XFX Geforce GTX 260 Review

Shripad

Test Setup.

We have decent, powerful setup here to test this card.

Processor: Intel C2D E7200 @ 3.99Ghz

Memory: OCZ Platinum 4GB DDR2 1000

Motherboard: Gigabyte X48-DQ6

Power Supply: Tagan BZ800

Cabinet: Custom Modified Cooler Master CM690

Graphic Cards: XFX GTX 260, Sapphire HD4870

Games Used: Crysis, Mass Effect, Race Driver Grid, World In Conflict

Synthetic Benchmarks Used: Futuremark 3Dmark Vantage

Drivers: Forceware 177.70 for GTX 260, Catalyst 8.7Beta for HD4870.

Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate X64

How we Tested

We are testing the latest DirectX 10 card. Which meant we went with the Windows Vista. There is no point in testing this card in DirectX 9 environment.

For World In Conflict, we used game’s in built benchmarking utility. For Crysis we used Crysis Benchmark tool 1.0.0.5. Mass Effect and GRID does not come with any built in benchmark tool. So for that we used good old FRAPS. Every attempt was made to replicate exact same game play.

We picked the drivers which seemed to work the best on our system. I personally don’t care if the driver is beta or official WHQL. I did test other Beta drivers for GTX 260 and settled for 170.70 as this driver was performing much better in games like Mass Effect and almost similar in other games.

The drivers of both the cards were set for maximum quality setting for game testing.
Now let’s have a look at the competition for this card, the card against which GTX 260 will be battling in the market.

has33 · #1 (**permalink**) By has33 on 30 Jul 08, 08:35 AM

Lemme be the 1st 2 thank U

Nice 1 funky

not 2 shot, nor 2 long, right up to the mark and says all I wanted 2 hear

Dug it

Shripad · #2 (**permalink**) By Shripad on 30 Jul 08, 08:37 AM

Heh thanks.

Guys here is the Digg link : Digg - XFX Geforce GTX 260 Review

Checksum · #3 (**permalink**) By Checksum on 30 Jul 08, 08:52 AM

Awesome review as usual funky! You definitely are the undisputed review king of TE! Need to spread reputation

Desecrator · #4 (**permalink**) By Desecrator on 30 Jul 08, 08:54 AM

$heet!!!

Amazing results from Crysis!!!

That was truly unexpected!!!

Nice work dada...

BTW what was the gripe of removing the stock cooler of the GTX??

stalker · #5 (**permalink**) By stalker on 30 Jul 08, 09:01 AM

good job..
very thorough review mate.. as always

@gannu.. lets jus say funky dada was not ABLE to remove it

Shripad · #6 (**permalink**) By Shripad on 30 Jul 08, 09:01 AM

Its very hard. I am 100% sure the card will sustain some sort of damage tot he cooler body while removing the assembly. There are too many locks at odd places. Only way to unlock them is get the fine flat screw driver in the gap and twist it open. This causes serious dent in card cooler and if screw driver slips, it will definitely take some smd component off the PCB of the card. And I need to forward this card to someone else in good condition

If Rashi gives me go ahead to do whatever to the card, I will take it apart by any means possible

m0h1t · #7 (**permalink**) By m0h1t on 30 Jul 08, 09:48 AM

amazing effort. repped
whats the official dealer quote for the same? and of HD4870 as well.

What did you use to cool the 7200?

muzux2 · #8 (**permalink**) By muzux2 on 30 Jul 08, 09:48 AM

funky, let me tell u honestly, u rock!!
That was awsome review i had ever seen here..I really like IQ screen Shots, multimedia & cinema test which i was eager waiting for someone to put it in review..

thebanik · #9 (**permalink**) By thebanik on 30 Jul 08, 09:51 AM

amazing amazing review their funky, damn professional review....you ought to join some of the bigger magazines as a reviewer/editor man......repped...
Edit : have to spread some reps before repping u again....

Darthcoder · #10 (**permalink**) By Darthcoder on 30 Jul 08, 10:15 AM

Wow, look at the effort there

.
Awesome review.
Minor correction (typo), the 5th line on 14th page reads "In crisis he card". But you are bound to have typos when you type like >1000 words

.
Awesome review once again.

fangface · #11 (**permalink**) By fangface on 30 Jul 08, 10:38 AM

Awesome review Funky! I enjoyed reading it

Found a bunch of typos, but nothing a spell check and some minor editing cant fix

Shripad · #12 (**permalink**) By Shripad on 30 Jul 08, 11:04 AM

Yup, there were indeed lot of small typos. Have fixed many and some minor changed made to sentences.

Anyone putting their hand up for editing work for the next review?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr47

amazing effort. repped
whats the official dealer quote for the same? and of HD4870 as well.

What did you use to cool the 7200?

Using Xigmatek Achilles HDT S1284 to cool the E7200 at the moment.

saintsinner · #13 (**permalink**) By saintsinner on 30 Jul 08, 11:35 AM

very good review sir!

Thanks!

i_max2k2 · #14 (**permalink**) By i_max2k2 on 30 Jul 08, 11:51 AM

Hey a very nice review! Good numbers going, and crysis results were interesting, however I had a question did you test them using the island gpu benchmark, or a custom time demo?

I ask cause HardOCP, did have some interesting results using a custom timedemo!

And dude these reviews keep getting better! Keep it up! repped!

	TechEnclave Work in Progress Reviews and Previews
XFX Geforce GTX 260 Review Discussion under Reviews and Previews, part of the Work in Progress category on TechEnclave; Test Setup. We have decent, powerful setup here to test this card. Processor: Intel C2D E7200 @ 3.99Ghz Memory: OCZ ...