GTX 650 by EVGA with GeForce

When I received a new game for Christmas I found out the my BFG GTS 250  was not compatible with the newer Directx 11 standard from Microsoft.

The game would run but the graphics left a lot to be desired and the 512   MB of GDDR memory just couldn't keep up with the data the game was pushing to the graphics card so...

I upgraded to the  - EVGA GeForce GTX 650

The choice was hard because a lot of newer graphics cards have the latest NVIDIA standard (chipset) embedded in the firmware on the card.

Most of the cards I looked at had 1 GB of GDDR2 memory, a few had 1 GB of GDDR4 memory but this one has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and the cost was close to the same as the older video cards so I picked the EVGA GeForce GTX 650.

Although it has the latest NVIDIA standard embedded in the firmware this card is upgradeable when the NVIDIA standard changes.

Specifications for the new EVGA GeForce GTX 650 video card:

Two things that bother me about this card:

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The advertising hype says the card is compatible with XP through Windows 8.

The actuality is the interface console (Precision X Console) for the card that comes with the product works with XP but the only function you can change while using XP is the fan speed, the frequency of the processor and memory does not change.

Note: The software known as RIVA Tuner will see the new card but unlike the BFG GT S250 you can not change any of the options for the clock speed or the fan speed. I had to remove the software from my computer in case there was a compatibility problem and the developers of this fine software have gone out of business...

It is compatible with XP but most of the functions will not work, I updated to the latest NVIDIA and EVGA drivers but the card still doesn't display all the graphics (it is most noticeable in games where the 3D function for some scenes looks grainy) where as in Windows 7 it looks great. This leads me to believe that either NVIDIA or EVGA is not writing their software for XP any longer.

Also if you are considering upgrading to this card or a newer video card be sure to check your Power Supply, this card needs at least a 400 Watt Power Supply to supply the additional power to the card because the power in the slot the video card will occupy does not have the wattage to drive the memory, processor, and fan.

I am rating the EVGA GeForce GTX 650 card eight out of ten.

Because the hype says it is compatible with XP then it should have all the functions in XP that it has with Windows Vista and up. The Directx 11 was written for Vista and up so I understand that function will not be available but the interface console for controlling the options of the card should not be written for Directx at all but with normal software that allows the end user to use the console. If I could control the frequency for the processor and memory the 3D function in most games would work properly.

The reason for the eight out of ten rating is the advertising hype, don't advertise an option, benefit, or function if it will not work.

One thing I do like about this card is the size, it is compact in the fact that it is at least two inches shorter than the old BFG GTS250 that was in the same slot. This allows for more cooling air around the memory and the card which is a good thing, no?

02/14/14 Update, after reinstalling my XP (refresh the Operating System to get all the updates before MS turns off support for XP in April, 2014) and a new install of the drivers for this video card I do get the high quality that this card should deliver, however the Precision X Console does not work for changing the frequency of the processor or the memory, just the fan. Now my games do look better...

Note: You ask did I uninstall the old drivers before upgrading to the new video card? Yes I did, but it still wasn't displaying as good as it should have, that was one of the reasons I did a fresh install of XP...