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It's hard not
to like the Asus V9280S, especially since it has so much
going for it. The package we received for review met or
exceeded our expectations for the big three: value,
performance, and innovation.
Value:
With a price point currently at $221 on
NewEgg.com, it's a
pretty good deal. First, you would get what would probably
be considered the fastest GeForce4 Ti4200 card around. The
bundle alone, with three full games in it, would run over
$100 if purchased individually. There's enough in there
for new gamers and budding movie directors. The breakout
box was also a nice touch, as it allows for better
placement of cables to and from the system, at no extra
cost.
Performance:
Asus' claims that the card is faster than generic Ti4200
are, for the most part, correct, although this has more to
do with the higher clock speeds than the AGP8x technology.
Still, no fault can be found in taking an existing product
and trying to improve it by whatever means possible. The
performance is not too far off of the Ti4600, and with a
few tweaks can equal or better it. It's no surprise that
with the relative comparability between the Ti models,
that fewer Ti4600 cards are being produced while Ti4200
cards are still in vogue.
Innovation:
Rather than just releasing another Ti4200 card into the
mix with higher clock speeds, Asus did the right thing by
providing the step up to AGP8x, and its increased
bandwidth. Whether or not AGP8x is truly ready for the
consumer is another question. By combining raw power with
bandwidth, Asus has provided a card that should suit any
builders needs...at least for the foreseeable future.
So, in conclusion, Asus has taken a card, and marketed in
just right. It has a little bit of everything that one
looks for when buying a new video card. There's even room
to grow on, with AGP8x a technology that will surely be
refined. We give the Asus V9280S a Hot Hardware Heat
Meter Rating of a
9.
- Black PCB with
golden heatsinks
- Ti4200 name -
Ti4400 power
- Three full games
in the bundle
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- Jury still out on
AGP8x
- Heatplate wasn't
touching RAM
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