is a large thermal pad that allows the wafer to cool the hottest area of ​​the PCB. This is a big plus, since the backplate often plays a decorative role or acts only as an element of reinforcing the rigidity of the entire structure.

PCB length 21.5 cm.

The power subsystem has eight phases, six of which are for GPU power.

The GeForce RTX 2060 Super uses a processor labeled TU106-410-A1. It has 2176 CUDA stream processors, 136 texture units and 64 rasterization units. Older versions of the GeForce RTX 2060 have 1920 stream processors, 120 texture units and 48 ROPs.

Another important change in the new model is an increase in memory up to 8 GB and a full 256-bit bus. Older GeForce RTX 2060s run on a 192-bit bus with 6GB of memory. Standard GDDR6 chips are used. In this case, Micron 9EA77 D9WCW chips.

NVIDIA specifications provide for a base GPU frequency of 1470 MHz with a Boost Clock of 1650 MHz. MSI Gaming X boost frequency increased to 1695 MHz. The effective memory frequency is equivalent to 14000 MHz.

In gaming mode, the main operating frequency range of the core is approximately 1800-1900 MHz. So, in Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition, during a long load, the frequencies stabilized at the level of 1875–1890 MHz, and in The Division 2 they sagged to 1800 MHz. Peak values ​​up to 2010 MHz.

The temperature of the core did not exceed 67°C on an open stand at 26–27°C indoors. The maximum fan speed is 1500 rpm, the noise is minimal.

For a comprehensive assessment of the new video card, you need to reduce the frequencies to the level of the simplest GeForce RTX 2060 Super models. According to other reviews, such cards show Boost around 1800 MHz with lower frequencies in heavy games. By lowering the base value, we got an average frequency of 1800 MHz with drawdowns up to 1755 MHz. Peak values ​​up to 1950 MHz.

It’s time to move on to overclocking. To begin with, it should be noted that the power limit can only be increased by 5%. And such limitations are inherent in most of the old GeForce RTX 2060. In this instance, it was possible to raise the base frequency to 1580 MHz, which increased the average Boost to 1960-2000 MHz, in heavy games the lower limit of this range was about 1920 MHz. The memory worked stably at 7776 (15552) MHz.

To improve cooling during overclocking, the fan speed was manually increased to 1900 rpm, which allowed us to keep the core temperature within 66 ° C. And this is an excellent result, because the heating remained low, and the noise level is still within acceptable limits. If you wish, you can experiment and choose fan settings that are more comfortable for your hearing — cooling has potential for this.