XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB XXX Version Grapics card

XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB XXX Version Review
Reviewed by: Denny Atkin
Review Date: May 2007

Fast with today's games and ready for tomorrow's titles using Windows Vista's DirectX 10 (DX10) technology, the nVidia GeForce 8800 graphics-processing unit (GPU) is the logical choice for serious gamers. But with board prices starting at $399, even a low-end 640MB 8800 GTS card can be too rich for many gamers' wallets. nVidia and its board-maker partners have responded with a 320MB version of the GeForce 8800 GTS, which halves the memory on the card, while dropping the price to a more affordable $299.

To see the trade-offs that come with half the memory, we tested the GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB XXX bundle, from nVidia partner XFX. This XXX version of the 320MB 8800 GTS boosts the GPU clock from 500MHz to 580MHz, and the memory clock from 1,600MHz to 1,800MHz. The card costs $339, and the extra $40 over a $299 base model gets you 7 to 12 percent better performance, as well as a bundled copy of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.

Comparing this card with a more expensive 640MB version, we found that the performance drop from halving the available onboard memory varies dramatically by program and resolution. When playing Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, performance from the 320MB card was nearly identical to that of the 640MB. Running Quake 4 set to Ultra detail, which calls for 512MB of texture memory, resulted in a dramatic drop, from 96 frames per second (fps) to 62fps. While overall performance didn't vary much between the 320MB and 640MB cards when running the graphically demanding Supreme Commander, only the 640MB card could run the game in dual-display mode at high resolutions.

Even though the card's GPU sits at the low end of nVidia's 8800 series, it still managed to beat ATI's high-end Radeon X1950 XTX in all but a few tests at very high resolutions. Plus, ATI still doesn't have a DX10-compatible offering. That said, DX10 games (which promise more-elaborate graphic effects) won't hit the market until mid-2007.

The 8800 GTS 320MB blocks the slot adjacent to its PCI Express (PCIe) slot, and nVidia recommends a 400-watt-or-greater power supply with a 12-volt rating of 26 amperes for this class of card. The card also features dual DVI outputs and a component high-definition-television (HDTV) output. The card supports High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection, allowing full resolution with Blu-ray and HD DVD videos. In a market crowded with look-alike graphics cards, XFX stands out with its double-lifetime warranty, which not only offers full lifetime coverage for the card, but also covers the second owner should you resell it.

Opting for the 320MB 8800 GTS and saving a C-note results in little performance sacrifice compared with the 640MB version; the frame-rate differences are most evident at extremely high resolutions on large wide-screen monitors. Note, however, that the extra memory might be more beneficial to upcoming DX10 games.

XFX, 800-880-3225

www.xfxforce.com