MSI GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC Review

GamingExpert’s Verdict

MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC is one of the best budget gaming and energy-efficient graphics cards that offer a compact design packed with the performance you desire from a mid-range graphics card.

Positives

  • Value to money
  • Better performance than standard 1650
  • Includes NVIDIA Turning architecture

Negatives

  • 4 GB VRAM
  • Requires 6-pin PCIe power connection

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MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super Aero ITX OC is a much-awaited upgrade of the Standard GTX 1650 and overwhelmed the audience due to its improved stats and turning architect. It took the gaming industry with the storm back when it was released. Unlike the previous tuning model, TU116 in this model has better and improved technology. It features NVENC Turing technology that performs better than the TU117 and has better encoding than the nx264 fast encoding putting it in the list of the best GTX 1650 GPUs available online.

MSI GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC front view

MSI offered a great build and size that can fit in most of the PC builds. The stats we see in this model are better, and the performance jump is excellent than the previous architect. It offers a significant edge for the streamers because of better process handling due to the GDDR6 memory. There is a minimum to no framerate hit on GTX 1650 Super because of the TU116 chip and more GPU cores.

Does this 2-year-old GPU still worth your money in 2021? Does its performance is still up to the mark with the increased gaming needs? Do you need to upgrade your gaming rig from MSI GeForce 1650 Super ITX OC to a better GPU? Let’s found this out!

Specifications

ManufacturerMSI
ModelGeForce GTX 1650 SUPER AERO ITX OC
Memory Size4GB
Memory Speed12 Gbps
ChipsetGeForce GTX 1650 SUPER
Memory TypeGDDR6
InterfacePCI Express x16 3.0
Clock Rate1740 MHz
Recommended PSU350 W
GPU Memory Interface128-bit
Max Resolution7680×4320
OpenGL4.6
DirectX12 API
Dimensions172 x 115 x 42 mm
Power Connectors6-pin
Power Consumption100-watts
Weight540g
Connection TypeDisplayPort, HDMI, DL-DVI-D

When we compare the core specs of MSI GTX 1650 Super with the existing GTX 1650 standard, it offers a healthy performance boost. Although it still carries the 128-bit memory similar to the standard version but has 42 percent increased GPU cores. The 12 Gbps GDDR6 memory calculates to a 50 percent more increased bandwidth as compared to 1650. It almost touches the vanilla 1660 bandwidth with lower clocks and fewer cores.

MSI GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC review

Although the VRAM improved to the better GDDR6 version, it carries 2GB less memory than the 1650 variant. It is a matter of concern as it can limit the performance in few situations where more memory is needed. This cap to the memory can prove to limit for the new games with the higher requirements. But VRAM on MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC is still viable in 2021. It is suitable for 1080p gameplay and a limiting factor for the 4K gaming with unstable FPS on higher resolutions.

The MSI model of 1650 super features a 12nm processor. A higher transistor number of 6600 million increases the processor’s performance compared to standard 1650. The standard GPU clock speed on this model limits 1530 MHz, which is the same as in the EVGA 1650 Super. But there is a difference in the boost clock of both models. EVGA offers a 1755 MHz boost clock as compared to the 1740 MHz offered by the MSI version. Although the difference of 15 MHz is not much, it counts when we test the limits by playing games on higher settings. The boost clock on MSI 1650 Super is still better than the average score of 1725 MHz in this series.

With a GPU speed of 1530 MHz, it offers 4.45 TFLOPS, which is the measuring unit for the GPU’s raw processing power. The memory bandwidth is quite impressive with the base score of 1500 MHz, and its packs a performance improvement than the competition. It carries 1280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPS, collectively improving the texture and image rendering performance.

There are three ports on this EVGA GeForce 1650 Super that makes it easy to connect according to your preference. The ports include HDMI, DVI, and Display ports that offer more speedy transfers than the basic 1650 models. The MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super Aero ITX OC dimensions are compact enough to make it the best fit for most PC builds. The width and height measure 172mm and 115 mm, respectively. It does have not only a compact body but also features power consumption. The PCIe compliance power port draws a 100-watt power from the PC.

Features

MSI GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC ports

MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super Aero ITX OC gives many essential features in the base price. It supports ray-tracing, which improves the lighting, reflections, and shadows in the games. This technology improves the light rendering techniques. The ray racing supports 3D images and displays quite efficiently without any strain on the hardware.

NVIDIA’s NVENC turing technology does the heavier tasks without straining the CPU resources, and displays execute the GPU queries. As compared to the older graphics cards, this technology helps the streamers for uninterrupted experience without much strain on the resources.

MSI has incorporated the multi-display technology in their GeForce GTX 1650 Aero OC for a better and immersive gaming experience. Multiple monitors provide a more comprehensive view for better execution in the games.

Other features that impact the game performance and compatibility are Direct X 12 and OpenGL 4.6 support for better graphics. For better visual computing, some applications use non-graphical computing by utilizing OpenCL. For this function, MSI GTX 1650 Super supports OpenCL 1.2.

MSI GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC side view

Manufacturer Clock Boost VS Overclock

MSI GTX 1650 Super is nearly identical to the boost clock of our previously reviewed EVGA 1650 Super. Both of the cards support a 6-pin PCIe connector and have the same layout and PCB size. As both of the cards use TU116 GPU, they have similar performance. However, the boost clock on both Super is 1755 MHz which is slightly better than the base value of 1725 MHz. However, it is not a much notable improvement but still enough for getting some more juice out of the graphics card.

MSI 1650 Super has a powerful VRAM that can hit the mark of 15 Gbps. We have tried to overclock the GPU and test it figure in the overclock state.  The software that we used for overclocking is MSI Afterburn that is our default software for testing. After doing some tests and measuring the values, we have achieved the overclock. The company listed boost clock is 1755 MHz, but we have seen an increased clock speed of 1850 to 1900 MHz. The stable stats showed an average of 1870 to 1890 MHz clock speed. However, the peak went straight from 1930 to 1940 MHz.

A 100 MHz increase in the clock speed than the company boost clock is an impressive figure. The additional 10-15% boost proves suitable for gaming needs. But it all depends on the settings that you run for the games. Furthermore, the clock speed varies when used for long hours. We have seen the drop of clock speed few times during the overclocking. Temperature is not an issue in this whole process and remains within bearable limits.

Build Quality

Build quality is the matter of concern when we are buying a graphics card. The MSI’s GeForce GTX 1650 Super has a robust build with a smaller architect. The smaller architect ensures its suitability for a broader audience. When pulling off the card’s heatsink, we see an excellent cooling mechanism in MSI GTX 1650 Super as there is a thermal tape between the aluminum heatsink. The aluminum material ensures maximum dissipation of the heat outside the card. It cools off the hotter components on the left side and proves its effectiveness in cooling the components.

MSI GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC circuit view

Power and Temperature Testing

MSI GeForce utilizes a 100-watt power with 6 pin PCIe compliance power ports. On the other hand, it is very efficient in power consumption. It utilizes less power and offers the same performance as other GTX 1650 Super lineup provides.

While in the temperature testing, we observed that it does heat like most of the graphics card. But the heat is within safe limits. The cooling efficiency is towards the okayish side, and we have seen a bit efficient heat control in the ASUS variant of 1650 Super.

Gaming Performance

During our testing, the performance of the MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super ITX OC seemed outstanding. We have run it through three tests, and it showed a 30 percent faster performance than the regular GTX 1650 GPU. All these tests were conducted at 1080p resolution. At 1440p resolution, the stats went down to 20 percent, but they were still suitable for the gameplay.

Comparing it to the GTX 1660 has shown a 17 percent increase at 1440p ultra settings. On 1080p ultra, the value falls to 10 percent, while on the 1080p medium, the performance remains almost the same compared to 1660 GPU.

While testing on the games like Hitman 2, Forza Horizon 4, and Total War: Warhammer 2, the NVIDIA turning architect gave more favor, but on titles like Metro Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the performance showed a tie with the cards of the similar lineup. On titles like Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Fortnight its works fine with the 1080p max settings.

At 1080p medium its breaks the 60 fps limits on almost every game. But on the 1080p ultra, the story is something different, and it showed an average of 61 fps for most of the games. It manages to get to 45-50 fps on few games, which shows that the performance varies from game to game depending upon the game requirements.

Bottom Line

MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Super AERO ITX OC represents the 1650 Super lineup characteristic features and performance. It is a mid-range graphics card that is still a viable choice for your gaming rig in 2021. Although it won’t support the Ultra 1440p settings like newer RTX 3080 cards, it is worth your money to look for the best performing card on 1080p resolution by remaining in your budget.

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Muhammad Kashif

M. Kashif is a published author at Gaming Expert.net. He is a tech enthusiast, a passionate gamer and loves to try new gadgets and writing about games and technology events.