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Hardware First Look: Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 1,792MB

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Tim S, 18 Dec 2008.

  1. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    I think you should be able to fold on both GPUs, since you can do that with the 9800 GX2. :)
     
  2. Redbeaver

    Redbeaver The Other Red Meat

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    so.... 2 of these in SLI would make Quad-SLI? :D (like 2x 9800GX2 before...)

    to ATI: burn, baby, burn!
     
  3. mclintox

    mclintox Eat cheese!

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    It's certainly a chunky monkey with a price to match.And judging by the current strength of the pound,we'll be paying through the nose for it!
     
  4. Goty

    Goty Minimodder

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    If it was being held back by driver issues we'd probably see much less consistent performance than even this. Also, the specs put the 295 right behind a pair of 280s in SLI and that's pretty much exactly where it performs. Nope, I don't think drivers are going to help this one too much.

    Need I remind you the neither SLI nor crossfire scale well past two cards and basically don't scale at all past three?
     
  5. Floyd

    Floyd Wire Twister

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    Id rather get 2, 280s and call it a day.
     
  6. knuck

    knuck Hate your face

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    which is not surprising since it's a console game ... (see sig)
     
  7. wyx087

    wyx087 Homeworld 3 is happening!!

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    last time i checked (summer) one has to disable SLi, and start 2 Folding clients. so the new nVidia driver sorted that out?
     
  8. RotoSequence

    RotoSequence Lazy Lurker

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    I wonder what a card like this, with its still relatively massive dies, is doing to Nvidia's bottom line. They can't be making very much money on that thing? ATI/AMD is probably quite capable of knocking down the MSRP by up to $100 and still turn a decent profit on the card.
     
  9. Design_Master

    Design_Master Presenting: LUMINA

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    This is a good card, but I don’t think the tests with just a half of dozen nvidia’s games are enough to affirm the GTX295 beats HD4870 X2. Why dint use GRID, Assassin's Creed or Devil May Cry 4 in the tests??? The results would be VERY different, probably.

    Always the results will depend on what games are chosen for the review… as more games on the review as much better!! :thumb:
     
  10. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    Going to have a look at it - I've got a way to meaningfully benchmark Folding now, so we will be adding it to our test suite in good time (probably after CES now)
     
  11. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    This was a preview done with the terms outlined on the first page. When it comes to reviewing the hardware properly, we'll be using a decent selection of games without holds barred.
     
  12. knuck

    knuck Hate your face

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    :)
     
  13. Jasio

    Jasio Made in Canada

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    And two Radeon 4870 X2's also make QuadFire... so you've just nulled your own point.

    Need I mention that the X2 still has its side-port disabled? Hiding extra bandwidth for when nVidia tries to take its "crown" away?

    From these preliminary benchmarks the nVidia is squeezing by the X2 rather than, as Tim stated, smacking it around like AMD did to nVidia with the X2. I wouldn't be surprised if:

    A) nVidia releases GTX 295.
    B) ATI follows up with a driver update + unlocks side-port.
    C) X2 inches away and takes the spot back.

    There just isn't any of that effort reflected in this card as in the X2 -- which was something completely different and interesting. It's still a far more "advanced" card from a technological perspective (fitting two GPU's + 2GB total memory on a single PCB). nVidia is just taking crazy glue and trying to stick cards together, hoping for the love of God that they'll work and claim some decent benchmarks before they overheat and melt like the 9800 GX2's did. nVidia simply needs to step back and redesign their line-up.
     
  14. Drexial

    Drexial Minimodder

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    fanboy much?
     
  15. Matticus

    Matticus ...

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    Does anyone else thing it looks like a vhs cassette tape?

    It is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw it, the sort of dull weird textured black plastic and the cut out where the actual tape would be, I expect the back will have the winding bits on it.
     
  16. kenco_uk

    kenco_uk I unsuccessfully then tried again

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    I am rather pleased with my gfx card now.

    After running the Far Cry 2 benchmark at 1920x1200, Ultra High, no AA, I get an average of 50fps and a minimum of 37!

    Should do me alright for the next year or so :)

    When I took my gtx260 out of the static bag I was pleasantly surprised that the shroud covers the gfx card top and bottom, so there's little chance of passing any static through my grubby little mitts onto delicate circuitry - it's a shame this hasn't continued onto the 295.
     
  17. Xtrafresh

    Xtrafresh It never hurts to help

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    I am also not very impressed. From what i read, they based it on 2x 260, while al of us were hoping for 2x 280. That would have given ATI the run for the hills that nVidia should come up with after 5 months of waiting. And the naming scheme really makes less and less sense! Why on earth is this not called the GTX260-X2, or DGTX260 or smth like that?
     
  18. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    We actually talked about what the GTX 295 is in the article (2nd page). It's 2x240 SPs, 2x80 tex, 2x28 ROPs, 2x896MB of memory with GTX 260 clock speeds. So, in reality, it's somewhere between GTX 260 and GTX 280 before it's doubled up.
     
  19. DorkSterr

    DorkSterr Hakuna Matata

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    I bet Nvidia is gonna release a 280 X2 after a couple of months when this releases.
     
  20. Xtrafresh

    Xtrafresh It never hurts to help

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    True, i was taking some liberties ;)

    The point is though that it's not the 2x 280 that everybody was waiting for.
     
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