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Palit launches the passive GeForce GTX 1650 KalmX

by Mark Tyson on 7 February 2020, 09:31

Tags: Palit, NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qaeijz

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Palit has launched a passively cooled version of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. The new KalmX series card leverages a "vast volume of nickel plated fins," and twin nickel plated heatpipes, attached to a copper heatsink to achieve its feat. As well as not requiring any fans on the card, the KalmX doesn't need any external power as it runs under 75W.

If you have seen a Palit KalmX series GPU before you probably think this GTX 1650 looks pretty much like its predecessors. Back in Feb 2017 HEXUS reported upon the release of the Palit GeForce GTX 1050 Ti KalmX passive graphics card and it does indeed bear more than a passing resemblance to the new model. Actually it looks like and sounds like the exact same cooler with Palit re-suing the main bullet points describing the new product from its prior press release (GTX 1050 Ti PR, GTX 1650 PR).

Official key features of the Palit GeForce GTX 1650 KalmX are as follows:

  • The first passive cooler for GTX1650 in the market
  • Two nickel plated heat pipes
  • Vast volume of nickel plated fins
  • Copper base with heat pipes for best heat dissipation from GPU to fins
  • No external power required, good for small case PC
  • Affordable GTX series product, great C/P value
  • Great Hardware Components

These passive solutions always have an associated bulk to them, and the GTX 1650 KalmX is no exception. Comparing to the prior generation it is a bit smaller though at 178 x 138 x 38mm (rather than 182 x 142 x ??mm), which could help in some tight situations. Ports on the new model include 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 2x DP1.4a.

Another key difference is of course the GPU. This particular GTX 1650 offers a 1,485MHz graphics clock with 1,665MHz boost, and 4GB of 8Gbps GDDR5 memory. Meanwhile, a typical actively cooled GTC 1650 Nvidia AIB partner design boasts GPU clocks of 1,485MHz / 1,740MHz.

If space rather than absolute silence is at a premium Palit already makes the compact single-fan GeForce GTX 1650 StormX OC, measuring 145mm x 99mm x 40mm.

Beyond the above comparisons, it seems like the world has pretty much moved on from thinking about the GTX 1650 unless found in a bargain bin, due to the arrival of the GTX 1650 Super. For an example Palit version of this new model please check out our review of the Palit GeForce GTX 1650 Super StormX OC. The new Super model delivers a frame rate uplift of between 30 and 35 per cent in our testing for a similar launch price to the vanilla GTX 1650.



HEXUS Forums :: 9 Comments

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Quite a good chip for some mid level gaming in silence. Nice card potential.
I suppose it's one way to get rid of old stock.

Why not make the card full length for better cooling?
I don't get this cards function at all, it's slower than an old gtx970.
Why would anyone buy a gtx1650 ?
Rubarb
I don't get this cards function at all, it's slower than an old gtx970.
Why would anyone buy a gtx1650 ?

Because it doesn't require a power connector, and some cheap and nasty pre-built PCs that is all you can use.

OTOH, I find the whole passive GPU thing pretty dated. The airflow has to come from somewhere or no amount of heatsink is going to stop you throttling, and any decent card these days will be passive until it gets hot enough that it needs fans that it starts using fans.
DanceswithUnix
Rubarb
I don't get this cards function at all, it's slower than an old gtx970.
Why would anyone buy a gtx1650 ?

Because it doesn't require a power connector, and some cheap and nasty pre-built PCs that is all you can use.

OTOH, I find the whole passive GPU thing pretty dated. The airflow has to come from somewhere or no amount of heatsink is going to stop you throttling, and any decent card these days will be passive until it gets hot enough that it needs fans that it starts using fans.

I think that a Ryzen 3 with some ram and this card would use such a small amount of power and create such a small amount of heat, that utterly passive would work fine.
A good PSU wouldn't make a sound, a good heatsink on the CPU would be silent barely ticking over and it's only ever the graphics card that makes a noise on most systems, now that we have SSD's
I think the biggrest issue in 2020 is that most PC cases now have the PSU at the bottom, and that doesn't help the heat getting out of the top of the case.

With a case with quality PSU at the top, and good clear unrestricted airflow at the bottom of the front, (no fan needed) I think I could make a silent PC with this card and it would be quite acceptable for most tasks and games. with the CPU heatsink fitted in the same direction of cooling vains to the GPU, air would rise from both.