Asus EN9800GT Matrix GeForce 9800GT


Introduction and Product Specifications

As the holidays loom near, we're sure many of you are itching to add some hot new hardware to your wish lists.  Whether you're looking to upgrade or are seeking that perfect piece of hardware for a friend or loved one, finding the right match can be daunting.  Further complicating matters is the recent severe economic downturn which is affecting us all.  While the weak economy has an effect on consumer purchasing power, it also opens the doors for drastic price cuts as competition increases and inventories sit, collecting dust.

No doubt, as the end of the month approaches, there will certainly be some attractive deals to be had.  Whether you are looking for a decent desktop graphics card, motherboard or gaming console, the extremely competitive holiday shopping season bodes well for consumers.  Since our focus today is on affordable graphics cards, one item on our radar that seems to be an interesting mid-range solution is the the Asus EN9800GT Matrix GeForce 9800GT.

The Asus EN9800GT Matrix GeForce 9800GT is an excellent candidate for those looking for solid desktop graphics without an excessive price tag.  For a reasonable price point of around $150, the Asus EN9800GT Matrix GeForce 9800GT aims to deliver a wealth of features and strong performance, without taking a huge bite out of your holiday budget.  In the pages ahead, we'll run this card through its paces with the latest games on the market to see how it stacks up to its peers.  Then, we'll evaluate its position in the overall graphics market to see just how well this model ranks in overall value.

 



Asus EN9800GT Matrix GeForce 9800GT
Specifications and Features
Graphics Engine:  NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT

Bus Standard:  PCI Express 2.0

Video Memory:  DDR3 512MB

Engine Clock:  612 MHz

Shader Clock:  1.512 GHz

Memory Clock:  1.8 GHz ( 900 MHz DDR3 )

RAMDAC:  400MHz

Memory Interface:  256-bit

CRT Max Resolution:  2048 x 1536

DVI Max Resolution:  2560 x 1600

D-Sub Output:  Yes x 1 (via DVI to D-Sub adaptor x 1 )
DVI Output:  Yes x 1 (DVI-I)

HDMI Output:  Yes x 1

HDTV Output (YPbPr):  Yes

HDCP Support:  Yes

TV Output:  Yes (YPbPr to S-Video and Composite)

Adaptor/Cable bundled
1 x DVI to D-Sub adaptor
1 x HDTV-out cable
1 x Power cable
1 x S/PDIF cable

Software Bundled:  ASUS Utilities & Driver

Note:  The card size is 4.376 inches x 9 inches 

The Asus EN9800GT Matrix GeForce 9800GT comes with a good collection of essentials in its retail package, but doesn't offer any extras, like a free game for example.  The package includes requisite cabling to take advantage of all the card's features, including a DVI-to-D-Sub Adapter, HDTV-Out Cable, a power PCI express power adapter and a S/PDIF cable.  The only item missing is an HDMI cable, but that would have obviously bumped up the cost.



On the software front, ASUS includes their typical ASUS Utilities and Driver CD which includes all necessary hardware drivers as well as some ASUS freebie software titles including GamerOSD for XP/Vista, Video Security Online and Asus iTracker.

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