Holiday 2006 Shopping Guide: GPUs

Extreme Performance GPUs

There are basically only three Extreme Performance GPUs currently available. Of course we have the GeForce 8800 GTS and GTX, but we also include the GeForce 7950 GX2 in this category. Besides the individual graphics cards, we will finally include all of the multi-GPU configurations that we feel are worth considering. We'll start this category by first taking a look at the various options available.

Extreme Performance GPUs
GPU	Pixel Shaders	Vertex Shaders	ROPs	Core Speed	RAM Speed	Memory Interface	Price
X1900 GT CF	72	16	24	575	1200	256bit	$352
X1950 Pro CF	72	16	24	575	1380	256bit	$412
7900 GT SLI	48	16	32	450	1320	256bit	$492
7950 GX2	48	16	32	500	1200	256bit	$465
8800 GTS	96	96	20	500	1600	320bit	$455
7950 GT SLI	48	16	32	550	1400	256bit	$498
7900 GTO SLI	48	16	32	650	1320	256bit	$620
7950 GX2 QSLI	96	32	64	500	1200	256bit	$930
7900 GTX SLI	48	16	32	650	1600	256bit	$860
X1900 XT CF	96	16	32	625	1450	256bit	$770
X1950 XTX CF	96	16	32	650	2000	256bit	$774
8800 GTX	128	128	24	575	1800	384bit	$603
8800 GTS SLI	192	192	40	500	1600	320bit	$910
8800 GTX SLI	256	256	48	575	1800	384bit	$1206

The first four configurations in the above table are generally going to be slower than a single 7950 GX2, so with the possible exception of X1900 GT CrossFire we would avoid them. We would also take a pass on the X1900 GT CrossFire configuration and go with a single High-End GPU at that price point, because the overall difference in performance isn't going to be much. In terms of performance, the 7950 GX2 actually ends up being faster than the 8800 GTS, but if you haven't purchased a GX2 already there's no real reason to purchase one now. Throw a bit of overclocking at the 8800 GTS and you can easily close the performance gap (and then some), plus you still get DirectX 10 support and lower noise levels.


Given that most of the remaining configurations can't even match the overall performance of a single GeForce 8800 GTX - they might prove faster in a few titles, but on average they will be slower - there's really no reason to purchase anything less than a GeForce 8800 series card or two if you are after extreme performance. Keep in mind that a single 8800 GTX is able to run most games at 2560x1600 with 4x antialiasing at reasonable frame rates, so unless you have a 30" display you may not feel any need to purchase more than one 8800 GTX card. If you simply want the best of the best and money is no object, of course dual 8800 GTX cards in SLI can't be beat for insane performance. Just make sure the rest of your system is up to snuff.

Somewhat similar to ATI's use of more pixel shader units on the X1900 cards in order to improve performance relative to the X1800, NVIDIA packs a whopping 96 or 128 shaders into the G80 cores. Unlike previous GPU designs (other than the Xbox 360's and Xenos chip), the G80 shaders are "unified shaders" and are able to function as pixel, vertex, or geometry shaders as appropriate. (Geometry shaders are one of the new additions to DirectX 10.) Each individual shader on the G80 is going to be less powerful than an equivalent shader on the G70 core, but the flexibility along with the sheer number of shader units makes for an extremely powerful, forward thinking architecture.


It's probably not too surprising that the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 line gets our recommendation right now for those of you who are after maximum graphics performance. There are no other graphics cards that can come near the performance level offered by the 8800 GTX, and no multi-GPU solution can touch the 8800 GTX SLI. Before going out and spending $600 or more on a graphics setup, however, there are some other things we need to mention.

If you decide to go out and purchase a GeForce 8800 card, you are definitely living on the "bleeding-edge" of technology. As has been the case with most new graphics technology launches (DirectX 7, 8, and 9), the drivers and software really aren't fully mature at present. We have seen at least one game already where the current NVIDIA drivers do not function properly, and we have heard various reports of additional games that don't work properly/at all with the G80 cards. If you don't like being a beta tester, you should probably wait at least another month or two before purchasing any DirectX 10 hardware.

That said, some of you are probably wondering what NVIDIA's competition can bring to the table in the near future. Unfortunately, we don't have the answer to that question, and all we know is that AMD/ATI is planning on releasing their next-generation DirectX 10 capable R600 hardware sometime in Q1'07 - some sources say early Q1, so it might only be another month or two before we can provide answers. We would expect the R600 to be competitive with the G80, and it wouldn't be too surprising to see it take the lead in some benchmarks. It also wouldn't be surprising to see driver issues similar to what NVIDIA is currently experiencing. Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)!

The simple fact of the matter is that no one that really knows what R600 can do is going to talk right now. You can wait to see what happens in the next few months, but of course faster products are always coming out. If you've got the money, though, a GeForce 8800 GTX (or two) should keep you gaming happily for the next couple of years (once the "beta" issues are solved).

Would we actually recommend purchasing a GeForce 8800 GTX right now? That all depends on how much time you spend gaming. If you've got a Core 2 Extreme processor (or a Core 2 Duo overclocked to a similar level), a 30" LCD, lots of memory and hard drive space, and a power supply capable of delivering 1.21 Gigawatts of power, by all means go nuts. Hopefully you love to play the latest and greatest games at maximum detail levels as well, or there's a good chance all of that raw performance potential is going untapped, and don't be surprised if you run into some problems during the next few months while the drivers are ironed out. For the majority of people, a single high-end graphics card is going to be sufficient, with potentially fewer headaches as well.