Joined on 03/11/04
Very loud
Pros: Single-slot, and supports 3 DVI/HDMI outputs, works well as a drop-in replacement for a GTX 650 in all 3 mainstream OSes, no auxiliary power connector
Cons: Extremely loud! The fan slowly decreases in speed after a few minutes until it is barely audible, but at high speeds, it is extremely loud. Perhaps a firmware update or an RMA is in order?
No UEFI/GOP Support
Pros: Still a good, efficient card.
Cons: Even if your system has UEFI for fancy-schmancy Windows 8 features like Secure Boot and Ultra Fast Boot, you'll still need to have the VBIOS loaded via CSM mode in your BIOS: in other words, there is no UEFI Video BIOS on this card, so you have to load part of the BIOS layer to initialize the card (i.e. get any signal out of it).
Overall Review: I'm in touch with PNY's support about this issue; Nvidia says that Kepler-based chips should work fine with UEFI features; thus PNY will probably need to release a VBIOS update to enable GOP (and not VESA/BIOS) functionality. Windows 8 Secure Boot will be unavailable if you use this card.
Useful, w Caveats
Pros: Single slot, also single-slot cooler All outputs are digital Can use 3 displays at once Good performance Better bandwidth than 1.5 GB/3 GB OEM version Works out of the box in current versions of all 3 main OSes
Cons: HDMI requires adapter No GDDR5 so some bandwidth limits, but good enough to use MadVR Not as fast or power-efficient as Maxwell/750 models Does not do UEFI out of the box; still requires firmware update Fan is loud
Overall Review: Mini-HDMI connector does not work well with all cases No DisplayPort/miniDP, so no G-sync support EVGA Support: Having owned the 4 GB variant, I asked for a UEFI/GOP firmware update to avoid the need for CSM/BIOS compatibility mode. Last time they mistakenly sent me the 2 GB version then the 4 GB version of the appropriate video BIOS. I can't find the links/files anymore, and now they say they are having trouble finding an updated video BIOS. I would not care, but this is a prototype and performance/compatibility are important. I would like that new video BIOS to do native EFI boot for all 3 OSes in use.
Good value, modern tech
Pros: New, 28nm fab process, sips power, only 6" long, and can support 3 simultaneous displays, GDDR5, and well-supported by all 3 main OSes.
Cons: Takes up more than 1.5 PCI slots, so it doesn't fit in my Mini-ITX case. Bandwidth is only 128 bits, so don't expect the moon from this card. If you're not booting on the primary output, you may have difficulty.
Overall Review: This card doesn't support SLI...there are no headers onboard for the bridge.
Good Value
Pros: *42" for very cheap *LED-backlit *Decent appearance despite plastic construction *Only uses 80 watts *Supports 24p input (the only real use for its 120 Hz claim) Supposed Cons: *Poor audio (get a cheap home receiver; you'll thank me) *Only 2 HDMI ports (a receiver will give you 4 and better audio) *Remote (chintzy, but works, and my receiver's remote codes work with it) *Tuner delay (2 secs to chg channel; just use a cable box or a PC with a tuner) *No internet apps (actually better; use a HTPC so that the apps won't be out of date from day 1)
Cons: *Bluish hue due to cheap LEDs in the backlight *Slight buzzing noise when turned on *Sensitive to damaged HDMI cables unlike other monitors I've used *Red power LED looks very cheap *Slightly non-uniform backlighting (could be way worse) *Contrast enhancing algorithm means that picture isn't pixel-pefect; can't be turned off; common on this brand *Less-than-optimal vertical viewing angles (not the worst)
Overall Review: Get this for the value, obviously. It's thin and gets the job done. Personally, I'm glad it doesn't have the bells and whistles of most modern TVs. LED-backlighting, power consumption, and 120 Hz were important to me. Sadly, my PC doesn't see it as 120 Hz, but I can supposedly output 24p to it. The buzzing is very quiet but nonetheless an indicator of Westinghouse's poor quality. So is the bluish backlighting and the sub-optimal viewing angles. The box is very thin, which is nice. This screen barely fit in my TV nook in my tiny apartment, but now I can use a full-featured Win7 desktop from 8 feet away on standard resolution scaling. This means I can read PDFs for work and school while sitting in a reclined chair! I was very excited this model did not have Netflix or any other "apps" that will never get upgraded and permanently be awful. Why would I pay for that? All I wanted was a display panel.
Good for 18 Months
Pros: Worked great for 18 months. Don't know what SATA version/speeds it was since I was using it with a 2.0 TB WD Green drive.
Cons: No eSATA nor USB port will recognize the drive now. Everything seems to power on as expected. It seems the PCB inside the enclosure has FAILED.
Overall Review: I wish I could get a replacement for free. I wasted a couple hours reinstalling my BIOS, thinking that the motherboard was to blame. It's a shame you can't get lost time back. At least my mobo and drive didn't fail...that's the important thing.