Nvidia GeForce 7900 GT Graphics Cards Reviewed

X-bit Labs and HardwareZone.com reviewed graphics cards based on the Nvidia GeForce 7900 GT GPU that features 24 pixel processors, 24 texture-mapping units (TMUs), 8 vertex processors, and 16 raster operators (ROPs).

On the GeForce 7900 GT Reference card:

No doubt that the new Nvidia graphics card positioned for the $299 price segment is an extremely successful solution. GeForce 7900 GT inherited all the good features of the GeForce 7800 GTX, but at the same time turned out less complex, less expensive and much more economical thanks to the new G71 GPU.

The newcomer proved just great during our real-time test session. In most tasks it outperformed Radeon X1800 XL and in some of them it competed on equal terms with a more powerful Radeon X1800 XT. Of course, 24 TMUs it features helped a lot to achieve this success, because it resulted in higher fillrate - an important parameter for games rich in texturing samples. This feature combined with about 48W of power consumption (which is much lower than by GeForce 7800 GT and Radeon X1800 XL) and excellent overclocking potential give all every right to award GeForce 7900 GT with a title of the best $299 graphics card in the today's market. [X-bit Labs]

On the Gigabyte GV-NX79T256DP-RH (GeForce 7900 GT 256MB):

Gigabyte has produced a very competent and attractive GeForce 7900 GT for those who desire something different. It's overclocked sufficiently that one would notice a performance boost for games while the choice of a Zalman cooler helps to keep the graphics card silent and cool. Taken singly, each enhancement by Gigabyte to the original design is not exactly cutting edge but together, they add up to a rather fine and definitely above average GeForce 7900 GT. The only weakness we could find is its rather limited overclocking, though that's hardly a reason to shun this card. After all, the contrast between the Zalman and the standard NVIDIA cooler has to be experienced at firsthand for the best effect but we can tell you frankly that it's a no-brainer choosing the Zalman.

While one can probably purchase the Zalman cooler in its retail form and mount it, why not spend slightly more and avoid the fuss and the worry of voiding your warranty? Gigabyte has priced the GV-NX79T256DP-RH at S$515 (around US$325) but with the standard GeForce 7900 GT selling at around S$499 for most brands, the slight premium seems more than worthwhile, since you'll be getting an incredibly stealthy cooler with decent overclocked frequencies and excellent heat dissipation capability. This trio of factors is hard to come by for many graphics cards, let alone the high-end segment we are dealing with here, thus we are very pleased with the outcome of this Gigabyte TurboForce graphics card and have merited it with a full score. [HardwareZone]

On the MSI NX7900GT-VT2D256E-HD (GeForce 7900 GT 256MB):

Besides the obvious addition of HDCP support, MSI seems to have gone for diversity rather than depth. The MSI NX7900GT-VT2D256E-HD has a bit of everything, from the inclusion of VIVO with an onboard decoder chip to the rather average overclocked frequencies out of the box. Even the bundled software reflects this approach of broadening its appeal to as many consumers as possible, for we found a decent game, DVD applications and MSI's own collection of software utilities, including its Dynamic Overclocking Technology. Compared to enthusiast oriented brands like XFX which almost always go exclusively for attractive games to the detriment of other applications, MSI hopes to please everybody though it can be argued that it may end up failing at everything - because we all know that it's never possible to please everyone, but at least MSI shows some effort. What should be universally welcomed however would be the price of this new card. It is, get this, exactly the same price as the original MSI NX7900GT-T2D256E. That's quite a surprise because vendors usually charge extra for the overclocking, not to mention the additional VIVO chip and brand new HDCP outputs. In fact, existing users of the card may feel slightly envious of this new deal. It's rather like Nintendo and its new DS Lite, where you'll find a better version at the same price. According to our local distributor, the MSI NX7900GT-VT2D256E-HD is priced at S$499 so if you have been waiting for proper HDCP support to upgrade your graphics, the first reason to do so has arrived. [HardwareZone]

On the XFX GeForce 7900 GT 256MB Extreme Edition:

XFX cards have always shown excellent tolerance for overclocking, making it a good choice for enthusiasts, provided they can afford the usual premium prices charged by the vendor. The XFX GeForce 7900 GT 256MB Extreme Edition is not its top model, despite that 'Extreme' tag. To be fair, it is the second fastest in XFX's lineup and from our results, it was a convincing winner over a standard GeForce 7900 GT like the one from MSI. An average 12% performance boost over the default model is not a trivial amount and that is what you can expect from the XFX. You can also expect slightly higher temperatures and intrepid owners can probably try to change the cooler to a better-rated one. The cooler was relatively quiet so noise shouldn't be a reason to change it. Finally, the software and accessories bundle was not too bad but improvements are still possible, especially for non-gamers. [HardwareZone]

A GeForce 7800 GTX killer, the GeForce 7900 GT also rivals the ATI Radeon X1800 XT.

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