ASUS EN8800GTX GeForce 8800 GTX
Introduction and Product Specifications
With Microsoft Vista and DirectX 10 poised to flood the mainstream market, those looking to take advantage of all of the new OS's capabilities will need a quality graphics solution to appreciate new graphical features and eventually next generation gaming.
Currently, the only DX10 ready graphics cards available come in the form of NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 series, while ATI's DX10 solution is still looming off in the distance. At this stage of the game, NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 comes in two flavors, the high-end GeForce 8800GTX and the slightly scaled down GeForce 8800GTS. Some may balk that there are only two DX10 cards currently offered on the market today and normally we might agree that the more choices the better, however, after our in-depth coverage of the GeForce 8800's initial launch, it's hard not to be impressed with what NVIDIA has delivered, even if it is the only DX10 solution available at this time.
Today, we are going to take a look at ASUS's take on the GeForce 8800GTX, the EN8800GTX. Following closely with NVIDIA's reference design, ASUS brings a potent graphics solution to market that is complemented with a well rounded retail package to help feed those insatiable gaming desires. In the pages ahead, we'll take a closer look at the EN8800GTX and evaluate its performance compared to a number of high-end cards currently available. We'll also take an approach to performance based on a system with a mid-range CPU to help the average user ascertain whether the purchase of a premium video card will pay full dividends in the end.
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Graphics Engine GeForce 8800GTX Video Memory 768MB DDR3 Engine Clock 575MHz Memory Clock 1.8GHz (900MHz DDR3) Memory Interface 384-bit Max Resolution Up to 2560 x 1600 Bus Standard PCI Express X16 VGA Output YES, via DVI to VGA Adapter HDTV Output YES, via HDTV Out cable TV Output YES, via S-Video to Composite Dual DVI Output YES HDCP Support YES Adapter/Cable Bundled DVI to VGA adapter Power Cable*2 HDTV-out cable Software Bundled 3D Game: Ghost Recon, GTI Racing 3Dmark06 ASUS Utilities & Driver Note
Card Size: 10.5 inch length, 4.97 inch width, 1.43 inch height |
ASUS Exclusive Innovations HDCP Compliant: Allow playback of HD DVD, Blu-Ray Disc and other protected content at full HD resolutions Built for Microsoft Windows Vista ASUS Splendid: Watching movies on PC is as good as on Top-of-the-line consumer television ASUS Video Security Online: Keep an eye on your home at all times no matter where you are ASUS Game LiveShow: Stream live gaming action onto the internet and share with other gaming enthusiast ASUS Game Replay: Recording gaming action and strategy into MPEG4 files to share with other gaming enthusiast ASUS Game Face Messenger: Easy IM and live game conference in any PC games ASUS OnScreen Display: Adjust the fame settings and enhance gaming experience without leaving the game Graphics GPU Features NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX Built for Microsoft Windows Vista NVIDIA SLI Technology ready NVIDIA unified architecture with GigaThread technology Full support for Microsoft DirectX10.0 and Shader Model 4.0 enables stunning and complex special effects OpenGL2.0 support NVIDIA Quantum Effects Technology True 128-bit floating point high dynamic-range (HDR) lighting Two dual-link DVI outputs support two 2560x1600 resolution displays
I/O Specification |
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The EN880GTX's accessory bundle and packaging is comprehensive. Along with the card itself, ASUS dropped in some essentials and extras to complement the card nicely. To start, ASUS provided two CDs, one with drivers and the other including proprietary ASUS utilities, such as GameFace and LiveShow, which are further covered in the specifications above. Additionally, ASUS included a copy of 3DMark06 for personal benchmarking as well as two games, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and GTI Racing.
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The package comes with power adapters to convert Molex 4-pin to 6-pin PCI power connections, which require a total of four Molex leads from the PSU. There was also a DVI to VGA adapter for connecting the card to an analog monitor and an component video cable was included as well to support other types of mainstream HDTV connections.
