Sparkle Dragon Cyclone GTX 650
Overview
Hardware: Video CardsWHAT WE LIKED:
Excellent value; Low noise; Swappable fans; Small PCB/Cooler design; Beats Radeon 7750; Good gaming for the priceWHAT WE DISLIKED:
Negligible cooling performance between the fans on Auto settingDiscuss in the Forum
Introduction
While the flagship graphics cards like the GeForce Titan may garner much of the market hype, it’s typically the much more affordable cards that quietly bring in the profits, as there are few gamers with the lofty budgets that can afford those behemoth cards. For much of the market who want gaming on the cheap, today’s card might just do the trick: the Sparkle Dragon Cyclone GTX 650.
The GeForce GTX 650 is one of the most affordable in Nvidia’s lineup, costing only $110 for this Sparkle model. It competes directly with the AMD Radeon 7750, costing only $10 more than the AMD card, and also the best priced amongst Nvidia partners as well.
The non-reference Sparkle Dragon Cyclone GTX 650 derives its name primarily from the custom cooler (though you also get a factory overclock) that Sparkle has designed. It includes three fans that are swap-and-drop, allowing consumers the choice of Turbo, Stock, or Silent options to install in order to suit their preferences and needs. It’s definitely innovative, but can the card compete in criteria other than price and fan design?
We certainly love flexibility, but how does this Sparkle card measure up on the bench? Can it beat the competing Radeon card? Let’s dive in and find out.
