Bought this card for a new i7 2600k build based on extensive research on several tech sites and forums, along with feedback from early owners. Newegg has many firsthand reviews of this card that I found quite useful. Same price, but Amazon offers free shipping.
PROS
Superior performance- smokes my games at highest settings. Maxes out a 7.9 score on the Window Experience Rating for both the graphics Desktop performance for Windows Aero, AND the 3D business and gaming graphics performance categories... yes, 7.9 is the highest rating for Windows as of now. It does this for half the cost of the top of the line GTX580 cards.... Oh, it runs very cool, 25C at idle in my case. Dont think one can find a 560 that runs cooler.
It IS quiet! I have it in a SilverStone Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Uni-Body Frame Computer Case FT02B (Black)(a very quiet, cool, and highly recommended case) and I can not hear it. The case is on my desk 3 feet from where I sit. All I can hear is sweet airflow through the case, and the case fans are on the lowest setting. This makes me very happy as I was a bit concerned due to an earlier review here. I suspect that reviewer may have a defective or damaged card that is putting out audible harmonics. They might want to rma it for a new one. So if you value quietness in your computer like I do, then I can recommend this great card.
Value- At this price point nothing touches the perfomance of this card. It was a no brainer for me as I did not have an unlimited budget for my build. Bought this MSi GTX560 Ti because I do some gaming and flight sims, and do not want to upgrade for any games in the near future. Also work with video and the wife can certainly put it to use for her graphics and photoshop work. If all you will ever do with your computer is check your email and surf the web then you really do not need to spend this much. There are cheaper options.... If you do game and want performance within 10% of the top dogs for half the cost, well this new Value King of video cards is for you.
Quality- MSI is known for the high grade components they utilize in their products. It is no different here with military class II components and solid capacitors. This card is built to last and higher overclocking if one wants. With MSi Afterburner this is very easy to do.
CONS
Ummm... I guess I would like a regular HDMI port and not the mini one. Must say that MSi does supply an adapter though. It also does not do my laundry or the dishes. Must look elsewhere....
Conclusion- This MSi GTX560 Ti card, along with my Prolimatech CPU Cooler for Intel Socket 1156, 1366 and 775 Megahalems Rev. B (Silver)(paired with the super quiet Noctua NF-P12 120 mm Nine Blade SSO Bearing Fan with VCN - Retailare the most valued components in my computer build. Hope this review helps anyone trying to decide on a new card... MSI GeForce GTX560 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/Mini HDMI PCI-Express Video Card N560GTX TI TWIN FROZR II OC
After nearly four years I've finally decided to upgrade my video card, going from an 8800GT to this baby right now. The difference was noticeable right away. I typically have my gaming PC hooked up to my living room PC so I can play my games on a large screen, and it's chugging away at 1080p graphics without a hitch.
This is also all BEFORE I upgrade the rest of my system, which is coming in the next month or two. I'm already seeing MASSIVE improvements, and I'm loving it.
Two large fans on this card, with the improved heat sink over the reference model, means this card usually runs whisper quiet and very cool. My old 8800GT would get to 90 degrees Celsius after a half hour of gaming, and with the fan cranked up to a super noisy 75%. This one has the fan hang around 25-30%, not noticeable at all, and still manages to stay cool at 60 degrees C.
All in all I'm very impressed with the product, and as a long time MSI motherboard fan, I have to say I am in love with the build quality of the video card as well.
For a measly 250 dollars this simple upgrade moved my windows index up to 7.8, benchmarking in the HIGH 800's with all settings on EXTREME.
Brand name is all up to personal preference but I chose the AFTERBURNER team. With a base clock speed of 880 mhz and plenty of potential for overclocking this is a steal.
Cons: The only cons I've experienced is it's a bit loud with the dual fan but you can download the free software to use your own settings for the fan speed, so it really deserves 5 stars but it's worth nothing.
Buy this card don't blow a couple extra hundred to have bragging rights that fall short in benchmarks!
Humble Roots
I've been a huge AMD/ATI fan for decades. After a long long time of research this was the best cost-benefit card at May 5ft.
Super silent! Really.
The cooling system is really a big hands up do MSI. After playing GTA IV maxed out for about one hour the temperature was ~42ºC sharp. Then, after i closed the game, it went from 42ºC to 34ºC in less than 2 minutes.
Good drivers for Linux were always a big concert to me, but Nvidia always release great ones, unlike ATI (whom got me pissed after discontinuing support of a 2 year old card).
Although I had to wait for over a week for the product, it came in earlier than promised. Well boxed and protected. Installation was simple but you have to make sure that your Power source has TWO PCI connectors to power the video card. Mine did so there were no problems as I already knew about the power. Since it is a large card, make sure you have enough room in your case to handle it.
The MSI GTX560 is very attractive with its cooling pipes and dual fans. Very little sound but there is a fan buzz which is evident. Not a problem for me as it is very stable and quick. This was an upgrade from a 9800 unit and it is a dream.
Highly recommended! - Sandy Bridge - Graphics Card - Msi - Computer'
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