MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio Review
Verdict
A Super-powered Quad HD graphics card which also flaunts Nvidia ray tracing. But if you’re after for pound-for-pound value or 4K performance, you’re best off looking elsewhere.
Pros
- Excellent Quad HD and Full HD performance w/ modern games
- Flashy design
- Ray tracing support
Cons
- Expensive compared to AMD rivals
- Inconsistent performance
- Too large for mini ATX cases
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £560
- Nvidia Turing architecture
- 2560 CUDA Cores
- 1800MHz boost clock speeds
- VRAM: 8GB GDDR6
- TDP: 215W
What is the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio?
The MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is a third-party version of Nvidia’s RTX 2070 Super card, a specced-up edition of the standard RTX 2070.
With the older vanilla RTX 2070s being pulled from stores, new Super editions are filling the void it left behind, boasting superior specs – and slightly steeper prices. Nvidia has almost definitely made this move to counter the arrival of AMD’s new RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT graphics cards, providing a blitzing performance and fancy features such as ray tracing, instead of offering bargain-tastic value.
The MSI variant on test here further increases clock speeds, while also optimising overclocking potential with a triple-fan setup to prevent the GPU overheating. But with all of these modifications comes a hefty price, which could well be a deal breaker with its AMD rivals priced so competitively.
Although, don’t forget, the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is both more expensive and more powerful than the Founders Edition RTX 2070 Super, so don’t take this review as a complete reflection on Nvidia’s own vanilla version.
Related: Best Graphics Card 2019
The MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is very heavy on the RGBs, and the fans, and the backplate…
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio – Specs
I’ve already established the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio has seen a specs bump compared to the vanilla RTX 2070 Super, but how major is the difference? Not as significant as you may have expected.
MSI has only improved the boosted clock speed by 30MHz, which isn’t much at all, fallings below the figure posted by AMD’s RX 5700 XT. That said, the performance of a GPU is far more complicated than just clock speeds, so it would be unfair to rely solely on this figure when choosing your card.
| RTX 2070 Super Founders Edition | MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio | RTX 2070 Founders Edition | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT | |
| Architecture | Turing | Turing | Turing | Navi |
| CUDA Cores | 2560 | 2560 | 2304 | NA |
| Boost clock speed (MHz) | 1770 | 1800 | 1710 | 1905 |
| VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 |
| TDP (W) | 215 | 215 | 185 | 225 |
| Price | £475 | £560 | £450 | £380 |
Even the difference between the original RTX 2070 (which Nvidia is no longer selling) and the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio isn’t that substantial when you consider the former costs £110 less.
MSI would argue the added cost gets you a better overclocking performance, but I’ll get to that later in this review.
If you’re comparing Nvidia cards to AMD, be aware the former is using Turing architecture which boasts Tensor Cores which accelerates the performance of ray tracing.
Real-time ray tracing is a new revolutionary rendering technique that sees the likes of light effects, shadows and reflections look substantially more impressive and realistic in video games. AMD’s Navi technology sadly has no claim to this technology, but consequently ends up being more affordable than cards with Nvidia’s Turing architecture.
Disappointingly – but not surprisingly – there has been no increase in the 8GB GDDR6 VRAM for any of the RTX 2070 Super GPUs compared to the Founders Edition non-Super RTX 2070 graphics card. Boosting the VRAM could have given the GPUs a significant performance boost, but would likely have seen the price rise dramatically.
Lastly, the TDP (Thermal Design Power) remains the same as Nvidia’s Founders Edition RTX 2070 Super, which only demands slightly more power than the regular RTX 2070.
The 215W figure is very impressive, even undercutting AMD RX 5700 XT, but as long as you’ve a powerful enough PSU, the TDP shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Related: AMD RX 5700 XT review
Heavy metal: The MSI 2070 Super is a big beast – it occupies a 2.75 slot and measures 140 x 56.5 x 328 mm
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio – Design
The MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is one of the biggest graphics cards I’ve seen – it’s even longer than the width of our ATX motherboard. At 328mm long and 56.5mm thick, it’s best advised you don’t try and fit this graphics card inside a mini ATX case.
The graphics card’s extravagant size is due to the presence of three TORX Fans, which help to keep temperatures cool regardless what GPU-intensive games you’re running. The MSI dragon logos on the centre of the fans help provide some snazzy personality flair, which is arguably absent from the Nvidia Founders Edition cards.
There are also RGB light strips running along the edges of the card, which you can customise via the MSI Mystic Light utility for various colours and effects, and even sync up with other components for a dazzling rainbow harmony.
This could be a little overbearing for some gamers, but I personally like to see my rigs glow with a wide spectrum of colours.
On the rear you’ll find three output ports for DisplayPort and a single connection for HDMI 2.0. Sadly there’s no port for USB-C, which is a slight disappointment considering more and more virtual reality headsets are opting for the streamlined connection. In more positive news, the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is SLI-Ready, so if you’re really keen on hooking up multiple GPUs (although we don’t recommend it, unless you really know what you’re doing) then you have the option here.
L-R: DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0, and two more DisplayPorts.
Related: AMD RX 5700 review
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio – Ray tracing and DLSS
The biggest difference between a Nvidia Turing and an AMD Navi graphics card, other than price, is ray tracing. Real-time ray tracing is a new rendering technology which makes in-game light behave and look more realistically.
This results in more authentic lighting effects, shadows and reflection, which can dramatically improve the visuals.
However, real-time ray tracing technology is very much in its infancy, even almost a year after the first 20 Series cards featuring it were announced. Firstly, only a few big games support it right now, with Metro Exodus, Battlefield 5 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider being the only big name titles at the time of writing.
On left: DXR turned off. On right: DXR turned on (Game: Battlefield 5)
More ray tracing supported games have been confirmed for the future, including Control, Watch Dogs Legion and Cyberpunk 2077 – and many more expected to follow when the PS5 and Xbox 2 launch – but that’s still a long wait to see a return on your investment.
The second issue is that activating ray tracing can see the frame rate take a tumble, since the technology is such a drain on the GPU. When turning DXR (DirectX Raytracing) on in Battlefield 5 with the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio in the rig, the frame rate dropped from 100fps to 70fps which is a whopping 30fps decline.
Fortunately, another Nvidia feature called DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) has been introduced to rectify this performance drop. This feature uses artificial intelligence to alleviate some of the GPU workload, consequentially giving the frame rate a lovely boost.
| DXR off | DXR on, DLSS on | DXR on, DLSS off | |
| Battlefield 5 FPS | 100 | 80 | 70 |
As our table shows, DLSS boosted the frame rate in Battlefield 5 (in Quad HD, with DXR activated) by 10fps. That’s not quite enough to recover the whole 30fps loss, but it’s still a welcome bump.
Another issue with DLSS in its current state is that it negatively impacts the visual quality. The picture isn’t quite as sharp with DLSS activated, with textures becoming less detailed.
On left: DLSS turned off. On right: DLSS turned on (Game: Battlefield 5)
Nvidia seems to be in the process of ironing out these flaws, most recently introducing a DLSS slider in Monster Hunter World which lets gamers balance out the visual quality and frame boost themselves.
But, with ray tracing and DLSS both still facing teething troubles, you’re going to have to wait a number of months until you reap all the benefits. It’s something of a known unknown, and therefore still represents a degree of risk.
Related: What is ray tracing?
The trademark MSI dragon design extends to the fans as well as the backplate
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio – Performance
The MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is a high-performing mid-range graphics card. This puts it in a rather awkward position, being one of the most expensive GPUs for Quad HD gaming, yet is still not powerful enough to comfortably run games in 4K.
Disappointingly for the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio though, its performance was hit and miss. With the likes of The Division 2, I saw a decent frame rate improvement over the regular RTX 2070, but with other titles such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Dirt Rally, there seemed to be no frame rate boost at all.
This inconsistency is alarming, although this could be down to software issues which could be patched eventually. Then again, the difference in specs for these cards is so minor it’s not a massive surprise that there’s little separating the performance of the cards on test.
Judging from my benchmark results, AMD’s 5700 XT GPU seems to be the closest rival to MSI’s RTX 2070 Super, despite costing £95 less. Of course, the latter also features ray tracing, which may well be worth the extra cash for some. I used the following four graphics cards for the benchmark tests:
- MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
- Asus ROG Strix RTX 2070 O8G Gaming
- Asus Dual RTX 2060 Super O8G-EVO
- AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
Testing methodology
I used the same computer rig to test every graphics card in order to ensure a fair test. The CPU, SSD, RAM, motherboard and PSU were all kept consistent throughout the testing process. Have a look at the exact components we used below:
Motherboard: X570 Aorus Master Gaming
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2666MHz, 16GB DDR4
PSU: Corsair CX750M
SSD: Aorus NVMe Gen4 SSD 2TB
OS: Windows 10
I also carefully considered which games I’d use for the testing process.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider was chosen as our Nvidia-optimised GPU, while The Division 2 was picked for AMD. Both of these titles are two of the most GPU-demanding games currently available, which makes them ideal for pushing GPUs as far as they can go. Dirt Rally was also selected as an indicator of how well the GPU can perform with games released a number of years ago.
For each benchmark test, I picked the highest graphics preset (highest, ultra etc) while making sure to disable the likes of Vsync, which could allow the refresh rate of the monitor to influence the performance. See below for the results:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
The Shadow of the Tomb Raider frame rate results posted by the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio came as a big shock, and fell well short of my expectations. It saw almost identical results to the Asus ROG Strix RTX 2070 O8G Gaming (which isn’t so outlandish because the latter has slightly superior boost clock speed) and was also bested by AMD’s RX 5700 XT.
These results were disappointing given the card’s steep price.
That said, if you ignore the competition, MSI’s RTX 2070 Super still posted excellent results for Quad HD and Full HD gaming at 72fps and 84fps, respectively. This is above the recommended optimum 60fps performance, so Shadow of the Tomb Raider should run very smoothly.
The 4K result wasn’t too shabby either at 38fps. This frame rate is certainly high enough to be playable, but you’d want something closer to 60fps for an ideal performance.
The Division 2
Ubisoft’s The Division 2 is a far better showcase for what the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is capable – with a Quad HD performance of 80fps on average, it bested both the RTX 2070 and AMD’s RX 5700 XT by a stonking 15fps.
The MSI RTX 2070 performance for Full HD was also very impressive at 104fps. Again, this reflected its superior GPU muscle over the other cards on test, offering a stellar performance well beyond the optimum 60fps.
The 4K result looked decent too, with a 45fps average. The level of performance is admittedly on the low-end, but it’s still just about high enough to be playable – you just have to decide between visual fidelity and smooth performance, depending on which is more important to you.
I’m unsure why the MSI RTX 2070 Super performance was so high with The Division 2 and yet was underwhelming with Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but it’s likely to be a driver issue. Still, it’s concerning how inconsistent this graphics card seems to be with each game.
Dirt Rally
If you were hoping the underwhelming Shadow of the Tomb Raider results were just an anomaly, the Dirt Rally benchmark results unfortunately proved otherwise. The MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio came bottom of the pack for everyone one of the benchmark tests in our four-way face off, despite being the most expensive card.
These low results will likely be due to one of two reasons: the MSI RTX 2070 Super is in need of a new driver to unlock its performance potential, or, the graphics card is simply not very well optimised for older games.
It’s hard to say which is true at the time of writing.
But while the likes of AMD’s RX 5700 XT look to have the MSI RTX 2070 Super well beat for Dirt Rally, the latter still saw exceptionally good results. Whether you’re playing the racer in Full HD, Quad HD or 4K, you’re going to see an incredibly good performance with everyone one of the figures leaving the golden standard 60fps in the dust.
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
The 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra benchmark software is useful for testing the raw performance of a graphics card, giving a good estimate of the average GPU performance. This of course, won’t provide an indication of in-game performance, but it’s still a good basis for comparing cards.
Interestingly, its benchmark score of 6133 is the best of the four cards on test. Judging from specs and price, this is the result you’d expect, but in-game benchmark results don’t really align with this figure, supporting the suggestion software could be negatively impacting frame rates for select games.
That said, the 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra result also shows the AMD 5700 XT isn’t far behind the MSI RTX 2070 Super in terms of performance despite the gulf in price difference.
The Fire Strike Ultra benchmark also showed the MSI RTX 2070 Super to be a power leech, with a peak power consumption of 366 watts. This was a higher figure than all three of the other graphics cards on test, but not to such an extent that you’ll need to be worrying about your PSU.
The triple-fan design of the MSI RTX 2070 Super also ensures a respectable temperature of 65°C when running the 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra benchmark. That is 15°C less than the AMD 5700 XT, which sees temperatures rising worryingly high.
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio – Overclocking
You’d think the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio would excel at overclocking, what with its three fans and boosted specs. But, while it was capable of a 140MHz overclock, I couldn’t push it any further without the Unigine Heaven software turning into a stuttering mess, which was disappointing.
This overclock only resulted in a 7.7fps performance boost in Unigine Heaven, which is decent, but arguably not substantial enough to justify the card’s steep price when compared to the AMD RX 5700 XT.
More seasoned overclockers who have more time to push the graphics card to its limit may see a greater performance boost, but with the performance becoming so unstable following a 150MHz overclock, I doubt they’ll be able to see a huge return of frame rates.
That said, the temperature never exceeded 68°C, which is far below the point when the heat comes concerning. This shows its not the thermal performance that’s the bottleneck here, but more the limitations of the hardware.
Related: RTX 2060 Super Review
Should I buy the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio?
There’s a reason Nvidia discontinued the standard RTX 2070, with the upper mid-range graphics card arguably suffering middle sibling syndrome – it didn’t offer fantastic Quad HD value and was too under-powered to compete on the 4K front.
Sadly, speccing up the RTX 2070 for the Super edition hasn’t fixed this issue.
The extra flashy design details MSI brings to the RTX 2070 at least gives the graphics card extra flair. The MSI dragon logos and RGB lights make this one of the flashiest cards I’ve seen yet, while the third fan is ideal for keeping things cool during an overclock. But these extra features also drive up the price, which is detrimental when AMD’s significantly cheaper RX 5700 XT isn’t too far behind in terms of performance.
That’s not to say the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio doesn’t have any appeal. If you’re using a Quad HD monitor and want the highest possible frame rates for under £600, then this a worthwhile option – just be aware you can get better value with rival cards.
MSI’s RTX 2070 Super offers great Quad HD gaming performance, but, if that’s all you’re after…
Verdict
The MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio appeals to a very niche audience – those who want the best possible Quad HD and ray tracing graphics card available for under £600, but aren’t prepared to make the jump to 4K.
If that suits you to the ground, and you’re happy to pay the premium for MSI’s flashy RGB lights and design, then this graphics card will serve you well. But if you’d rather save your cash and get the best value GPU card on offer, then AMD’s alternatives are a far better bet.
Which is better MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio or MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
GPU base clock speed
The graphics processing unit (GPU) has a high clock speed.
1605 MHz
max 2457
Average: 938 MHz
1515 MHz
max 2457
Average: 938 MHz
Gpu memory speed
This is an important aspect for calculating memory bandwidth.
1750 MHz
max 16000
Average: 1326.6 MHz
1750 MHz
max 16000
Average: 1326.6 MHz
FLOPS
Measuring the processing power of a processor is called FLOPS.
8.88 TFLOPS
max 1142.32
Average: 92.5 TFLOPS
10.56 TFLOPS
max 1142.32
Average: 92.5 TFLOPS
Turbo gpu
If the GPU speed has dropped below its limit, then to improve performance, it can go to a high clock speed.
1800 MHz
max 2903
Average: 1375.
8 MHz
1860 MHz
max 2903
Average: 1375.8 MHz
Texture size
A certain number of textured pixels are displayed on the screen every second.
288 GTexels/s
max 756.8
Average: 145.4 GTexels/s
342.2 GTexels/s
max 756.8
Average: 145.4 GTexels/s
Architecture name
Turing
Turing
GPU
Turing TU104
Turing TU104
Shared memory
Not available
Not available
Memory bandwidth
This is the rate at which the device stores or reads information.
448 GB/s
max 2656
Average: 198.
3 GB/s
448 GB/s
max 2656
Average: 198.3 GB/s
Effective memory speed
The effective memory clock is calculated from the size and transfer rate of the memory information. The performance of the device in applications depends on the clock frequency. The higher it is, the better.
Show more
14000 MHz
max 19500
Average: 6984.5 MHz
14000 MHz
max 19500
Average: 6984.5 MHz
RAM
8 GB
max 128
Average: 4.6 GB
8 GB
max 128
Average: 4.
6 GB
GDDR memory versions
Latest versions of GDDR memory provide high data transfer rates to improve overall performance
6
Average: 4.5
6
Average: 4.5
Memory bus width
A wide memory bus means that it can transfer more information in one cycle. This property affects memory performance as well as the overall performance of the device’s graphics card.
Show more
256 bit
max 8192
Average: 290.1 bit
256 bit
max 8192
Average: 290.1 bit
Power Consumption (TDP)
Heat Dissipation Requirements (TDP) is the maximum possible amount of energy dissipated by the cooling system. The lower the TDP, the less power will be consumed
Show more
215 W
Average: 140.4 W
215 W
Average: 140.4 W
Technological process
The small size of the semiconductors means this is a new generation chip.
12 nm
Average: 47.5 nm
12 nm
Average: 47.5 nm
Number of transistors
The higher their number, the more processor power this indicates.
13600 million
max 80000
Average: 5043 million
13600 million
max 80000
Average: 5043 million
PCIe connection interface
A considerable speed of the expansion card used to connect the computer to the peripherals is provided.
The updated versions offer impressive bandwidth and high performance.
Show more
3
Average: 2.8
3
Average: 2.8
Width
328 mm
max 421.7
Average: 242.6 mm
327 mm
max 421.7
Average: 242.6 mm
Height
140 mm
max 180
Average: 119.1 mm
140 mm
max 180
Average: 119.1 mm
DirectX
Used in demanding games, providing improved graphics
12
max 12.
2
Average: 11.1
12
max 12.2
Average: 11.1
OpenGL
Used by some applications to harness the power of the GPU for non-graphical computations. The newer the version, the more functional it will be
1.2
max 4.6
Average: 1.7
1.2
max 4.6
Average: 1.7
OpenGL
Later versions provide high quality gaming graphics
4.5
max 4.6
Average: 4
4.5
max 4.6
Average: 4
Shader model
6.
5
max 6.6
Average: 5.5
6.5
max 6.6
Average: 5.5
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
CUDA
7.5
7.5
Has hdmi output
HDMI output allows you to connect devices with HDMI or mini HDMI ports. They can send video and audio to the display.
Available
Available
HDMI version
The latest version provides a wide signal transmission channel due to the increased number of audio channels, frames per second, etc.
2
max 2.1
Average: 2
2
max 2.1
Average: 2
DisplayPort
Allows you to connect to a display using DisplayPort
3
Average: 2
3
Average: 2
Number of HDMI connectors
The more their number, the more devices can be connected at the same time (for example, game / TV set-top boxes)
1
Average: 1.
1
1
Average: 1.1
HDMI
Available
Available
Passmark test score
17782
max 29325
Average: 7628.6
18278
max 29325
Average: 7628.6
3DMark Cloud Gate GPU benchmark score
126109
max 191204
Average: 80042.3
140704
max 191204
Average: 80042.3
3DMark Fire Strike Score
21015
max 38276
Average: 12463
20082
max 38276
Average: 12463
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics benchmark score
23958
max 49575
Average: 11859.
1
17454
max 49575
Average: 11859.1
3DMark 11 Performance GPU Benchmark
32953
max 57937
Average: 18799.9
39472
max 57937
Average: 18799.9
3DMark Vantage Performance Benchmark
67668
max 97887
Average: 37830.6
65298
max 97887
Average: 37830.6
3DMark Ice Storm GPU Benchmark Score
493062
max 533357
Average: 372425.7
427395
max 533357
Average: 372425.
7
SPECviewperf 12 score — Solidworks
71
max 202
Average: 62.4
69
max 202
Average: 62.4
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 sw-03
69
max 202
Average: 64
69
max 202
Average: 64
SPECviewperf 12 test score — Siemens NX
12
max 212
Average: 14
12
max 212
Average: 14
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 showcase-01
124
max 232
Average: 121.
3
max 232
Average: 121.3
SPECviewperf 12 score — Showcase
125
max 175
Average: 108.4
max 175
Average: 108.4
SPECviewperf 12 test score — Medical
41
max 107
Average: 39.6
44
max 107
Average: 39.6
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 mediacal-01
41
max 107
Average: 39
44
max 107
Average: 39
SPECviewperf 12 score — Maya
147
max 177
Average: 129.
8
147
max 177
Average: 129.8
SPECviewperf 12 benchmark score — specvp12 maya-04
156
max 180
Average: 132.8
147
max 180
Average: 132.8
SPECviewperf 12 — Energy test score
12
max 25
Average: 9.7
12
max 25
Average: 9.7
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 energy-01
12
max 21
Average: 10.7
12
max 21
Average: 10.
7
SPECviewperf 12 test score — Creo
49
max 153
Average: 49.5
51
max 153
Average: 49.5
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 creo-01
50
max 153
Average: 52.5
51
max 153
Average: 52.5
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 catia-04
97
max 189
Average: 91.5
107
max 189
Average: 91.5
SPECviewperf 12 score — Catia
96
max 189
Average: 88.
6
107
max 189
Average: 88.6
SPECviewperf 12 test score — specvp12 3dsmax-05
207
max 316
Average: 189.5
201
max 316
Average: 189.5
SPECviewperf 12 score — 3ds Max
204
max 269
Average: 169.8
198
max 269
Average: 169.8
MSI RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio 8GB
In this review, we’re looking at the 8 GB version of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio.
The card is equipped with 2×8 Pin connectors and consumes from 180 watts to 215 watts depending on overclocking, miner and algorithm.
|
Specifications |
|
|---|---|
|
Specifications |
RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio |
|
Video memory |
GDDR6 8GB |
|
CPU frequency |
Acceleration frequency: 1800 MHz |
|
Energy consumption |
From 180 watts to 215 watts |
|
Power connectors |
2x8Pin |
|
Dimensions (mm) |
328 x 140 x 56.5 |
Current prices
all prices for this product!
Temperatures and internals
- Length ~ 32 cm
- Weight ~ 1.5 kg
- Noise ~ 50 dB
The MSI Gaming X series is well known for producing high quality cards that are often overclocked from the factory to the limit.
While this is a very interesting card (from a cooling point of view) with three fans and 7 heatpipes, it’s a little disappointing that the GPU is only overclocked by 30MHz — from a reference speed of 1770MHz to 1800MHz.
In terms of pricing, MSI said that the approximate price for the CIS countries would be ~$650 plus minus $20, that is, $630-670. Considering the fact that the Founders Edition retails for ~$580, you’ll be paying at least $40 extra for this MSI model. Is it worth the extra money? We will explore this in this review.
Like the RTX 2070 SUPER, this card is powered by a stripped-down TU104 GPU, the same GPU that powers the RTX 2080. The RTX 2080 has 46 SMs and 2944 CUDA cores, but the 2070 SUPER only has 40 SMs and 2560 CUDA cores.
In addition, the card is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory running at 14 Gb/s on a 256-bit bus.
As we mentioned, the clock speed is 1800 MHz, although interestingly, this did not affect the rated power consumption, since MSI claims that it is still 215 W, as is the Founders Edition with a slower clock speed (not overclocked from the factory).
Package contents
The MSI RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio comes in a rather colorful box, and does not differ much from the 2070 box.
However, the reverse side is MSI’s standard style, with the main specifications of the card printed on it.
As for the package itself, MSI, as always, is generous in contrast to the reference card. In the box we find a user manual, a «Dragon cartoon» comic, two disposable coasters and a booklet with MSI products.
The most practical of the whole set is a bracket for supporting the video card itself in PCI-e. This is done to prevent the card from falling. A quick installation guide is also included.
Moving on to the card itself, the overall design is certainly familiar. It’s pretty much the same cooler as the 2080 X Trio — it makes sense for MSI to reuse the existing design given that both the RTX 2080 and 2070 SUPER use the same GPU.
Cooling system
This is a black card with a metal case, and although it is made of plastic, it looks quite strong.
However, most of the front of the card is given over to these three fans, and it is interesting that two of these fans are 100mm , while the fan closest to the I/O bracket is 90mm . All three MSI Torx 3.0 fan models.
As you may have guessed, the Gaming X Trio is a big card. It measures 328 x 140 x 56.5mm, so it’s a three-slot card and is over 30cm long. The card weighs over 1.5kg.
The front side of the card features the MSI and GeForce RTX logos, and above this part of the shroud is an LED strip that can be customized using MSI’s Mystic Light software.
As for the back of the video card, the card has a backplate. It features the MSI logo and cutouts that also accentuate the design of the card.
The cutouts themselves are also used for better ventilation. It is worth noting that the backplate does not cool the card itself, but serves as a support and protection against damage.
Internal cooling system
Let’s move on to the analysis of the video card itself.
Let’s start by tradition with the grille.
As for the radiator, it is very large and thick. It is divided into two separate parts.
They are connected by 7 nickel-plated heat pipes, one of which is 8 mm and the other 6 mm. The GPU is in contact with the cooling plate.
It is also worth noting that there is 1 more cooling plate for the VRM in the cooling system.
Thermal pads are attached to the radiator grill itself, which serve as an additional cooling system for memory and VRM.
After removing the grille, we can see the printed circuit board.
There is a separate metal plate around the GPU. You may have seen this before in our other MSI reviews. It acts as a heatsink for the VRAM while increasing the card’s overall rigidity.
Once we’ve removed the plate, we can see the MSI Gaming X Trio PCB. This is the same PCB as the 2080 Gaming X Trio, but with a slight change in power delivery — MSI opts for an 8+2 phase configuration rather than the 10+2 from the 2080 version of this card.
Memory chips — 8×1 GB — from Micron marked «9EA77D9WCW». The TU104 GPU, marked «TU104-410» is something new.
As we said earlier, thermal pads are also attached to the memory for additional cooling.
Thermal images
All thermal images were taken under maximum load for a general idea and understanding of the cooling system with a slight overclocking of the core and memory.
|
Measuring point |
Celsius) |
|---|---|
|
M1 |
62.6 |
|
M2 |
41.4 |
|
M3 |
39.1 |
|
M4 |
38.9 |
|
M5 |
32.9 |
Installing the thermal camera on the front side of the card, we get the following results:
The hottest point M1 (63 degrees) is the temperature above the GPU.
|
Measuring point |
Celsius) |
|---|---|
|
M1 |
58.8 |
|
M2 |
66.9 |
|
M3 |
54.3 |
|
M4 |
51.3 |
|
M5 |
55.9 |
|
M6 |
54.1 |
|
M7 |
57.5 |
Installing a thermal camera from the back of the video card, we get the following results:
The hottest point of M2 (67 degrees) is the temperature of the GPU.
Note that we can’t be 100% sure about the quality of these thermal images, as the map’s backplate distorts them a little.
Next comes point M1 (59 degrees) — memory temperature.
Please note that residual heat dissipates well and does not remain in the graphics card.
Memory and Power Consumption
Video card equipped with 8 GB GDDR6. The most commonly supplied is Micron .
As we already mentioned, the clock speed is 1800 MHz, although interestingly, this did not affect the rated power consumption, since MSI claims that it is still 215 W, like the Founders Edition with a slower clock speed.
It’s worth noting that under overclocking the card can consume up to 250 watts without downvolting
Also noteworthy is MSI’s decision to increase the number of power connectors — the card requires 2×8-pin connectors instead of 1×8- and 1×6 Pin.
A farm of 6 RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio graphics cards and an attached power system (Motherboard, SSD, CPU) will require 1x 1900W PSU or 2x 1000W PSUs.
You can find out how to power a farm with 2 power supplies on our website.
Also on our website you can choose a great block for mining: the corresponding section contains detailed articles about different power supplies: their configuration, efficiency, drawdowns, ripple, analysis and much more.
Hashrate
Hashrate on different algorithms of the Palit RTX 2070 Super JS video card.
| Algorithm | Hashrate | Acceleration |
|---|---|---|
| Ethash | 44.2 Mh/s | Memory Clock +1200 Core Clock -200 |
| Equihash 210.9 | 281 Sol/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| Zhash | 84 Sol/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| Cuckarood29 | 8.2 G/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| BeamHashII | 8. 4 G/s |
Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| CuckooCycle | 8.4 G/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| Equihash 192.7 | 44.1 Sol/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| Cuckaroo29s | 8.26 G/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| Equihash 125.4 | 46.8 Sol/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| MTP | 3.5 Mh/s | Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
| X25X | 5. 1 Mh/s |
Memory Clock +800 Core Clock +100 |
Mining Ethash, Ether coin:
Mining CuckooCycle:
How much you can earn
To understand which algorithm, which coin is the most profitable to mine and how much you will earn on it , use the online calculator — Whattomine.
Select the video card you need, specify the number of these cards, then click on the name of the card itself so that it lights up (green or red, depending on the brand of the card — AMD or Nvidia), scroll down the page below and click on the «Calculate» button . Further, the system will give you the most profitable coins for mining!
At the time of this writing, the most profitable to mine the following coins on the 2070S:
- Zcoin(XZC)
- Swap(XWP)
- Grin-CR29(GRIN)
- MWC-CR29(MWC)
- Zel(ZEL)
Outputs
I/O for RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio following:
- 3x DisplayPort
- 1x HDMI
Curiously, according to the Founders Edition (reference) there is no USB-C connector.
Conclusion
Overall, the RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio is a good card. As for the appearance, it does not differ from 2080. The plastic and metal are quite high quality.
The card’s cooling system is also very good. The card does not exceed 70 degrees, but it is worth noting that it was in an open stand. However, in a dense rig, an additional cooling system will have to be installed.
Overall, the ~$50 extra over the reference is worth it, as MSI did a really good job with the RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio.
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio review
judgment
A super powerful Quad HD graphics card that also uses Nvidia’s ray tracing feature. But if you want pound-for-pound pricing or 4K performance, your best bet is to look elsewhere.
PROS
- Excellent performance QUAD HD and Full HD with modern games
- Luxurious design
- Support for Rays Trassisting
Cons
- Corpace 9009 ATX
- Review Price: £560
- Nvidia Turing Architecture
- 2560 CUDA Cores
- Clock Speeds 1800MHz
- VRAM: 8GB GDDR6
- TDP: 215W
Key Specs
What is MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio?
The MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is a third-party version of the Nvidia RTX 2070 Super graphics card, an extended version of the RTX 2070 standard.
superior performance — and slightly steeper prices. Nvidia almost certainly took this step to counter the arrival of AMD’s new RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT graphics cards, delivering brilliant performance and fancy features like ray tracing instead of offering a bargain price.
The MSI variant tested here further boosts clock speeds and also optimizes overclocking potential with a triple fan setup to prevent GPU overheating. But with all these modifications comes a hefty price tag, which could very well be the deciding factor since its AMD competitors are priced so competitively.
Don’t forget though that the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is more expensive and more powerful than the Founders Edition RTX 2070 Super, so don’t take this review as a complete reflection of Nvidia’s own vanilla version.
Similar: Best Graphics Card 2019
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is very hard on RGB, fans and backplate…
MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio Specifications The RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio has a spec compared to the vanilla RTX 2070 Super, but how big is the difference? Not as important as you might expect.
MSI only improved the clock speed by 30 MHz, which is quite a bit below the figure provided by the AMD RX 5700 XT. However, GPU performance is much more complex than just clock speed, so it would be unfair to rely solely on this number when choosing your card. AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 9
| RTX 2070 Super Founders Edition | MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio0003
If you’re comparing Nvidia cards with AMD, be aware that the former uses the Turing architecture with Tensor Cores, which speeds up ray tracing performance. Real-time ray tracing is a revolutionary new rendering technology that allows you to see how lighting effects, shadows and reflections look much more impressive and realistic in video games. AMD Navi technology, unfortunately, does not claim this technology, but ends up being more affordable than Nvidia Turing architecture cards. It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that the 8GB GDDR6 VRAM hasn’t increased for any of the RTX 2070 Super GPUs compared to the non-Super RTX 2070 Founders Edition graphics card. Finally, the TDP (thermal output) stays the same as the Nvidia Founders Edition RTX 2070 Super, which requires only slightly more power than the regular RTX 2070. The 215W output is very impressive, even lowering the AMD RX 5700 XT, but up to those as long as you have a reasonably powerful power supply, TDP shouldn’t be a big concern. Related: AMD RX 5700 XT review Heavy Metal: The MSI 2070 Super is a big beast — it takes up 2.75 slots and measures 140 x 56.5 x 328mm. MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio — The design of theMSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio is one of the biggest graphics cards I’ve ever seen — it’s even longer than the width of our ATX motherboard. With a length of 328 mm and a thickness of 56.5 mm, it is better not to install this video card in a mini ATX case. The graphics card’s extravagant size comes from the presence of three TORX fans to help keep temperatures cool no matter what GPU-intensive games you’re running. There are also RGB light bars running along the edges of the card that you can customize with MSI’s Mystic Light utility for different colors and effects, and even sync with other components for a dazzling rainbow harmony. It might seem a bit overbearing to some players, but I personally love seeing my rigs glow in a wide range of colors. On the rear panel you will find three DisplayPort output ports and one HDMI 2.0 connection. Unfortunately, there’s no USB-C port, which is a bit of a disappointment considering more and more VR headsets are opting for a streamlined connection. The more positive news is that the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio supports SLI, so if you’re really interested in connecting multiple GPUs (although we don’t recommend it unless you really know what you’re doing), then you have the opportunity is here. L-R: DisplayPort, HDMI 2. Related: AMD RX 5700 Review MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio — Ray Tracing and DLSSThe biggest difference between Nvidia Turing and AMD Navi graphics card, aside from price, is ray tracing. Real-time ray tracing is a new rendering technology that makes the light in the game behave and look more realistic. This results in more authentic lighting effects, shadows, and reflections that can greatly enhance visuals. However, real-time ray tracing technology is in its infancy, almost a year after the first 20-series cards with this technology were announced. First, only a few major games support this right now, with Metro Exodus, Battlefield 5, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider being the only big names at the time of writing. Left: DXR off. Right: DXR enabled (Game: Battlefield 5) More ray tracing-enabled games have been confirmed in the future, including Control, Watch Dogs Legion and Cyberpunk 2077 — with many more waiting for PS5 and Xbox 2 to arrive — but it’s still a long wait to recoup your investment. The second issue is that activating ray tracing can cause frame rates to drop as this technology is very GPU intensive. When enabling DXR (DirectX Raytracing) in Battlefield 5 with the MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio in the rig, the framerate dropped from 100fps to 70fps, which is a whopping 30fps drop. Luckily, another Nvidia feature called DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) has been added to address performance drops. This feature uses artificial intelligence to lighten some of the GPU workload, which greatly improves frame rates.
|
The VRAM increase could have greatly improved GPU performance, but would likely lead to a sharp rise in prices. 
The MSI dragon logos in the fan center help to give a unique character that may not be present on the Nvidia Founders Edition cards. 
0 and two more DisplayPorts. 
This is something of the known unknown, and therefore still represents a degree of risk. 
Both of these games are two of the most demanding games to date, making them perfect for pushing the GPU as far as they can go. Dirt Rally was also chosen as a measure of how well a GPU can handle games released several years ago. 
This is above the recommended optimal performance of 60fps, so Shadow of the Tomb Raider should run very smoothly. 
Whether you’re playing Racer in Full HD, Quad HD, or 4K, you’ll see incredibly good results as each of the figures leave the gold standard of 60fps in the dust. 
It was higher than all three of the other graphics cards on the test, but not so much that you had to worry about your power supply. 
