8800GT is king, DDR3 is prince

IF YOU STILL don’t know which 8800GT to pick up, then Hot Hardware has some info we deem worth reading. It’s an 8800GT roundup with ASUS, MSI and eVGA, that also mixes some benches from Radeon HD3870, HD3850, HD2900XT and the HD2600XT. They also did some overclocking just to see which one would blow first. Funny enough – they’re all winners.

DDR3 is to RAM what Prince William is to the royals – the next (and apparently the only) big thing. Taking that in mind, Tom’s boy - Thomas - has a DDR3 roundup with Aeneon, G.Skill, Kingston, Patriot, Super Talent, Wintec, OCZ and Mushkin kit. You’ll have to hunt down the price yourself as most of this kit isn’t even listed online. This really is a matter of performance vs. cost, so read the results here.

PCStats has a review of the OCZ PC2-6400 ReaperX HPC Enhanced Bandwidth 2x2GB kit. This high-performing memory has the unusual heatpipe+fins combo. They focused on overclocking the memory, but remember we’re talking a higher density chip here, 2GB per DIMM – and they say they were very impressed with the overall performance. It could be a good way to stick 8GB on a 4 slot mobo and keep the performance above the pack.

Driver Heaven also has some RAM on review. More specifically two pieces from different memory vendors: OCZ and Kingston – a 4GB DDR2-800 and 2GB DDR2-1066 kits respectively. They actually pit them against each other. Their greatest asset is their price – you can top your system for very little money (when compared to DDR3, of course). You can look at the apples and oranges here.

Aeneon also shipped out some DDR3-1333 memory to Overclockers Club, which they obliged with a review. This is XTune 2x1GB kit and OCC was able to tighten the screws on the latency, getting a bit more bang-for-your-buck out of them. They also make for good overclocking, with an extra 180MHz squeezed out. No one’s naming their child after them, but their only real competitor in the test is OCZ, thinks the reviewer.

Niko at R&B Mods wrote up his take on the ASUS 8800GT Top. This little beastie outperforms the 8800GTS on test and at the resolution it was tested, it actually nibbles a bit of the GTX’s heels. If you game at 1024x768 or 1280x1024, the Top looks like a great deal. If you’re going above that, take a look at a G92 GTS, or possibly a GTX.

You all know what BFG stands for. Yes, graphics cards and mobos. Well, BFG also has a less-known (in Europe, at least) PSU product line. Hardware Logic takes a look at the BFG Tech 800W PSU (no fancy names here!). It isn’t 80 Plus, but that’s not really the selling point. Want to know more? Wibble this way.

ITReviews.co.uk think DAAMIT is on track with the HD3870. They tested their first big red toy (RV670) and came up with a big thumbs-up rating. Not that it’s the best performer on the market, mind you, but rather the most adequately gifted in the price/performance chapter. It’ll run you £160 online. µ