Overall and Final Verdict
So in most ways the MSI RTX 2060 Super Gaming X is just like the RTX 2060 Gaming X but with an even longer name. But that isn’t exactly a bad thing. Sticking with what works is a good thing in this situation. It has the same color neutral design as before which focuses on black and grey and should look good in any build. It doesn’t have the all metal fan shroud like the Founders Edition, but the plastic shroud does look good and has just a touch of RGB lighting. The backplate however is a thick metal design which I’m happy about, a lot of cards have gone with thinner backplates or even plastic if they have one at all. As for performance, the big difference between the Gaming X and the Founders Edition 2060 Super is the higher core clock speed which isn’t a huge overclock but it did translate to better performance across the board. That includes jumping the RX 5700 in a few tests. Overall the boost helps the RTX 2060 Super Gaming X be a solid performing card at 1440p or also a good option at 1080p for higher refresh rates. You also get all of the normal RTX features like DLSS and Ray Tracing capabilities which as I talked about during the Super launch are looking up with all of the games announced at E3 this year.
Now the MSI cooler design does end up making this card a lot taller than I prefer if you are building in a smaller case or something that doesn’t have a lot of room between the top of the PCI bracket and the side panel window. Especially with the placement of the power plug which is normally at least recessed slightly with tall cards but it wasn’t here. The extra height did mean MSI could use larger fans which helped when it came to noise but the extra heat of the overclocked 2060 Super ended up not having this card run much cooler than the Founders Edition, in fact, the FE ran cooler at full fan speeds. Part of that may be from the heat that the VRMs look to be putting out, they were running warm in my thermal images. They dropped the DVI connection that the Founders Edition had as well which is a shame.
Overall I like what MSI has going on with the RTX 2060 Super Gaming X and a small bump in clock speed helped the 2060 Super a lot more than I expected. You do trade off a few things from the Founders Edition like the heavy duty metal construction and that DVI port but if you are looking for performance this is the way to go. The RX 5700 throws a bit of a wrench into things but until there are aftermarket RX 5700 and RX 2700 XT’s available the 2060 Super with an overclock is still a good option. The Gaming X is selling for $420 on Newegg and has a rebate that drops it down to $400 matching the price of the 2060 Super Founders Edition and Nvidia includes a game bundle giving you Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Control when they come out which adds an $89.99 value as well. That really helps make this a good deal, at least until RX 5700 aftermarket cards come out.
Live Pricing: HERE
