Are you looking for a high performance 3D graphics card for
gaming and multimedia? The EVGA e-GeForce 7800GTX might be right
up your alley. This PCI Express card looks good, comes out tops
on speed tests and delivers over-the-top graphics performance.
The downside is its price, but hey considering its features,
it's money well spent.
Graphics Processor and Memory
The EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX comes with a graphics processor
clocked at 450MHz. The card incorporates a PCI Express
interface, 256 MB of GDDR RAM video memory and a maximum screen
resolution of 2048 x 1536. This setup ensures the card is
capable of delivering extreme performance in both 3D games and
multimedia applications.
Design and Construction
What's the first thing you realize about the EVGA e-GeForce 7800
GTX card? Well, for one thing, it looks really good. In terms of
design and pure dazzle, it looks better than any card I've seen
in a long time.
There's a heat sink from the covering the entire top of the
card. There are also interesting little e-shaped cutouts for
ventilation. Aside from dispersing heat, this looks like it
would be pretty good protection from physical damage. The
designers have also put in four RAM sinks and a heat sink on the
back of the card as well.
Bundled Software and Accessories
EVGA has included a very nice assortment of software and
accessories in the bundle for the e-GeForce 7800 GTX. Inside the
box, you'll find the card itself, a basic user's guide and EVGA
stickers.
In terms of software, the card comes with Ulead DVD
MovieFactory, SnapStream's Beyond Media as well as Cyberlink's
PowerDirector - a very good selection.
You also get some handy hardware. There's a pair of DVI-to-DB15
adapters, a dual-molex-to-PCIe power adapter, an S-Video cable,
and a small breakout box that houses S-Video and composite
inputs.
Overclocking Features
Most regular computer users need not be concerned about the
overclocking, but if you're a serious enthusiast - well, it
matters a lot. Tests have shown that one can overclock the core
graphics clock to 500MHz and the memory clock as high as
1.35GHz. These are among the highest core and memory clock that
you can get out of a graphics card.
Graphics Performance
What about the performance of the EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX? Well,
various tests have been run by enthusiasts using Battlefield 2,
Doom 3, and Half-Life 2 - the latest and greatest 3D games out
there. The results? The frame rates (which give an indication of
graphics performances) for each of those games are nothing short
of spectacular.
Shortcomings
There are not many shortcomings that I can think of for the EVGA
e-GeForce 7800 GTX. The only quibble is perhaps the bundled
software. While the EVGA bundle is decent, it'd have been good
to include games and full-version DVD playback software. The
price of the card is also understandably steep, given its great
features - a small issue if you need that kind of performance.
Conclusion
On the whole, the EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX is a great video card.
In terms of sheer value with performance in mind, this card is
one of the best I've seen in a long time. Throw in the fabulous
lifetime warranty and the ability to play the most graphically
demanding games - and you have a sure winner in the marketplace.
About the author:
Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit
his website at Build-Your-Own-
Computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as
well as buying good computer components.
|
|
