Palit GeForce RTX 4060 StormX (8GB) Video Card Review

We continue to examine the mass-produced video cards based on the GeForce RTX 4060, the youngest model of the latest generation of Nvidia in the desktop PC segment. Now let's move on to the most compact options.

Let's start by examining the Palit StormX series graphics card, which is designed for compact Mini-ITX cases and takes up only 2 slots in the system unit. We have already tested a similar Palit model based on the GeForce RTX 3060, so now it's interesting to find out whether such a miniature cooling system can cope with a more powerful accelerator.

Before moving on to detailed tests, we will provide brief information about the performance of the family to which the accelerator in question belongs, as well as its competitors. All this will be assessed by us subjectively on a scale of seven gradations.

GeForce RTX 4060 delivers excellent gaming quality at high graphics settings in 1080p (Full HD), while ray tracing and scaling technologies (DLSS/FSR/XeSS) are best disabled for better comfort. It is also possible to play at 1440p (2.5K), but some games may require lowering some graphics settings. The main competitors of GeForce RTX 4060 are Radeon RX 7600, Radeon RX 7600 XT and Arc A770.

As for the Palit graphics card, its performance is fully consistent with the reference model.

If ray tracing is enabled in games, then it is necessary to use scaling technologies (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). If the game supports DLSS 3 with intermediate frame generation, this almost completely compensates for the FPS drop from using RT. Radeon video cards show a more significant performance drop when ray tracing is enabled, even with FSR/XeSS enabled, so the GeForce RTX 4060 looks more preferable in such games.

Overall, when using ray tracing and DLSS 3, the GeForce RTX 4060 provides good comfort at Full HD (1080p) and acceptable performance at 2.5K (1440p), although some games may still require lowering the graphics settings.

Palit Microsystems, known under the Palit brand name, was founded in 1988 in Taiwan. The headquarters are in Taipei, a major logistics center is in Hong Kong, and the European sales office is located in Germany. The manufacturing facilities are located in China. Initially, the company sold products under unnamed brands, but products under the Palit brand began to enter the market only in 2000. In 2005, Palit acquired the Gainward brand and assets after its bankruptcy, forming the Palit Group holding company and opening an additional office in Shenzhen for sales in China.

Comparing this model with another similarly positioned one from the same manufacturer, we see that the cards are almost identical. The main difference is that the Dual model is equipped with a shortened PCIe x8 slot, while the StormX version uses a standard PCIe x16 slot. However, the graphics core is designed for the PCIe 4.0 x8 bus.

The core is labeled AD107 and was released in week 52 of 2023.

The total number of power phases in the Palit card is 5 (4+1).

In the power diagram, where green indicates the core power supply and red indicates the memory power supply, all PWM controllers are located on the front side of the PCB.

The core power supply is controlled by the RT8845A PWM controller (Richtek), which supports up to 4 phases.

The power supply for the memory chips is controlled by the RT8237 PWM controller (Richtek) with the OEM marking 88AJ, designed for a maximum of 2 phases.

The core and memory power system uses Sinopower MOSFETs (SM4503 and SM4607, up to 60 A) instead of DrMOS transistor assemblies.

There is no controller for monitoring voltages and temperatures, these functions are performed by the GPU itself.

The memory frequencies and the Boost value of the core frequency correspond to the reference values. The maximum core frequency is slightly higher than the reference card, but this does not affect performance, since the card rarely operates at maximum frequencies due to a strict power consumption limit.

The maximum power consumption of the Palit card in tests reached 132 W. The power consumption limit cannot be increased, so manual overclocking was not performed.

Power is supplied via a standard 8-pin PCIe 2.0 connector.

The cooler's dimensions are small, the thickness is about 4 cm, so the video card takes up 2 slots in the system unit.

The same radiator cools the memory chips via the thermal interface. The components of the VRM power converters are left without cooling.

The card has no backplate.

The radiator has a shroud with a 120 mm fan.

The fan stops at low load if the GPU temperature drops below 50 degrees. After the PC starts, the fan works, but after loading the video driver, the operating temperature is polled, and the fan turns off. Below you can find a video demonstrating this behavior.

After two hours of load, the maximum core temperature did not exceed 81°C, and the hot spot temperature reached 98°C, which is not an ideal result. The manufacturer simplified the cooling system to fit into the Mini-ITX dimensions, which affected the cooling efficiency, even for a relatively weak card. A hot spot temperature close to 100 degrees can be considered acceptable, since braking will begin at a temperature of 110-115 degrees. However, such a temperature indicates the need for improved cooling, which will be visible in testing the noise level from the cooler.

The card's power consumption reached 132 W.

We filmed and accelerated the eight-minute warm-up by 50 times.

The maximum heating was observed in the central part of the PCB.

The noise measurement method assumes that the room is soundproof and does not have significant reverberations. The system unit in which the test is conducted is not equipped with additional fans and does not emit mechanical noise. The background noise level is 18 dBA, which includes room noise and a sound level meter. Measurements are taken from a distance of 50 cm from the video card at the level of the cooling system.

The following modes are measured:

• 2D idle mode: an Internet browser with the iXBT.com website, Microsoft Word and several Internet communicators are open.
• 2D mode with watching movies: SmoothVideo Project (SVP) is used for hardware decoding and insertion of intermediate frames.
• 3D mode with maximum load: the FurMark test is used.

Noise level assessment:

• Less than 20 dBA: relatively silent
• 20 to 25 dBA: very quiet
• 25 to 30 dBA: quiet
• 30 to 35 dBA: clearly audible
• 35 to 40 dBA: loud but bearable
• Above 40 dBA: very loud

In idle mode in 2D, the temperature did not exceed 43 °C, the fan did not work, the noise level was equal to the background noise level — 18 dBA.

When watching a movie with hardware decoding, the noise level remained unchanged.

In maximum load mode in 3D, the temperature reached 81/98 °C (core/hot spot). The fan worked at 2467 rpm, creating a noise of up to 39 dBA, which can be considered loud and almost bearable. In a small case, where the flow of cold air is limited, the noise may be even higher. However, the case itself slightly reduces the noise level from the components installed in it.

The noise spectrogram shows several noticeable peaks, but the overall noise level is quite high, so there are no special complaints about the additional sounds.

It is important to consider that the heat generated by the video card remains inside the system unit. Therefore, it is recommended to use a case with good ventilation, especially if you are trying to ensure effective cooling in a compact case.

The package contains nothing but the card itself.

Palit GeForce RTX 4060 StormX (8 GB) is one of the most compact graphics cards in the budget segment, based on the junior Nvidia GPU of the latest generation. With dimensions of 17x12.5x4 cm, it takes up 2 slots in the system unit and is ideal for Mini-ITX cases. However, due to its compactness, the cooling system is less efficient and noisier, so it is important to ensure adequate flow of cool air. The card consumes up to 132 W, has a standard 8-pin power connector, is not equipped with a backlight and provides a standard set of video outputs: three DP 1.4a and one HDMI 2.1.

The manufacturer provides a 3-year warranty for this card.

The GeForce RTX 4060 handles games at 1080p resolution at maximum graphics quality without ray tracing and offers an acceptable level of comfort in games with RT and DLSS/FSR/XeSS support at the same resolution.

All GeForce RTX 40 generation graphics cards support the HDMI 2.1 standard, which allows you to output images in 4K with 120 FPS or 8K via a single cable. They also provide hardware decoding of video in AV1 format, RTX IO technology for fast transfer and decompression of data from drives directly to the GPU, and Reflex latency reduction technology.