![]() ![]() We’ll also be taking a closer look at those always-exciting heatsink stickers.ĮVGA throws in the requisite driver CD and a copy of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, too. Bundled extras also alter the value proposition, and we’ll be detailing all the extra goodies you get in the box in a moment. Higher-clocked models tend to be more expensive, but that’s not always the case. There’s plenty of variety when it comes to warranties, too some manufacturers only offer a few years of coverage, while others pledge lifetime support.Īs one might expect, prices vary from card to card, as well. EVGA’s GeForce 8800 GTX ACS³ pushes the GTX’s clocks to 626MHz core and an effective 2.0GHz memory, while Foxconn’s FV-N88SMBD2-ONOC cranks the GTS up to GTX speeds.įortunately, so-called factory “overclocking” doesn’t affect warranty coverage-all cards are covered at their shipping clock speeds, regardless of whether those are higher than Nvidia’s default clocks for the GTS and GTX. There are a couple of exceptions, though. Today’s contestants are split between three GTS cards and four GTXs, most of which are running at stock speeds (513MHz appears to be the actual stock clock speed for the 8800 GTS). So board partners may not have much freedom when it comes to card-specific features, but there’s still a little room for differentiation. Nvidia apparently doesn’t release that much detail regarding its arrangements with add-in board partners. Interestingly, though, Nvidia won’t confirm whether it sells factory overclocked cards directly to board vendors or the vendors are doing the overclocking on their own. Nvidia says that add-in-card partners are free to offer their own customization, but that customization is effectively limited to coolers, clock speeds, and bundles. Those cards are then sold to Nvidia’s board partners, effectively eliminating custom or tweaked board designs. Instead of supplying its add-in board partners with graphics chips, Nvidia has GeForce 8800 series cards built by a contract manufacturer. Board vendors can’t be blamed for sticking to the reference designs, though. GeForce 8800 series graphics cards revolve around the same Nvidia reference designs, and apart from the unique heatsink stickers offered by each manufacturer, you’d be hard-pressed to tell one card from another. All the GTS cards we’ll be looking at today are 640MB models. However, we’ve found that the GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB’s reduced memory size can be a liability with newer games at higher resolutions. The 320MB card can be had for around $300, which is about $90 cheaper than the most affordable 640MB card. We should note that there are now two versions of the GeForce 8800 GTS: the original with 640MB of memory, and a new model with 320MB. The first wave of GeForce 8800 series cards may have stuck with stock speeds, but several of the cards we’ll be looking at today offer higher out-of-the-box frequencies. Those clock speeds aren’t cut in stone, though. The GTX’s 575MHz core clock is reduced to just 500MHz for the GTS, and effective memory speeds drop from 1.8GHz to 1.6GHz. Not content to rely solely on microsurgery to separate the GTS from the GTX, Nvidia also uses clock speeds to differentiate the two. Nvidia further handicaps the GTS by trimming the number of ROPs from six to five, and by reducing the memory bus width from 384 to 320 bits. The GeForce 8800 GTS only retains 96 of the GTX’s 128 stream processors, cutting the chip’s shader power by 25%. Read on to see which cards rise to the top and which get lost in the reference card shuffle. To help you wade through the options, we’ve rounded up a collection of GeForce 8800 series cards from BFG Tech, EVGA, Foxconn, MSI, OCZ, PNY, and XFX to see how they stack up. And you’re still not done, because GeForce 8800 GTS and GTX cards are available from a wide variety of manufacturers, each of which tries to bring something unique to the table, be it through bundled extras, tweaked clock speeds, or exotic cooling.Īs daunting as the selection of GeForce 8800 series graphics cards may be, choice is a good thing. Of course, your quest for the best graphics card won’t end there you also have to choose between GTS and GTX flavors of the GeForce 8800. The G80 GPU is simply a marvel, and if you’re looking to buy a high-end graphics card today, it’s the only chip you want. Not since ATI’s Radeon 9700 Pro have we been so impressed by a single graphics card. N VIDIA’S GEFORCE 8800 SERIES is a jaw-dropping marriage of performance and image quality that has raised the bar for PC graphics substantially. ![]()
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