NVIDIA's ninth generation series of graphics cards brings cutting edge technology and advanced capabilities together for best-in-class performance. The 9800GTX is a balanced solution for all your graphic needs. It’s Microsoft Vista ready and equipped with a PCI-Express 2.0 interface for the most up-to-date system. The 9800 supports Quad SLI which more than doubles your performance by running up to four graphics cards for insane flow rates.
The card's core clock runs at 675MHz relieving your CPU of pixel crunching duty. Data surges through the 9800's 128 stream processors which are fed by 512MB of 256-bit 2200MHz GDDR3 memory. Support for DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, OpenGL 2.0 and NVIDIA's PureVideoHD render even the most intense environmental effects, heavy shading, multiple light sources, or HD DVD video with brilliant clarity.
Twin dual-linked DVI and 400 MHz RAMDAC lets you display 2560 x 1600 resolution video and graphics on even the largest monitors, or output to other video displays via the S-Video and HDTV connectors for maximum flexibility. The 9800 delivers fluid frame rates and HD video with solid performance at a price that'll still leave money in your pocket.
NVIDIA Unified Architecture with GigaThread TechnologyThe fully-unified shader core dynamically allocates processing power to geometry, vertex, physics and pixel shading operations, delivering incredibly true-to-life 3D graphics. In addition, the massively multi-threaded architecture supports thousands of independent, simultaneous threads, providing extreme processing efficiency in advanced, next generation shader programs.
NVIDIA HybridPower TechnologyDesigned for PC enthusiasts and hard-core gamers, HybridPower Technology switches graphics processing from the GeForce 9800 GTX graphics card to your motherboard GeForce GPU when running less graphics-intensive applications for reduced energy consumption, quieter operation, and less heat generation.
PCI Express 2.0 InterfaceThe PCI Express 2.0 interface delivers an ultra-high data rate of up to 16GB/s, and is backward compatible with PCI Express x16 (PCI-E 1.0), so you can upgrade the graphics of your existing system with the EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR.
NVIDIA SLI TechnologyWith SLI, the GeForce 9800 GTX GPU offers increased performance up to 2X in a dual SLI configuration and up to 2.8X in 3-way SLI mode for no-compromise gaming performance.
NVIDIA PureVideo HD TechnologyThe combination of high-definition video decoding acceleration and post-processing delivers unprecedented picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color and precise image scaling for all video content, especially movies.
Essential VistaNVIDIA GeForce 9 Series GPUs are essential for accelerating your Windows Vista experience by offering an enriched 3D user interface, increased productivity, vibrant photos, smooth, high-definition videos, and ultra-realistic games.
Pros: Upgraded from a pair of 7600GT's. Huge performance increase. Playing games on a 42"(1280x1024) Phillips plasma with lots of eye candy and no bugs/artifacting...come on!Revision of the G92 GPU. Dual slot cooler running nice temps around 53c idle and 58c load without adjusting fan speed. Running on a 620HX power supply. Massive overclocking headroom. 4x free AA! Great price/performance upgrade if your behind the VGA power curve. Running games like Bioshock, COD4, CNC KW, and WIC beautifully. The manufacturer offers great warranty and 90 day step-up program.
Cons: Possible quirky drivers as with all new cards. Length of card is easily 10-11 inches. When other reviews say you need a modified mid-size or a full case...you really need that. Plently of room in a CMS830. Heat without proper air flow or cooling.
Overall Review: Erratic rants and raves of 8xxx series owners leaves a bad taste. Review your own cards. I understand the need for most people to be on the bleeding edge of technology. But if you continue on that "trend" you are going to be broke and never see any performance increase from XX framerate to XX framerate. If you are smart you will compare your current VGA setup to this and decide if its the right upgrade for you. First time builders/buyers you have nothing to lose. **COOLERMASTER Stacker 830, ASUS M2n-Sli 570, FX-62 @ 3.0, 2GB Ballistix PC2-6400, CORSAIR HX620PSU, 350 WD Caviar, 200 SG Barracuda**