Testing
The following system was used to test the graphics card:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5 GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Ballistix Tactical Tracer 16GB DDR4 @ 2666MHz
– SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB
– HDD: WD 1 TB Blue
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W
– CPU Cooler: CoolerMater MasterLiquid 240
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Arctic Cooling MX-4
To test the graphics card, the NVIDIA GeForce 441.34 driver was used, being the latest NVIDIA driver available at the time of writing the review.
All the games used to test the graphics cards are set to their highest quality settings, unless otherwise stated, with the resolution 1920 x 1080. Both the games and benchmarks used were run three times.
The software used to measure the temperature and frames per second (FPS) are the following:
– AIDA64 Extreme 6.10.5200
– GPU-Z v2.26.0
– MSI Afterburner 4.6.0
– Fraps
The overclocking has been done using the default fan settings. Each graphic card overclocks differently due to different batches of memory chips used as well as the variation in the manufacturing process of the graphics core. This means that each graphics card will overclock differently in both frequencies obtained and voltage required.
In the case of the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio, a maximum overclock of 2002MHz Base Clock and 2004MHz Memory Clock was achieved.
The test results are as follows:
Grand Theft Auto V (Low 0.1%)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Low 0.1%)
Metro Exodus (Low 0.1%)
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider (Low 0.1%)
Temperature
The Idle tests consists of the system left at the Desktop for 30 minutes, the power consumption is measured during the test.
Full Load: Represents the power consumption of the graphics card while playing a modern video game, in this case the benchmark of Tomb Raider 2013 with the following settings: 1920 x 1080, Ultra Preset, TressFX OFF, 4xAA.
Peak: Represents the power consumption of the graphics card during a synthetic benchmark, in this case FurMark 1.15.1.
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 5 db. In the case of the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio, the three fans will turn off when the graphic card has a light load. This means, that during internet browsing, movie rendering or other light tasks, both fans will not spin to eliminate the noise completely.
Final thoughts
The MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is available for 515 US dollars, a whole 15 USD more than the Founder’s Edition RTX 2070 Super. For this price difference, the added features include a triple fan cooling system, plenty of RGB integration and a metallic backplate.
The design of this graphics card is similar with other RTX Gaming X models. It is also easy to match with any system configuration, thanks to the colors used for the backplate and the fan shroud. In addition, the RGB elements add more customizing options for the graphics card.
The performance out of the box is very good; however, the overclocking is limited by the power limit. The RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio has the same 215W power limit as the Founder’s Edition RTX 2070 Super. Nevertheless, the reviewed graphics card reached a manual overclock of 2002MHz Base Clock and 2004MHz Memory Clock.
The cooling system is effective and also silent, using three fans that have different sizes to accommodate the Nvidia NVLink connector. In addition, these fans will stop when the graphics card has a temperature lower than 60 °C. The heatsink uses six heatpipes to transfer the heat and plenty of thermal pads for cooling the Micro memory chips and the VRM components.
In conclusion, the MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is a very good graphics card, with a good gaming performance and silent cooling system. The price of 515 USD is on the same level as other RTX 2070 Super models, and is well worth it, when considering all the features offered. In addition, two games are also included with this graphics card, Control and Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which add more value to the overall package.
