G92 GTS assumes the position
11 Dec 2007 | 13:49 GMT
Below GTX, above GT in graphics melange
NVIDIA HAS UNLEASHED its G92 8800 GTS on the not unsuspecting gaming public, and the initial verdict seems to be that its a decent part, likely to be marred by higher-than-estimated pricing.
HardOCP has one of the first boards off the production line, specced up by BFG. The G92 version of the GTS sports a 256-bit memory bus, unlike the 320-bit bus on the older GTS. This means that pretty much the only way to tell a G92 GTS from an old GTS on the shelf is the memory configuration - a 640MB or 320MB card is the old version, a 512MB card is the newer version.
Whereas the newly-released GT walked all over the old GTS, the new version restores its place as second-in-command - although the performance premium you pay for a GTX is looking more and more like bad value for money as the performance of the products underneath it increase.
HardOCP comes to the conclusion that pretty much the only use for a GTX is at extreme resolutions like 2560x1600 now, given that the new GTS can quite happily cope with new games at 24-inch monitor resolutions.
The bad news is that the price gouging that we are seeing with the GT appears to be happening all over again with the GTS. Nvidia's recommended price is between $300-$350, but the BFG card on test comes in at $399 - a hefty premium, even given the specced-up clocks.
Given that GT cards are already coming in at £200 here, it looks like the new GTS will be looking at upwards of £250 in Blighty, a mighty $500. Ouch. µ
© 2007 Incisive Media Investments Ltd. 2007