OC3D Review: Zotac GTX295 PCIe Graphics card

[w3bbo]

Experience jaw-dropping realism and unparallelled performance at extreme high-definition resolutions with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 295. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 295 packs the raw power of two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 200 graphics processors on a single card for unmatched 3D processing power.

Read the full review HERE.

 

[Rastalovich]

Those 295 cards look pretty set to reference.

I'm kinda confused as to why/if the 4870x2 lacks at high resolutions or cos of the quality/AA settings ? Any1 know ?

I was lead to believe the 4870x2 was a champion at very high resolutions, so maybe it is the quality settings ?

£420 is astonishing lol

 

[w3bbo]

The 4870x2 was the champ at high res + AA. Not anymore as it appears the 295 handles high res better.

 

[Rastalovich]

I'm with u now.

Gonna get much push on that 576mhz with same/different cooling ? 576 seems to me it'd hit 600 without squealing too much. Temps worry me tho. Although a very nice idle power.

Great stuff btw.

 

[zak4994]

The XFX model is £20 cheaper but features the same things.

Except for the game bundle which could easily make you sway towards either card.

Want GRID then go for Zotac. Want Far Cry 2 then go for XFX.

 

[Rastalovich]

Is it also a sign of the times that we don't hold too much difference between the cards from manufacturer to manufacturer.

I mean in the past I would personally have prompted for a Gigabyte silent card, then was quite taken by XFX and have bought them out of habit ever since.

But being honest, eVGA/Zotac/BFG/XFX/whatever, I wouldn't shun any of them - I know they'll all go for the same reference and same dodgy cooler. I can see it's a dodgy loud one just by looking at it. Different stickers perhaps.

As time goes by, different speeds appear on the shelf, but from what I've seen so far, they are the same cards and coolers, just factory clocked. Says to me what the basic one can achieve.

Be nice if one of them stepped out of the darkness with a really good cooler. Kinda like some of the ati variants u see.

Do-not like the nVidia 2 slot reference cooler one bit tbh.

Oh, yeah the bundles are the draw - bet ur arse XFX won't give u an 8pin cable

 

[w3bbo]

The XFX model is £20 cheaper but features the same things.

Except for the game bundle which could easily make you sway towards either card.

Want GRID then go for Zotac. Want Far Cry 2 then go for XFX.

At the time of writing both the Zotac and XFX were priced the same from 'reputable' e-tailors.

Is it also a sign of the times that we don't hold too much difference between the cards from manufacturer to manufacturer.

I mean in the past I would personally have prompted for a Gigabyte silent card, then was quite taken by XFX and have bought them out of habit ever since.

But being honest, eVGA/Zotac/BFG/XFX/whatever, I wouldn't shun any of them - I know they'll all go for the same reference and same dodgy cooler. I can see it's a dodgy loud one just by looking at it. Different stickers perhaps.

As time goes by, different speeds appear on the shelf, but from what I've seen so far, they are the same cards and coolers, just factory clocked. Says to me what the basic one can achieve.

Be nice if one of them stepped out of the darkness with a really good cooler. Kinda like some of the ati variants u see.

Do-not like the nVidia 2 slot reference cooler one bit tbh.

Oh, yeah the bundles are the draw - bet ur arse XFX won't give u an 8pin cable

True:

Package Contents: GX-295N-HHFF, DVI Adapter, S-Video Component Adapter, 6 Pin Y Power Cable, SPDIF Cable

Why they included an S-video cable is beyond me though considering there isn't an S-video port on GTX295

 

[zak4994]

Why they included an S-video cable is beyond me though considering there isn't an S-video port on GTX295

They threw it in while thinking "meh. Might as well."

 

[Rastalovich]

Isn't it a DV-out, even tho u got an svhs cable ?

 

[Bungral]

Nice review Rich.

My 2nd 295 went back was tested and found faulty today. Going back to an X2 and saving £100. Can't be dealing with any more dodgy 295s. Was a very good overclocker too comparing it to others around.

 

[w3bbo]

Rasta: Nope it was a standard S-Video component cable. It's even listed as such on the XFX spec list. Seems to be an oversight on their part unless I'm missing something.

Bungral: What was wrong with it m8? Heard reports of a few going faulty.

 

[Bungral]

Same as the first one... giving me weird blue lines every so often across my desktop and artifacting hard in crysis. I tested beyond doubt in a million different ways in two pc's including fresh installs. Just couldn't believe two cards had exactly the same issue. That said.. When it came to RMAing the 2nd one, I noticed that it was exactly one digit less in the serial numbers on like a nine digit number. It was it's brother, so could have been dodgy batch.

 

[w3bbo]

Damn m8, sorry to here that.

 

[Rastalovich]

Rasta: Nope it was a standard S-Video component cable. It's even listed as such on the XFX spec list. Seems to be an oversight on their part unless I'm missing something.

Bungral: What was wrong with it m8? Heard reports of a few going faulty.

I see the connection u got there m8y.

I meant is the DV-out the connector on the actual card ? It's like 4 pins over 5 or summit, a 4 pin svhs cable will fit in it, but usually the remaining pins are for composit output for HD. They don't always supply u with that cable tho.

EDIT: Actually that XFX lead in the bundle looks like a HD component adapter - are the colors rgb ?