MSI GeForce GTX 1650 D6 Ventus XS OCV1 graphics card: specs and who it suits

The MSI GeForce GTX 1650 D6 Ventus XS OCV1 (model G165D6VXSC1) is an entry-level graphics card built on NVIDIA's Turing architecture. It pairs 4GB of GDDR6 memory with a factory overclock, and it is aimed at people who want to add a dedicated GPU to an older or office PC for light gaming and video work.

The GPU and clock speed

The card uses the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 chip. MSI lists a boost clock of 1620 MHz, the top speed the GPU can reach under suitable conditions. The "OC" in the name indicates it is set faster than NVIDIA's reference clock. The listing describes Turing's concurrent floating-point and integer execution, adaptive shading and a unified memory architecture with twice the cache of the previous generation.

According to the listing, the card offers up to 2X the performance of the GeForce GTX 950 and up to 70% faster than the GTX 1050 in the latest games. It also quotes 1.4X power efficiency over the previous generation. These are manufacturer comparisons, and real results depend on the game, settings and the rest of the PC.

Memory: 4GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus

Memory size and speed set how much texture data the card can hold. The 4GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit interface suits 1080p play at moderate settings. Newer games with large textures may push past 4GB at higher settings.

Video outputs

The card offers three outputs:

• One dual-link DVI-D port
• One HDMI 2.0b port
• One DisplayPort 1.4

HDMI 2.0b handles 4K at 60Hz, and the listing mentions HDCP support. Having both DVI and DisplayPort is useful if you have an older monitor. You can connect multiple screens, but check which combinations the card supports.

Software

The listing describes NVIDIA GeForce Experience, a companion program for driver updates, game settings and capturing and sharing video, screenshots and livestreams. The card also supports DirectX 12 and is described as VR ready.

Size and installation

The card is about 7.1 inches (18 cm) long and 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) tall, compact enough for most cases, including many small-form-factor PCs. It fits in a PCIe x16 slot. Check the manual for the power connection, as models in this class often draw their power from the slot alone, but this should be confirmed on MSI's specification sheet for this model.

Who it suits

It suits someone upgrading an older desktop that has integrated graphics, building a compact PC, or running esports-style games at 1080p. It is not meant for demanding 4K gaming.

What to check before you buy

• Case space: compare the card's length and height with your case, and the number of slots it occupies.
• Power supply: confirm what your power supply provides and what the card needs.
• Monitor inputs: match your monitor to DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort.
• Motherboard slot: you need a free PCIe x16 slot.
• Games you play: check the recommended graphics memory for your favourite titles.

The short version

• A 4GB GDDR6 graphics card with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, model G165D6VXSC1.
• Boost clock of 1620 MHz on a 128-bit memory interface.
• DVI-D, HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs.
• DirectX 12 and VR ready, with GeForce Experience software.
• Suits 1080p gaming and PC upgrades.

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