The GeForce GTX 550 TI, the characteristics of which we will consider in the article, is a typical representative of inexpensive gaming graphics cards. The model, one might say, is not new, but still relevant in the budget segment. A few years ago, it was completely in demand by many fans of computer games. Today, this model has lost ground in front of more productive brethren, but has not disappeared from the shelves. Consider the Geforce GTX 550 TI graphics card: specifications, reviews about it will be presented in the article.
Packaging
The video card is delivered in a box made of black cardboard made in black. It is medium in size, it looks solid and expensive. On the front side is a description of the main features of the GeForce GTX 550 TI. The characteristics of each element are briefly described, but the manufacturer makes it clear what you have to deal with. The back is more informative. There is a detailed description of each little thing, special emphasis is placed on branded "chips", which are designed to expand the user's capabilities. The requirements of the GeForce GTX 550 TI, manufacturer specifications and company logos are at the very bottom.
Options may vary by manufacturer. For example, Palit, which positions its product as the most functional at an affordable price, offers a rather meager set. It includes:
- the video card itself;
- adapter;
- CD with drivers and utilities;
- small manual with the inscription Geforce GTX 550 TI.
The characteristics of the device are also presented on the packaging. The manufacturer claims that this kit is enough for full work.
Appearance
All components of the GeForce GTX 550 TI are soldered harmoniously on a brown PCB. In the center is the graphic core, which is difficult to confuse with other elements. Around him are several video memory modules. On the right edge is the power supply.
Let's move on to the outputs of the GeForce GTX 550 TI, the characteristics of which are on the manufacturer's website. The video card received three outputs: DVI, VGA and HDMI. This is enough for most users. The present outputs will allow you to display the image on any modern monitor, projector or plasma. They are located at a convenient distance from each other, which does not cause discomfort during operation.
The board is covered by a cooling system with a cooler in the middle, but we'll talk about it a little lower.
Geforce GTX 550 TI: specs
The core of the video card was the GF116 video core, made using the 40 Nm process technology. Got a decent set of unified processors and rasterization units. Connected to video memory with a 192-bit bus, which has a throughput of 98 Gb / s. This is the basic information about the Geforce GTX 550 TI graphics core , specifications with a more complete description can be found on the manufacturer's website.
The memory card received 1 GB. The manufacturer of the modules is Hynix. A total of 6 pieces are soldered on the board (4 by 128 MB, 2 by 256 MB). The type of memory is GDDR5. According to the manufacturer, the model can operate with a clock frequency of 5000 MHz. However, this figure was underestimated to 4100 MHz. If you wish, you can overclock the memory and get a good performance boost.
Cooling system
The video card cooling system is implemented quite simply. It is based on an aluminum radiator, which is placed in a plastic casing. It is designed to remove heat from the components of the video card. A sufficiently large cooler is engaged in blowing. It is worth saying that the video memory modules did not receive normal cooling, and they do not touch the radiator. This point can be attributed to the main disadvantages of the Geforce GTX 550 TI graphics card. The characteristics of the cooling system make it more careful with overclocking. Another significant minus - warm air is not removed from the housing. Therefore, pre-worry about normal circulation inside the system unit.
At maximum loads in FurMark, the video card heats up to 80 degrees, which is considered a good result. In this case, the cooling system only works for 60 percent. The noise of coolers is audible, but you can’t call it loud, moreover, it merges with other components of the system. You can set the cooler to full power, which will lower the temperature. However, in this case, the noise level is seriously increased, it becomes distinguishable against the background of other components.
At low loads, the video card operates at lower frequencies, which leads to less power consumption and, consequently, heat generation. The cooling system is very quiet and does not cause discomfort. Energy consumption is comparable to the main competitors. In games until 2010, the video card shows good results.