OC3D Review: NVIDIA GTX 280 Performance Revealed - MSI N280GTX

[Mr. Smith]

You might think I'm biased because I own a GX2, but you know if I thought the 280 was worth it I would buy one in a heartbeat.

The thing is I don't think it is worth it. In this review the 280 loses out to the GX2 in most of the tests. Looking around at other reviews the numbers are all over the place, making it hard to come to any conclusions.

Sure the drivers might squeeze some more out of the card but I can't see it being a significant number of FPS.

If the Vantage tests are anything to go by (280 beats GX2) the 280 will fair MUCH better in future games, it would seem current games aren't making full use of the new architecture.

Overall it's an OK card in the same way the GX2 is an OK card. I'm still waiting on the 'next 88GTX'.

Oh, Silentsnake - GX2's in sli scale terribly and the only game it really works is cod4. May be get 260's in sli if you want a dual card setup.

Decent review Jim but for me the card gets a meh.

 

[Bungral]

Nope, it isn't.. same old G92 chip renamed and with 112 more shader processors. That is all. And I could imagen the heat output being close to the GX2s as well.

Only during full blown 3D gaming. It downclocks itself to next to nothing for normal 2D usage. Think I read somewhere 25w or something. 35w - 50w even watching hi-def video.

Also there is a lot more new shizzle in there than in the previous updates. While not totally new, it's still got some new architecture in there.

 

[Bungral]

You might think I'm biased because I own a GX2, but you know if I thought the 280 was worth it I would buy one in a heartbeat.

The thing is I don't think it is worth it. In this review the 280 loses out to the GX2 in most of the tests. Looking around at other reviews the numbers are all over the place, making it hard to come to any conclusions.

Sure the drivers might squeeze some more out of the card but I can't see it being a significant number of FPS.

If the Vantage tests are anything to go by (280 beats GX2) the 280 will fair MUCH better in future games, it would seem current games aren't making full use of the new architecture.

Overall it's an OK card in the same way the GX2 is an OK card. I'm still waiting on the 'next 88GTX'.

Oh, Silentsnake - GX2's in sli scale terribly and the only game it really works is cod4. May be get 260's in sli if you want a dual card setup.

Decent review Jim but for me the card gets a meh.

Yup... Agreed. Not worth the upgrade from a GX2 if you aren't experiencing any issues with it.

I desperately need an upgrade from my GT now though and my girlfriends parents are hopping over the pond at the end of the month. The question is what card do I get them to bring back for me. Can get the 280 for about $650 so £325 - £340. I could live with that after selling my GT for £100-ish. Only a £225 layout.

Edit: I really really wanna see how these things overclock before taking the plunge though ..

 

[Silentsnake]

Edit Edit: You wouldn't happen to have a GX2 would ya?

LOL noooooooo course i dont

 

[Bungral]

LOL noooooooo course i dont

Coulda guessed!!!

I aint knocking the GX2 at all.. If you have that the there is no reason to switch. I'm just thinking from someone who doesn't have a top top end card and is looking at buying one.. ie. me!

It's a toughie. Might be tempted by a GX2 if they suddenly drop in price in the next week or two.

Edit: Found this but don't know how much I believe it.

In overclocking tests, we were able to push the GeForce 260 GTX from 576/1242/999 MHz (GPU/ALU/memory) to 648/1397/1184 MHz, or 12% and 18% respectively. That’s good, and let us squeeze out a gain of 16%, or 8.4 frames per second, at 2560*1600 with Test Drive Unlimited – only 6% slower than the 280 GTX!

Except that obviously we overclocked it too – from 602/1296/1107 MHz to 655/1410/1290 with very good stability, for gains of 9% and 16%. Test Drive Unlimited again benefited from the boost with a 13% increase in frame rate

Also found some dude doing tri sli 280s with LN2. Nut job . Before that though he did some overclocking on air and got up to 710MHz core, 1528MHz shaders and memory clocked a little lower than above at 1196MHz.

 

[Hatman]

Sooo basically... this brand new spanking card cld still get whiped by 2x 8800GT SLI in quite a few things.

For over double the price??

Sounds gd..

 

[Brooksie]

Isn't as good as i'd thought it be.

 

[pafk0o]

After reviews that i have read now i know i wont upgrade my rig until Intel will drop their new cpu on market, card is very good but it work in full performance on highly overclocked CPU`s ,i will stick to my 8800gt sli company for now .... and this price 400£ ouch. dont want to think how much will cost gx2

 

[Socks]

PREORDERED!!!

not...

Wouldnt mind one, but, my 8800gtx is staying firmly in place, especially as i have just bought the watercooling for it.

Not a bad card though, and as Ham says, I do honestly wonder how well it will be with better games, it should be interesting to see.

All we need now are some good game. XD

 

[pafk0o]

hehe Mario Bros should be good for start to test it ;]

 

[pafk0o]

uh last comment here , i must admit that after 5 reviews i`m starting to love this card . Good job

 

[usman.zx10]

after reading about this card all day at work.. im not really feeling it.

i really thought it was going to be amazing. the funny thing is im in the market for a new video card, but for me.. the thought of shelling out 600 bucks for a new card is kinda scary. After all is said and done, im still very curious about the 4870x2.

from what the rumors have been saying that 1 4870 is equal to 1 3870x2. Those to me are some big words.

I think I am ultimately going to go the 3870x2 route.. and if I want better performance I should be able to pick up a second 3870x2 for even cheaper considering the new generation is on its way.

Jim, when are you gettin the new ATI lineup? I am desperately lookin here to make a good decision.. even tho im kind of bound to ati due to chipset..

 

[JN]

Jim, when are you gettin the new ATI lineup? I am desperately lookin here to make a good decision.. even tho im kind of bound to ati due to chipset..

4850 should be by end of week, 4870 still has no definite release, but possibly a week later. As for the x2's absolutely no idea on those yet.

 

[PV5150]

I'm not

Yes it's the fastest single card currently but tbh it's not anything particularly special

My 8800 GTX stays put

I'm still on my 8800GTS 640mb and I want to upgrade to the fastest current card (whether it be single or dual-GPU). I'm going to wait until ATI's offering is on the table and then I'll choose.

 

[Jaster]

Nice review...Jim pulling one out of the hat as usual...nice card...but to be frankly honest theres been no giant leap here...other then in price...we need to see that jump in technology like we saw when the 8800gtx came out...I think Nvidia are too interested in CUDA and Phys-x to be bothered putting a fantastic card into development...over the last 8 months just how many cards have they released....and how different are those cards compared to the previous generation.. I still think that there are serious software issues that need to be resolved in all fields of programming...and that as current hardware goes weve hit a ceiling where the software really needs to catch up....like a few people have said maybe we will see better performance with newer software...and I think even Nvidia see this problem, hence CUDA, if CPU's can't keep up and software sticks to the path its going we'll just bypass them both ... ...

 

[Bungral]

Sooo basically... this brand new spanking card cld still get whiped by 2x 8800GT SLI in quite a few things.

For over double the price??

Sounds gd..

Only way I'd consider Sli is on a 790i which would mean dropping another £180 quid on a mobo. If I already had a Sli mobo then I might consider just buying another GT though. That said I don't think I can be arsed with dealing with Sli.

Single GPU FTW!

 

[Bungral]

I think both Nvidia and ATI have caused themselves problems by releasing these dual core / pcb cards. If you look at what Nvidia have done with the 280 over the previous next best single core card (9800GTX), it's quite impressive. They were pulling the very last bit out of G92 by sticking two of them together with sellotape and then by doing so kinda made this release not so impressive. If they had a GX2 of this on the cards then that would be quite nice!

Nice review...Jim pulling one out of the hat as usual...nice card...but to be frankly honest theres been no giant leap here...other then in price...we need to see that jump in technology like we saw when the 8800gtx came out...I think Nvidia are too interested in CUDA and Phys-x to be bothered putting a fantastic card into development...over the last 8 months just how many cards have they released....and how different are those cards compared to the previous generation.. I still think that there are serious software issues that need to be resolved in all fields of programming...and that as current hardware goes weve hit a ceiling where the software really needs to catch up....like a few people have said maybe we will see better performance with newer software...and I think even Nvidia see this problem, hence CUDA, if CPU's can't keep up and software sticks to the path its going we'll just bypass them both ... ...

 

[Jaster]

I think both Nvidia and ATI have caused themselves problems by releasing these dual core / pcb cards. If you look at what Nvidia have done with the 280 over the previous next best single core card (9800GTX), it's quite impressive. They were pulling the very last bit out of G92 by sticking two of them together with sellotape and then by doing so kinda made this release not so impressive. If they had a GX2 of this on the cards then that would be quite nice!

Yeah i bet these are the dogs in tri sli, and they are by quite a margin for a single core card,

but the point on software being rarely optimised and poorly supported in any multi core platform, either CPU or GPU, really needs to be addressed, I think Nvidia have took steps in the right direction and I think microsoft are lagging a bit, although I do know my dad recieved a crap load of stuff from Microsoft (hes an MCE) about optimization for dual, tri, quad and 8way CPU's last week, (believe me I laughed for an hour, he may be MCE but jeez, my mrs knows more) and we have yet to see what ATI are bringing to the table, especially with the whole intel/havok situation that was released last week,

I think that probably over the next 18 months more interesting and beneficial developments to us enthusiasts will happen in software, and not hardware, but I think everyone will agree....(in a northern accent) 'bout bloody time'

 

[rrjwilson]

Good review Jim.

New architecture you sods, stop refurbing!

 

[Hatman]

Only way I'd consider Sli is on a 790i which would mean dropping another £180 quid on a mobo. If I already had a Sli mobo then I might consider just buying another GT though. That said I don't think I can be arsed with dealing with Sli.

Single GPU FTW!

790i + 2x 8800GT would still be cheaper then a GTX280 lol.

Could probably buy some DDR3 in that price bracket to go with it!!