Conclusions
As we can see, overclocking brings high dividends to 9800 GTX, it concerns heavy games in the first place. Its test results are very close to the level of 8800 Ultra. Considering the price of 9800 GTX, it's a good replacement for the old product (but don't forget that you can still find 8800 Ultra for knock-down prices; if you cannot, your choice is 9800 GTX).
Zotac GeForce 9800 GTX AMP! Edition 512MB PCI-E - if it has an adequate price tag (up to 400 USD), it will be a very successful graphics card. I feel sorry for those users who bought 8800 GTS 512 not long ago, now they could have bought a much faster solution for the same sum of money. 9800 GTX from Zotac also comes with a bonus - LOST game. In other respects, it's an overclocked reference card, it's guaranteed to work at high frequencies. And its operating temperature does not exceed the critical line, so the cooler is almost noiseless. The hot air is thrown out of a PC case, which contributes to keeping the air cool inside.
BFG GeForce 9800 GTX OCX 512MB PCI-E - we have similar conclusions here, because it's the same card, manufactured at a third-party plant by NVIDIA's orders, BFG (like Zotac) just buys these cards from the chipmaker. They have all come from the same production line. We assume that their increased operating frequencies are also configured there, because both cards operate at absolutely the same clock rate.
What concerns the card from BFG, it has no bonuses in the bundle. But let's not forget about one weighty advantage - 10-year warranty for ALL products from this company. Even end-users can address the company to replace their cards (read the details on BFG's web site). For this purpose you must register your card on BFG's web site within 30 days after a purchase date.
All 9800GTX cards have a problem - they are very long, and they have a wide cooler as long as the card. You should consider these problems before buying the card.
On the whole, 9800 GTX is a very good product. But we shouldn't forget about 3870 X2, which prices may drop down and make it a hard choice for you.
To find more information regarding the current graphics card market and the performance of various cards, feel free to read our monthly special i3DSpeed.
Our Excellent Package award (May) goes to Zotac GeForce 9800 GTX AMP! Edition 512MB:
We express gratitude to
BFG Russia and Mikhail Proshletsov,
Zotac and Robert Wislowski
for provided graphics cards.
PSU provided by TAGAN,
Monitor provided by NVIDIA.
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