MSI GeForce RTX™ 5050 Shadow 2X OC (8GB GDDR6)

Description

Shadow: The Value-Conscious Middle Ground

The Shadow 2X OC is MSI’s factory-overclocked RTX 5050 variant aimed at gamers and creators looking for an optimal value-to-performance ratio — more thermal engineering than VENTUS, without the premium cooler cost of the Gaming OC. The GPU spec is the same Blackwell core: 2,560 CUDA cores, 8GB GDDR6 at 20 Gbps on a 128-bit bus, boosting to 2602 MHz standard with 2617 MHz available in MSI Center’s Extreme Performance mode. Fourth-generation RT Cores, fifth-generation Tensor Cores, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, and NVIDIA Reflex 2 with Frame Warp are fully supported across the RTX 50 series feature set.

TORX Fan 5.0 with Nickel-Plated Copper Baseplate

Where the Shadow steps up from VENTUS is in the cold plate design. Heat from the GPU and memory is captured by a nickel-plated copper baseplate and transferred through square-profile core pipes, which maximise contact area with the GPU baseplate for optimal thermal management. This feeds into an aluminium fin-stack heatsink via a single nickel-plated S-shaped copper heat pipe. The dual TORX Fan 5.0 setup links fan blades with ring arcs to stabilise high-pressure airflow, with ZERO FROZR stopping the fans entirely at low temperatures for silent idle operation. A vented reinforcing backplate allows exhaust air to pass directly through rather than recirculate inside the card.

PCB and Electrical Safeguards

The Shadow’s PCB includes additional onboard fuses as premium electrical safeguards against power-related damage — a practical detail for builds where PSU quality or power delivery can be variable. The card’s 2-slot, 197 mm form factor makes it compatible with most PC cases and SFF chassis where a triple-fan card would not fit.

⚠️ Backplate material note: The reinforcing backplate on this card is constructed from plastic, not metal. It provides structural support and improves airflow via the vent slot, but does not offer the same rigidity or corrosion resistance as an aluminium or steel backplate found on higher-tier cards.

⚠️ PCIe lane note: This card uses a PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot but operates electrically at x8. Fully compatible with PCIe 4.0 and 3.0 motherboards with no meaningful performance penalty at this tier.

⚠️ 8GB GDDR6 note: The 128-bit bus and 8GB VRAM make this a strong 1080p card. In texture-heavy AAA titles at maximum settings, VRAM pressure can appear — medium-high texture settings will deliver the smoothest experience.

⚠️ External power required: A single 8-pin PCIe power connector is required. Ensure your PSU has a free 8-pin cable and meets the 550W recommendation.

Key Highlights

• NVIDIA Blackwell architecture — 2,560 CUDA cores
• 8GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus, 20 Gbps memory speed
• 2602 MHz boost / 2617 MHz Extreme Performance (MSI Center)
• TORX Fan 5.0 dual fans with ZERO FROZR silent idle
• Nickel-plated copper baseplate + square core pipes for improved GPU contact
• Vented reinforcing backplate (plastic)
• Onboard PCB fuses — premium electrical safeguards
• DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation + NVIDIA Reflex 2 with Frame Warp
• 4th Gen RT Cores + 5th Gen Tensor Cores
• No RGB — neutral matte-black aesthetic
• SFF-compatible 2-slot form factor
• 3× DisplayPort 2.1b, 1× HDMI 2.1b — up to 4 displays / 8K output
• PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (x8 electrical), backwards compatible
• 197 mm length, 2-slot design
• 130W TDP — 1× 8-pin PCIe power connector
• 550W PSU recommended
• MSI Center + MSI Afterburner software

Proudly sold by the Ringwood Digital Store.