NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost adds a strong sub-$200 option to the company's lineup. Thanks to the added GPU Boost clock algorithm and a beefed up 192-bit memory interface, we see massive performance gains compared to the GTX 650 Ti without Boost. Inno3D's iChill GTX 650 Ti Boost comes with an 80 MHz GPU overclock out of the box, which is amongst the largest on the market. Memory is overclocked too, which is usually not the case with other GTX 650 Ti Boost cards. In real-life performance, this overclock translates into just a 3% improvement, which is lower than what we've seen on other factory-overclocked cards. EVGA's card, for example, boosts up to 1250 MHz, while this card only goes up to 1150 MHz. Inno3D apparently used more conservative Boost settings in their BIOS. Compared to other cards, we found a large 28% improvement over the original GTX 650 Ti, which definitely makes the difference between "slow" and "very playable" at 1080p. Compared to AMD's lineup, we see performance that is 10% higher than the HD 7850 and 29% higher than the just-released HD 7790.

The highlight of Inno3D's card is certainly the iChill triple-slot, dual-fan cooler with its industrial looks. It offers fantastic cooling performance and equally low noise levels. The card is essentially inaudible in both idle and load when installed in any actively cooled system. The card manages to do so with temperatures that are much lower than any competing GTX 650 Ti Boost card we have ever tested. On the other hand, a triple slot cooler won't fit into small cases or a system with many expansion cards. Its larger space requirements could also make SLI problematic. Personally, I am a big fan of triple-slot cards because they provide many benefits, and most people will never miss the extra slot it occupies in their half-empty case. However, I'm still undecided on whether using a triple-slot cooler on a card like the GTX 650 Ti Boost is really worth it. Traditionally, we've seen the triple-slot approach on high-powered cards, like the GTX 680 or HD 7970. Either way, the iChill design gives Inno3D a unique product that will certainly appeal to the low-noise crowd.

Overclocking on the iChil GTX 650 Ti Boost works very well and reaches good GPU clock and memory levels that also provide the highest maximum OC performance, but the difference to other cards is slim as NVIDIA's Boost clock algorithm equalizes the playing field.
Inno3D has also changed the power inputs of their card to use two 6-pin PCI-Express power connectors instead of the single connector on other GTX 650 Ti Boost models. While doing so does in theory provide an increase to maximum available power, it is essentially useless because NVIDIA's power limit algorithm will never allow the card to exceed 140 W, something that is well within the specification of just one PCIe power connector.
According to Inno3D, we can expect a retail price of $190, which is $20 higher than the NVIDIA reference design. I find this increase reasonable if you are looking for a low-noise card and are willing to pay a premium. You can, on the other hand, get slightly noisier but overclocked GTX 650 Ti Boost cards for $170, and the GTX 660 non-Ti is only $10 more expensive, provides higher performance, and includes a Metro Last Light coupon. Inno3D does include a mouse pad and a Futuremark 3DMark coupon with their card, which could easily be sold for $10 to offset the price. When looking at what AMD offers, the HD 7850 is a bit slower (but it includes a Bioshock Infinite coupon). Inno3D's card is also a good choice for users who don't want to bother with manual overclocking but are willing to pay a small premium for the overclock out of the box.