GeForce 8800 GT Round-Up: Asus, EVGA, MSI

Performance Summary: The three GeForce 8800 GT cards tested for this article performed as expected throughout our entire battery of benchmarks.  The highest clocked card of the three, Asus' EN8800GT TOP, finished slightly ahead of EVGA's e-GeForce 8800 GT KO, which in turn finished slightly ahead of the MSI NX8800GT. In terms of the GeForce 8800 GT's performance in general versus its main competition, for the money, the GeForce 8800 GT is the card to own.

ASUS EN8800GT TOP:
The Asus EN8800GT TOP is an excellent graphics card.  Due to its relatively high clock speeds, it finished in the lead in the vast majority of the benchmarks we ran, and it always outpaced its lower-clocked GeForce 8800 GT-based competition.  It also had a great bundle that included a full version of a current DX10 title, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.  The Asus EN8800GT TOP's high clock speeds and bundle, however, also make it the most expensive card of the bunch, that is if you can find it.  Only one seller was offering this card via our Pricegrabber search engine at a price of $330.  When availability improves, we expect the card's street price to settle in around $299 though.

EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GT KO:
Although Asus' offering ended up being slightly faster, EVGA struck a nice balance with their e-GeForce 8800 GT KO.  This was the second fastest card of the bunch (by an ever so slight margin), but it has the best bundle and also has the best warranty.  Availability is scarce at the moment, but according to Pricegrabber, this card can be had for about $290.  That makes the e-GeForce 8800 GT KO more affordable than Asus' offering, even though it has a more complete bundle and longer warranty.  All things considered, we can't help but recommend the EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GT KO for enthusiasts in the market for a quality GeForce 8800 GT card.

MSI NX8800GT:
At about $279, the MSI NX8800GT is the least expensive of the factory-overclocked GeForce 8800 GT cards we tested here.  Although its lower clock speeds put it behind Asus' and EVGA's offerings in terms of performance, this card is still a great performer and much faster than stock "reference" GeForce 8800 GT cards.  Like the other cards, availability is somewhat limited, but for under $280 this card is worth every penny.  Ultimately, we feel EVGA's entry offers a better value if you account for its bundle and warranty, but you can't go wrong with any of the GeForce 8800 GT cards we've shown you here today.