Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 Review

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Nauman Siddique

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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I will be looking at Colorful GeForce GTX 1050. This dual-slot design has a dual-fan cooling solution on a custom PCB. The shroud design makes me think of the MSI design, which closely resembles it. The card has a DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort connectivity options and a 6-pin power intake. Overall, the card looks bold and aggressive. Does it perform the same as its design? Let’s find out.

Key Takeaways

1. The Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 combines performance and an eye-catching design, making it a compelling option for gamers seeking both power and aesthetics.
2. The Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 is ideal for full HD gamers who prioritize Full HD gaming with high settings will appreciate the card’s robust performance and efficient cooling.
3. The Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 is not for RGB fanatics seeking extensive customization options like RGB lighting or multi-GPU configurations.

The detailed specifications are as follows:

Unboxing

The graphics card comes in a cardboard box retail pack.

Contents

 The following are provided with the box:

• Operation Guide
• A 6-pin PEG cable with two Molex connectors in case PSU does not have a PEG cable. Personally, I don’t prefer this implementation.

Closer Look

The Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 is one of three gaming options in its category. The shroud design bears a resemblance to MSI Frozr but with unique variations.

Measuring 210mm x 130mm x 40mm (LxHxW), the card boasts a bold shroud with a dragon picture, featuring two 90mm fans. The metallic-red and black plastic design is eye-catching, with nine-blade fans and a diamond-cutting style impression.

The card employs a single black aluminum heatsink with a 6mm nickel-coated copper heat pipe in an S design for effective heat dissipation. The heatsink has a stepped design with 64 fins. The shroud leaves a 4mm gap on the rear side.

The black PCB lacks a backplate and extends lengthwise due to the shroud and heatsink. Four stickers, including serial number and QC passes, are visible. The 4-pin header connects both fans. The red metallic portion is attached to the black part with two screws.

The top side reveals the black heatsink secured with the PCB, with a visible heat pipe. The GEFORCE GTX branding is present, but no LED. The 6-pin power header is on the right side, and the card lacks SLI support.

The I/O shield includes DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and DVI-D ports. The card features an advanced silver-plated PCB, I.P.P Digital Power Supply, Japanese capacitors, and a 3+1 power phase design.

Testing

The settings on which the games were tested are mentioned in the graphs. Microsoft Windows 10 x64 version 1709 was used. Nvidia graphics driver version 388.13 was used. FPS were monitored using MSI AfterBurner 4.4.2 Game settings were set from within the games, not from the colorful geforce gtx 1050 review Experience. All the reported framerates are average FPS.

Previously, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Black Ops 3 and Gear of Wars 4 were the part of the test games. They have been dropped. Metro Last Light Redux will continue to be featured as this game based on its rich environment and taxing effects on the graphics card are handy to measure the performance of any given graphics card. Following games have been tested:

Test Build

Following test bench setup was used to test the performance of the graphics card:

• Intel i7 6850k
• Asus Rampage V Edition 10
• Ballistix Elite 4x4GB @ 3000MHz
• Noctua NH-U14S
• Corsair AX1200i
• Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD for OS
• Seagate Barracuda 2TB
• Asus VX24AH

Synthetic Benchmarks

Here are the results! Remember, these are the graphics scores only.

Gaming Benchmarks

Here’s how the card performed:

Thermals

At a room temperature of 29°C during testing on an open bench table, the graphics card reached a maximum temperature of 57°C. With overclocking, the temperature increased slightly to a maximum of 62°C. These temperature readings were recorded after a 15-minute run of Furmark, during which the CPU was also subjected to a stress test using AIDA64. The thermal performance indicates excellent cooling efficiency.

Acoustics

Fans were left on default fan curve. Foneso Digital Sound Level Meter version A0 was used to test the sound level. 34dB is extremely impressive for the cooling that this card provides.

Power Consumption

The Corsair AX1200i is a digital PSU with monitoring enabled on the power consumption. Corsair Link was used to checking the power consumption under stock clocks and overclocked clocks. The Furmark and AIDA64 were run at the same time to check the power consumption of the system.

Should You Buy It?

With its blazing design and up-to-the mark performance, is there anything buyers should be wary of?

Buy It If:

✅ You’re budget-conscious: Individuals on a budget looking for a reliable GPU that provides decent performance without breaking the bank.

✅ You’re sensitive to sound: Gamers or PC users who value a quiet system and appreciate the low acoustic performance of the Colorful GeForce GTX 1050.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌ You primarily game on 4K: Users who prioritize 4K gaming and demand higher-end GPUs with more VRAM and processing power.

Conclusion

The Colorful GeForce GTX 1050 features Nvidia’s 14nm GP107 chip with 640 CUDA Cores, 32 ROPs, and 40 TMUs. Its 2GB Micron GDDR5 VRAM boasts a clock speed of 1752MHz on a 128-bit interface. With a pixel fill rate of 45.8 GP/s and a texture fill rate of 57.2 GT/s, the card offers a default clock of 1430MHz and a boost clock of 1544MHz.

The card’s design showcases a stylish shroud reminiscent of MSI Frozr cooling, with dragon stickers on the fans. It incorporates a robust cooling system with two 90mm fans and an aluminum-based black color heat sink featuring a 6mm nickel-coated copper heat pipe. The shroud’s build quality is top-notch, combining metallic and plastic components in a diamond-cutting style. Each fan is PWM-controlled with a nine-blade rigid design.

Measuring 210mm x 130mm x 40mm (LxHxW), the card’s connectivity includes DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and DVI-D ports. The advanced silver plating technology on the PCB reduces oxidization, enhancing integrity. The I.P.P Digital Power Supply on the PCB ensures efficient power delivery, coupled with Japanese capacitors and a 3+1 power phase design.

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Nauman Siddique

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

Get In Touch: Laiba@hidgt.com