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

could it be because nvidia has gone down the path that bigger is better and not cared for "efficiency?" and thus actually can't put that kind of spec'd car in that sort of setup?

 

I've been preaching that for awhile now about the 260+ extra shaders.. I have a 260 in my rig and currently run two monitors- one 1080p and the other's a crt for fps games online at 1600x1200- also have a hdtv on the svid

I think gonna skip this line.. the gx2 earlier this year was a disaster rushed out with nothing but fanboys and hype to back up it's claims on crysis.. the only thing I like about this card would be the amount of power you'd save over going sli 280's.. I'm looking at ati when the next round comes out with the way it's looking

I pretty much gave up on sli as a viable option, just too much power used for what your getting back.. why I was kind of interested in this card..I really like the 280 as a single card solution, no sli issues, but the price turned me off- suprised it took them this long to release and they still lose to ati (of course crysis is pure nvidia- they worked in the backroom with crytek =] no secrets there)

 

My commentary isn't on the product itself or the review in general, but the insight Bit-Tech provided in terms of the demands issued to them by the vendor. It helps put the first look preview into perspective, and provides some transparency to what to expect in terms of potential slanted data.

Bravo, I wish more reviews would frame the behind the scenes negotiations that are certainly taking place when previews (or even reviews) are generated. This is important to know for astute consumers who want to make their best decisions ... secondly, it exposes the companies to their PR methods, and hopefully keeps them honest. I also appreciate the non-tacit way of explaining what motivations may be behind such demands, they appear reasonable ... so, it is no reason to shout 'fire'.

 

I don't see the point in using dual GPU and/or SLI/CF. It's power hungry, the benefits are minimal, get more heat into the system and will cost you a kidney on the illegal body part market. If it would have been used in arcade cabinets for all day usage I would understand. But since Arcades are left overs of the golden age of gaming. It has no use for it along that path.

Don't get me wrong I was a long time first buyer of the best of the best GPU hardware and SLI. But then one day I realized I had a very expensive graphics cards that would play all old games and where waiting for over two years for the games it suppose to run. Once those games where released the very expensive SLI setup was barely capable to play those games and the Hardware was surpassed by a much more energy efficient single card solution that cost 1/3 of the price of the Expensive SLI setup I have.

My second realization was that my expensive SLI setup was 80% of the year running outlook and Firefox and showing a pretty desktop and when I was looking at two large black bricks through the case window I found it was depressing to see such powerful graphics cards used for a simple desktop, something that a old Matrox card from 1996 could easily do also.

I had just one thought: Never again.

 

People buying two budget cards that dont work transparently to the OS are asking for trouble... (and a high energy bill)

 

just imagine if Nvidia had put 2GB on this, to properly match the GTX280 cores, or better still, if they used 2GB GDDR5 like the 4870X2, it would seem that two 280's with 2GB would easily best a 4870X2, but in this configuration, it fails, why oh why

 

Yay! Thanks Timmy

 

Just a filler card until the GTX300 comes out, not worth the upgrade.

 

wow talk about not impressive at all, yet another flop by nVidia and yet again with the superglue sli setup, come on be smart and go with a single pcb board wow so not impressed.

 

Seems like a stopgap measure to try and grab back the "single card" performance crown before the next generation battle hits.

 

I want to see how this beast folds... a single GTX280 does 7000 ppd

 

Slightly off-topic here, but does anyone else ever wish they could get their hands on nVidia reference cards instead of branded retail cards?

It's so much nicer to see the cards with nVidia's clean, sleek, understated shrouds and HSFs, instead of the absolutely pathetic-looking crap the board partners stick on their cards, with their glowing cyborg samurai, improportionate amazons, rabid dogs, abstract faces/hands/bodyparts and hideous, glaring branding and logos..

It doesn't matter so much for those of us who rip the stock HSF off and replace it with a waterblock or a 3rd-party cooler, of course, but do the companies really think that their ridiculous artwork and ugly branding lends that much appeal to their products?

 

They must otherwise they wouldn't do it. Personally I don't care what sticker is on my card or the extra crap it comes with. I generally buy for brand reputation, warranty and if I am picky PCB colour lol. I think they would do far better having different coloured PCBs than crappy stickers.

 

well considering its pretty much equal with the GTX 280 in SLI for the most part i'd say its a good investment. Especially if it goes to 300's. Then maybe GTX 280 will be in the 250's and GTX 260 in the late 100's? hopefully lol, - new bang for buck king if it does?

 

This is overkill, the hardware has moved way past any software thata ctually needs it.

 

To be honest, I looked at the GTX 295 and thought it was a prototype.
It doesn't really look ready for sale does it?
Not after the last series of (at least I thought so) nice looking glossy enclosed cards.

Also, IMO this card will not steal ATi's current crown.

 

Are you kidding? You still can't play Crysis on absolute top settings without at least 2 GPU's, I'd say 4 would be better. Then, MAYBE, you could max out Crysis and Crysis Warhead.

 

i have allways prefered single power full GPUs never seem to have much luck with SLI (that past problem seems down to the motherboard now as my old 980GX2 i just put back in for an test seems to work flawless but i have only tested one game thought heh)

as folding i own alot of 9800GX2's (heating not an problem in my house now) don't need the heating on at all (more aircon at some points untill i got ducting done)

only resone i not buy the 4870 X2 is you cant turn off CF thats one + to Nvidia as you can if SLI for some resone gives lower perfomace or crash the game when on going to be building an 4870 dual setup for some one soon only seems to be one game that has the problem with CF (COD 5) and i think that is with i7 X58 mobos

 

I would like to have a go on Call Of Duty:World at War on that test setup + GTX295 for sheezy

 

My god, as usual, now I really really really don't have an idea what to buy -.-