EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC Gaming Graphics Card w/2 GB GDDR5 for sale in Argonia, KS
EVGA GeForce (NVIDIA) GTX 960 SSC Gaming Graphics Card with 2 GB of GDDR5 Memory and ACX 2.0+ Cooler Thank you for your interest in this item and please visit our store for other offerings. We have very reasonable shipping terms and combine orders to save money (for customers) on shipping costs. We also maintain customer friendly return/refund/exchange policies. Product Description: Listing Update...This is not so much an update as it is a brief comment about the computers and related parts I have available for sale. Personal computers (and in particular desktop computers) have always been a hobby of mine. I've enjoyed tinkering with this stuff over the years and have accumulated a number of items during this time...some new and some used. I am not an expert on the subject...more of an enthusiast...but I will still do my best to answer any questions as it relates to my computer related listings. Thank you. Original Listing... This offering is for a used EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC (Super Superclocked) Gaming graphics card with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and an the ACX 2.0+ cooler. This newer and improved cooler design features an inner metal plate that stretches the length of the PCB to help dissipate heat from the memory modules and other components. It also appears the heat pipe/fin stack design has been upgraded to improve overall cooling performance. I can confirm these cooler features are not just marketing copy, because I have disassembled earlier versions of this cooler on predecessor EVGA GTX 760 models. When comparing these two models (this EVGA GTX 960 to a similar GTX 760), I can identify these cooler improvements on the GTX 960 models. Additionally, this is GeForce 900 Series technology (Maxwell architecture) released by NVIDIA in 2015. So it's an older graphics card and should not be considered as an equivalent to many of today's newer offerings. Unfortunately, the marketplace is still a challenge for selected new parts, and it can be hard to justify paying around MSRP for a new and more powerful graphics card (especially when NVIDIA MSRPs in particular appear to be rising). Fortunately, this Maxwell architecture closes the gap on newer/entry-level 10 Series (Pascal architecture) graphics cards and begins to close the gap on even newer/entry-level 16 Series (Turing architecture) graphics cards. Notwithstanding the architecture and cooler discussion noted above, this graphics card is still a compromise relative to newer and more expensive models for sure, but for those that do some casual gaming in their spare time, this GPU has modest capabilities. I would not plan on being able to play newer "Triple-A" or "AAA" titles, but "Esports" titles or older games should still provide some recreational gaming options. The latter is where this graphics card may make some sense. If you find yourself still playing a fair number of older games...let's say around 10 years old (give or take a few years)...this is where the value of an older graphics card (like this one) can be realized. It will still play newer and less demanding games, but for those that have a "Steam" account full of games that were released around the same time as this graphics card (so 2015), this offering may be all that you need (and at a fraction of the cost of a newer graphics card). It's also worth noting this offering will be more powerful than any new graphics card at this price point. Although, to be fair, there is just not much available in a new graphics card at around this price point. I can also confirm I have been buying more used graphics cards over the past couple of years, while the market for new graphics cards has been difficult to navigate. I have found the used market still allows me to build some new computers (with a used graphics card) at a fairly reasonable price. Now when I say used, I mean that I carefully and patiently review private party listings from respected sellers on various sites. Then I only offer to buy those graphics cards that appear to have been lightly used and/or well maintained, and I only consider graphics cards used for gaming. I realize there is a level of trust involved here, but so far (and thankfully) I have done fairly well in acquiring used graphics cards that perform well, and according to manufacturer specifications during my stress testing. However, before I test any of these cards, I thoroughly inspect and clean them (and perform minor repairs when necessary). More specifically (and as it relates to this particular offering), I carefully disassembled this graphics card so I could inspect the PCB, heat-sink, fans and fan shroud. This allowed me to clean these component pieces with high pressure air and apply new thermal paste on the heat spreader that covers the GPU die. I also inspected the thermal pads and noted they were all in really good shape, so there was no need to replace them. Lastly, the fans still spin like new, which I have come to expect with EVGA fans, as they seem to be among the best in terms of longevity. For what it's worth, if I come across fans that do not spin well, I will replace them (but that was not necessary in this case). Once I have completed the refurbishing of the graphics card, I then install it in a new computer with updated drivers for stress testing. This particular graphics card was briefly installed in a newly built Ryzen 7 system with 16 GB of DDR4 memory, 1 TB of SSD storage, a 550 watt bronze rated power supply and a mid-tower case with good air flow. For those that are interested in the details of my stress testing approach, I load the following freeware programs: 3DMark Demo, GPU-Z, FurMark, HWMonitor, Unigine Heaven and Superposition. Some of these programs help to identify the graphics card and monitor it's performance, while others attempt to stress it. More specifically, here is my approach to stressing the graphics card to give me some assurances that it will function according to manufacturers specifications. First, I run GPU-Z and HWMonitor to identify and monitor the graphics card when idle and under heavy load. Then I run Unigine Heaven for maybe 30 minutes to an hour and include a few benchmark runs during this time. I follow this up with 3DMark Demo and choose the Time Spy and Fire Strike programs, because they both have a dedicated graphics test. Next, I run the Unigine Superposition benchmark maybe a handful of times. Finally, I run FurMark, which really stresses the graphics card for maybe another 20-30 minutes (or until temperatures appear to level off). It's been my experience that if one of my used graphics cards is able to make it through this battery of graphics intensive stress tests without any issues, then it is ready for service. Follow-up...I am getting some folks that are asking questions about any scores recorded during some of the testing. I don't know them all, but I do write down a few, and will share them here... Unigine (two runs at medium detail): Heaven: 2018 (80.1 fps) / 2021 (80.2 fps) Superposition: 4902 (36.7 fps) / 4914 (36.8 fps) 3DMark Demo Time Spy (two runs): First: 2569 (Graphics: 2312 / Processor: 6946) Second: 2565 (Graphics: 2309 / Processor: 6930) Fire Strike (two runs): First: 7060 (Graphics: 7855 / Processor: 18076 / Combined: 2642) Second: 7034 (Graphics: 7819 / Processor: 17689 / Combined: 2649) Please keep in mind these scores are based on hardware running at manufacturers' stock speeds (so no overclocking) and an ambient room temperature of 27 degrees Celsius (or 80 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also worth noting that after monitoring temperatures during these various tests, the maximum GPU temperature recorded was a respectable 77 degrees Celsius after running Furmark for 20-30 minutes. This max temperature had long since leveled off during the Furmark run, but I wanted to really push the graphics card given it's relatively small size/footprint. As noted below, the dimensions of this graphics card are smaller than most other GTX 960's. So I just wanted to see if I could "heat it up" during stress testing. To my surprise, I could not push the temperature into the 80's (Celsius) and this was in a warm ambient environment. Even more surprising was the fact that the single fan did not have to work very hard...only reaching 32% of its maximum RPMs by the end of the 30 minute Furmark run. I have been told this is one of the real benefits of the NVIDIA 900 Series (Maxwell) architecture relative to its predecessor 700 Series (Kepler) architecture. NVIDIA designed/manufactured a modestly faster graphics cards that was also much more efficient at the time (meaning the Maxwell architecture draws less power and generates a lot less heat). This is a big deal and the primary reason I prefer the 900 series GeForce graphics cards over their predecessors. This is not to say the 700 series GeForce graphics cards are bad, because they are not, and at the right price they still offer some value, but they do not compare with the 900 series models when it comes to any of the efficiency metrics. Having said the above, I thought it might also be helpful if I shared a specifications sheet of sorts that provides more details.... GPU Series / Model: NVIDIA GeForce 900 Series / GTX 960 Clock Speed: 1279 MHz (Base) and 1342 (Boost) Processor Cores: 1024 CUDA Cores Memory Size / Type: 2 GBs of GDDR5 Memory Interface / Effective Clock: 128-bit running at 7 Gbps (or 7010 MHz) Video Ports: x1 HDMI, x3 DisplayPort and x1 DVI-I (all of which have been tested and work fine) Cooler: single-fan (double ball bearing) design Power: 8-pin (port) and research indicates this card will draw 150+ watts of power under heavy load (and the recommended minimum power supply is 400 watts). This respectable (and lower) power draw relative to predecessor models is consistent with the discussion above regarding one of the real improvements of the Maxwell architecture. FYI Note: a PCI Express slot can supply 75 watts of power, a 6-pin connector another 75 watts and an 8-pin connector an additional 150 watts. Size (L x W): 10.10" x 4.38" and a footprint that covers two slots. Weight: 1 lbs 4 oz Other Notes: Please do not try to compare the processor cores and the related core clock speeds for AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards. Their core processing architectures are different, so their specifications are not comparable. More specifically, the AMD Stream Processors are smaller and incorporate a simpler design relative to NVIDIA CUDA cores (that are larger and more complex). In other words, more AMD Stream Processors compared to NVIDIA CUDA cores does not necessarily equate to a faster graphics card processor. In addition, the AMD Stream Processors will run at a lower clock speed (measured in MHz) compared to NVIDIA CUDA cores, and this does not necessarily translate to a slower graphics card processor. So again, these processor specifications are just not comparable. Now memory specifications, etc., are generally comparable. In terms of condition, this is a used graphics card that I have refurbished (as discussed above). I can usually find some minor scuffs and marks that are typical of a used offering (and there are some here), but overall the graphics card cleaned up well (inside and out) and performed as expected during all my stress testing. I'll end up keeping a few of my older graphics cards for potential future builds from this era, but right now I just have too many on the shelf. So I have decided to part with some of them to those that may have a more urgent need relative to mine. Terms and Conditions: You may visit our store by clicking on this "Store Home Page" link and please note the product categories on the left side of our "Store Home Page" . Note to domestic customers regarding oversized package shipping... For domestic packages (within the continental US), FedEx Ground or FedEx Home Delivery Service generally offers the lowest shipping rate for oversized packages. For customers that prefer US Postal Services (USPS), including the more timely USPS Priority Mail, we will include these shipping options as well. Finally, for those that live outside the continental US (i.e., Alaska, Hawaii and the US Territories), USPS Retail Ground, Parcel Select Ground and Priority Mail services represent the best value (with USPS Priority Mail offering the fastest service). Note to international customers regarding oversized package shipping... International shipping requirements vary for larger packages (including size limitations from country to country). As a result, international customers should contact us before purchasing larger items. We are then able to research shipping options to determine if we are able to ship a particular oversized item to your country and then provide an accurate shipping quote. This way we will avoid any confusion or misunderstanding with respect to international shipping of oversized packages. Note to international customers regarding customs... We also apologize to those that feel their country import taxes, duties and brokerage fees are excessive. As a small US business, we are required by customs' laws to declare each order as a retail sale. Additionally, the declared order value must be equal to total store purchases and/or winning auction bids (less any shipping costs, as these are not considered in the declared value). As a result, each customer will be responsible for paying his/her own country taxes, duties and brokerage fees, which will be collected upon delivery. Again, we apologize for these additional costs, but we cannot afford the penalties and fines that come with breaking customs' laws...so we have to strictly abide by them.
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