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Want to buy a new Nvidia graphics card? Well then, check out this comparison piece where we faced the best Nvidia GPUs from MSI and EVGA. We won’t give you a definite recommendation. But we will offer two great choices in each Turing-based graphics card series.
If you want to get a new graphics card, the choice can be pretty hard. There are so many different models in each price bracket. Some run like referent cards, others are factory overclocked. Prices can go from going below to matching MSRP to considerably crossing the MSRP. The market is teeming with different choices, which can confuse even those who follow the GPU market for years.
Today, we will try to make the choice a bit easier. We’ve picked the best products from MSI and EVGA in each GTX 16xx and RTX 2xxx series and put them one against the other. Aside from that, we listed each series’ pros and cons, as well as offered basic info about each Turing-based GPU series. Before we delve into the meat of this comparison piece, let’s find out more about both manufacturers.
| MSI vs EVGA | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| Best GTX 1650 Super | EVGA |  |
| Best GTX 1660 Super | EVGA |  |
| Best GTX 1660 Ti | MSI |  |
| Best RTX 2060 | EVGA |  |
| Best RTX 2060 Super | Tie | |
| Best RTX 2070 Super | EVGA |  |
| Best RTX 2080 Super | MSI |  |
| Best RTX 2080 Ti | EVGA |  |
GTX 1650
The first is the GTX 1650 series, which you shouldn’t consider getting. First, of all, the RX 570 4GB version gets you more performance for less money. Next, you can get a used GTX 1060, also for less money. Finally, the GTX 1650 Super costs practically the same while offering almost 40 percent more performance. If you’re thinking about getting a GTX 1650, don’t. Instead, move to the GTX 1650 Super part of the article.
GTX 1650 Super
The GTX 1650 Super is an excellent budget card. It comes with 4 GB of memory, which is enough for most games at 1080p. For the money, you get the average performance that’s well above 60 frames per second at 1080p. In other words, AAA games will work at 60 FPS or more while esports titles will run well above 100 FPS.
The card doesn’t need lots of power. It features 100W TDP, which is nothing for a relatively powerful 1080p card. Temperatures are also very low. Under load, the card shouldn’t cross 70 degrees Celsius unless you torture it with FurMark. Overall, the GTX 1650 Super is a great budget choice.
1. MSI GTX 1650 Super Ventus XS OC
The MSI GTX 1650 Ventus XS OC model is an excellent choice for those who want a simple upgrade. The card comes with a slightly boosted clock. It has a few percent better performance compared to the reference design. It also comes without any power connector. All you need is a PCIeX16 slot and you’re good to go.
2. EVGA GTX 1650 Super SC Ultra Gaming
The EVGA GTX 1650 model is a slightly more expensive card that offers better OC potential. With its factory OC values, it offers a few percent better performance. But its overclock potential is great. You can gain about 15 percent better performance with manual OC. Overall, it’s less than 10 percent more expensive than the MSI model but offers much better performance if you’re willing to overclock.
The winner here is the EVGA model. You should get the MSI card only if you want a powerful budget card that doesn’t require a power connector.
GTX 1660
Another pointless product. The GTX 1660 was a great card until GTX 1660 Super arrived. Today, you can find GTX 1660 Super cards for a 5 percent higher price offering 10 percent better performance. The Super also offers higher memory bandwidth and GDDR6 memory instead of GDDR5. This is a no-brainer. If you’re into buying GTX 1660 just save a few bucks more and get the GTX 1660 Super. The other option is looking for a good GTX 1070 deal in the used market.
GTX 1660 Super
This is an excellent choice in the lower mid-tier market. The card has 125w TDP and reference cards come with one 6-pin power connector. Some cards do come with 8-pin connectors though so watch for that. The temperature should stay around 70 degrees Celsius when under load.
Performance-wise, expect well above 60 frames per second in AAA games at 1080p (70-90 FPS depending on the title). The card is capable of running AAA games at 1440p resolution at playable framerates. You can expect 40-60 FPS, which is pretty solid for the price. Esports titles will run like a charm on this one, well above 120 FPS. Overall, the GTX 1660 Super is an excellent lower mid-tier product.
3. MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X
The MSI GTX 1660 Super Gaming X is a factory OC version of the GTX 1660 Super card. It offers about three percent better performance than the reference card. OC potential is okay. You can get about nine percent better results compared to factory clocks.
The card comes with a solid cooling system. Even when OCed, temperatures shouldn’t reach 70 °C. Just remember that the power connector is 8-pin, not 6-pin Nvidia recommends.
4. EVGA GTX 1660 Super SC Ultra
Next, we have the EVGA GTX 1660 Super SC Ultra. The card retails for about 10 percent less than the MSI Super Gaming X.
Average performance is practically the same as on the MSI card. OC potential is a bit lower than the MSI card. This translates to about 8-9 percent better performance when overclocked.
Temperatures are the same as on MSI’s card. You shouldn’t reach 70 degrees Celsius even with max overclock values. The EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Super SC Ultra also comes with an 8-pin power connector.
In the end, the MSI card is noticeably more expensive while offering almost the same performance. We pick the EVGA model, which retails for 10 percent less. EVGA is a perfect choice for all those who planned on getting a regular 1660 model. On the other hand, the MSI model comes with much better connectivity options. If you’re running a multimonitor setup, we recommend the MSI model.
GTX 1660 Ti
The 1660 Ti was an excellent bang for the buck when released. In the meantime, we received an excellent RX 5600 XT. The RX 5600 XT sells for virtually the same price while offering 10 percent better performance. On the other side, we have the RTX 2060, which recently received a price reduction. Finally, there’s the 1660 Super, which is just 2-5 percent slower on average while retailing for 15 percent less.
The market is filled with cards that have better value than the GTX 1660 Ti. The card isn’t as pointless as the GTX 1650 or GTX 1660 but if you’re looking to buy one think about the alternatives. And if you want one, pick the cheapest models or wait for deals. The expensive, factory OC 1660 Ti models aren’t worth buying.
For the same money, you can get the EVGA RTX 2060 KO. Or factory OC RX 5600 XT models that offer more than 10 percent performance gain over the GTX 1660 Ti. What has been said about GTX 1660 Super works for the GTX 1660 Ti. Great 1080p performer with enough horsepower to run AAA games at 1440p.
5. MSI Gaming GTX 1660 TI Ventus XS 6G OC
The MSI GTX 1660 Ti model comes with a slight factory overclock. It should achieve up to 5-6 percent better performance than the reference cards. The OC potential is solid. With manual overclock you can achieve 10 percent better performance.
Temperatures should stay below 70 °C even under heavy load. The card comes with an 8-pin connector even if the card’s TDP rating is 120W. On the back, you can find three DisplayPort and one HDMI connector.
6. EVGA GTX 1660 Ti SC Ultra Gaming
The EVGA GTX 1660 Ti SC Ultra Gaming is the most affordable GTX 1660 Ti model from EVGA. As we said, only the most affordable GTX 1660 Ti models are worth buying. The card comes with a 15 MHz higher factory overclock than the MSI one. In reality, that means the same performance. The OC potential is the same as on the MSI card, maybe a percent or two better.
Temps are a bit lower, about 3 degrees below the MSI Ventus XS. The card comes with one 8-pin power connector. On the back, you can find one DVI, one HDMI, and one DisplayPort connector.
Overall, we pick the MSI model as the winner. It’s a bit hotter, it runs and costs the same as the EVGA model. But it offers better connectivity options. You should pick the EVGA card only if you need DVI support.
RTX 2060
The RTX 2060 is the ultimate 1080p card. It can run most games at triple digits or near (90 frames and above) that mark. At the same time, the card is a more than solid 1440p performer with enough power to run most titles at 60 FPS. The usual outliers (such as Metro Exodus, AC: Odyssey, Control, or Red Dead Redemption 2) fall outside these performance marks but even they will run above 60 fps at 1080p.
Temperatures shouldn’t cross 75 degrees Celsius while under load. TDP for this card is 160W and most (if not all) cards have one 8-pin power connector. When it comes to the competition you can get the RX 5700 for the same price which offers about 10 percent better performance in most titles. On the other hand, the RTX 2060 offers raytracing support and DLSS (which has gotten surprisingly better recently).
Also worth noting is that as you approach RTX territory you will get much more display output options. If you’re planning on a multi-monitor setup then you’re pretty much set as RTX cards are more than adequate for managing this.
7. MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Ventus XS 6G OC
The MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Ventus XS 6G OC is one of the most affordable RTX 2060 models. It offers almost the same performance as premium cards. The performance is great and with max OC you can get an additional 5-6 percent more performance.
Temperatures stay around 70 °C even when overclocked. Just remember that the card can get noisy when pushed to its limit. Overall, the MSI RTX 2060 Ventus XS is an excellent bang for the buck. You get solid performance for a lower price.
8. EVGA RTX 2060 KO Gaming
The EVGA RTX 2060 KO Gaming is the cheapest RTX 2060 card you can get right now. It retails for almost ten percent lower than the MSI Ventus XS and for the money it offers virtually identical performance. OC potential is a bit higher, at 7-8 percent. Temperatures are a bit higher, just under 75 degrees Celsius.
The EVGA is the winner here. It has a lower price and this is all that matters. The issue is finding one because they sell like hotcakes. Another potential issue could arise for users with multimonitor setups. The EVGA card offers fewer outputs so mind about that. If you cannot catch the EVGA, or have lots of monitors, the MSI card is also a great investment.
RTX 2060 Super
The RTX 2060 Super is a refresh of the RTX 2060. It comes with the performance of the now-defunct RTX 2070 while sporting a lower price. It also comes with 8GB of VRAM, which should help with performance at 1440p resolution.
The performance bump over RTX 2060 is noticeable. You get about a 12 percent performance bump, depending on the game. This isn’t so important at 1080p, except if you have a high refresh rate monitor. But it is at 1440p where the RTX 2060 Super can run almost every game at 60 fps or above with the highest settings.
The RTX performance is also slightly better. The card allows users to play RTX-enabled games at 1080p with playable framerates. Temperatures shouldn’t cross 70-75 °C under load and the card has a bit higher TDP compared to RTX 2060, at 175W.
9. MSI RTX 2060 Super Gaming X
The MSI RTX 2060 Super Gaming X card retails for about 7 percent higher price than MSRP. For the price, you get a slight factory OC and an excellent cooling system. The performance is in line with the regular RTX 2060 Super. With manual overclock you can gain up to 7-8 percent better performance. Even when overclocked the card won’t cross 70 degrees Celsius under heavy load.
10. EVGA RTX 2060 Super SC
The EVGA RTX 2060 Super SC is a bit cheaper than the MSI model. It comes with a bit lower factory OC, which shouldn’t affect performance. The cooling system is louder than on the MSI card but temperatures are the same. OC potential is about 5-6 percent more performance with manual overclocking.
The winner of this matchup is up to you. The two cards are the same. Their prices are also virtually the same. The only notable difference is that the MSI card comes with 3 DisplayPort and one HDMI connector while the EVGA has one less DisplayPort but also one DVI port.
RTX 2070 Super
The RTX 2070 Super replaced the regular RTX 2070 and brought 2080-like performance for less money. This is a capable 1440p card that offers superb performance at this resolution. You can even have light 4K gaming with the RTX 2070 Super. Just don’t expect 60 frames at high settings. Medium settings and about 50-60 fps are the limits at 4K, at least for modern AAA titles. Older games and esports titles work excellent at 4K.
RTX gaming should be flawless at 1080p, with max RTX settings and near 60 frames per second performance. TDP of this card is 215W with the reference model coming with one 8-pin and one 6-pin power connector. Temperatures can go up to 75 °C under heavy load.
11. MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X
The MSI RTX 2070 Super Gaming X fares well in games, with performance about 2 percent faster than the base RTX 2070 Super card. Factory OC is slight above reference clocks and manual OC potential is around 7 percent. Temperature goes to 72-73 degrees Celsius under load. Fan noise is low even under load.
12. EVGA RTX 2070 Super XC Ultra
The EVGA model comes with the same factory OC as the MSI Gaming X card. OC potential is a bit lower, around 5-6 percent. Temperatures are lower compared to MSI Gaming X, reaching 66 degrees Celsius under heavy load. Coil whine could be an issue. A fairly large number of user reviews mention it.
While the MSI model is a bit cheaper, we recommend the EVGA because it offers a USB-C output. While this might not matter much to most users, those who have a VR headset will appreciate the inclusion of the USB-C output.
RTX 2080 Super
The RTX 2080 Super replaced the standard RTX 2080. It brought about 6 percent better performance than the RTX 2080 while still trailing the RTX 2080 Ti by around ten percent. This translates to the ultimate 1440p experience. Most games should run at tree digit performance or near it at 1440p. RTX performance should stay above 60 fps with all RTX effects turned on at 1440p.
4K gaming is also possible. Expect around or just below 60 frames per second with max effects in most games. Titles such as AC: Odyssey, Metro: Exodus, Control, and Red Dead Redemption 2 will run at a lower framerate, especially the last one. You should reach 60fps even with the most demanding games, just be ready to lower lots of visual settings.
TDP of the card is set at 250W requiring two 8-pin power connectors. Temperatures can reach 75 °C under load. Overall, this card is great for most demanding users. They will get excellent performance across the board for a price that’s noticeably lower than the RTX 2080 Ti. And the last one still isn’t foolproof at 4K, offering about 10 percent more performance. This still isn’t enough for a smooth 60fps 4K experience in every game with all settings cranked to the max.
13. MSI RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio
The MSI RTX 2080 Super Gaming X Trio is an excellent RTX 2080 Super card. It offers a slight factory OC that results in around 2 percent higher performance than the referent RTX 2080 Super design. OC potential is around 8 percent, which is pretty good.
Under heavy load, the card doesn’t reach higher than 73 degrees Celsius. Finally, the cooler is quiet and won’t bother you. This is amazing for a card that sells for a price that’s 5 percent over MSRP.
14. EVGA RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Ultra
Next is the EVGA RTX 2080 Super FTW3 Ultra, the top-of-the-line EVGA card that sells for 10 percent over MSRP. Performance is in line with the MSI card, with OC headroom being around 1 percent lower. The performance is completely the same between the two cards.
On the other hand, we have lower temps that won’t reach 70 degrees Celsius even under extreme load. The fan produces more noise but nothing that will bother you. Overall, another excellent RTX 2080 Super card.
The winner of this clash is the MSI card. It costs less while offering the same performance and the same manual overclock potential. It also has lower noise levels.
RTX 2080 Ti
The second to ultimate graphics card today. Well, the ultimate video card with a price below $2,000. The RTX 2080 Ti offers triple-digit 1440p performance and slightly better 4K performance. Most games will reach 60fps in 4K with all settings cranked to the max. But recent system hogs such as Metro Exodus or Red Dead Redemption 2 won’t work as well, especially the latter.
The card offers a playable 4K RTX experience. At 1440p, with DLSS enabled, at least with titles that support it, you should reach near 60 fps with all RTX effects turned on. TDP of the card is set at 260W requiring one 6-pin and two 8-pin power connectors. Temperatures can go over 80 °C under heavy load.
15. MSI RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
The MSI RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio is a solid RTX 2080 Ti card. It offers almost the same performance as the reference RTX 2080Ti FE design. The usual lead over the RTX 2080Ti FE is about 2-3 percent. The OC potential is low since the base design is already pushing the Turing architecture to its limits. You can get 5-7 percent better performance with manual OC.
Temperatures are on the higher side for an RTX 2080Ti card. They can reach 73 degrees Celsius under load, which is an okay result. Noise isn’t too high and shouldn’t bother you. The issue is that lots of reviews mention malfunctions after a couple of months of use. They also mention occasional coil whine issues.
16. EVGA RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra
The EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra offers the same performance as the MSI Gaming X Trio model. That’s 2-3 percent higher than the RTX 2080Ti FE with manual OC pushing it further for an additional 7-8 percent.
This card comes with a much better cooling system than the MSI one. Maximum temperatures are around 64 degrees Celsius, which is an amazing result. On the other side, noise levels are a bit higher than with the MSI card, which can be noticeable.
Overall, the winner is the EVGA model. It does come with louder fans but it offers much lower temperatures. Also, reviews for the EVGA model don’t mention sudden malfunctions and other potential issues.
MSI vs EVGA: A word about both companies
MSI started as a motherboard and graphics card manufacturer. For years the two products were the company’s bread and butter. In the last decade or so the Taiwanese firm greatly expanded its portfolio. Today, MSI offers monitors, PC peripherals, and laptops (which are pretty good).
Today, MSI produces excellent motherboards and graphics cards. Its mainstream motherboards are best-sellers. Despite the recent X570 mainstream line disaster, MSI is still considered a premium motherboard brand. The company also makes great graphics cards. No matter if you want a regular or an OC model, you can find excellent models made by MSI.
EVGA produces Nvidia graphics cards and motherboards based on Intel chipsets. And it offers great products in both product categories. You won’t find lots of EVGA boards but they all offer solid bang for the buck. And when it comes to graphics cards, EVGA produces excellent Nvidia cards.
Other than motherboards and graphics cards, the company is known for its power supplies. They offer superb quality and are known for their excellent price-quality ratio. Just avoid its budget models. They aren’t very good. The company also makes solid-liquid coolers. EVGA is also known for its line of PC cases while its laptops aren’t known to the broader public.
Both companies manufacture excellent Nvidia graphics cards. Sure, EVGA is an exclusive Nvidia partner but that doesn’t mean it makes better products than MSI. It does mean it can get some exclusive offers from Nvidia. Like the recent EVGA RTX 2060 KO card. Now that we learned a bit about both companies, let’s get on with the MSI vs EVGA duels.
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