X-bit labs

GTX on Bargain: MSI GeForce NX8800GT-T2D512E-OC Review (page 17)

Category: Video

by Alexey Stepin , Yaroslav Lyssenko

[ 12/13/2007 | 04:23 PM ]

Conclusion

The MSI NX8800GT-T2D512E-OC graphics card has passed our tests just as successfully as the previously tested Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GT Extreme, being often equal to or even better than the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX. We should note that many modern games, e.g. Crysis and World in Conflict, are so heavy for the graphics subsystem that even an Nvidia GeForce 8800 Ultra cannot run them at an acceptable speed with the highest graphics quality settings. Anyway, we are quite sure that the described card from MSI is one of the best options for a gamer who doesn’t want to spend over $500 for a GeForce 8800 GTX which has but a small advantage over G92-based solutions. Unfortunately, these excellent graphics cards are still rather rare and sell at increased prices.

You will hardly find the MSI NX8800GT-T2D512E-OC selling for the recommended price of $259, especially as it is a pre-overclocked version, but it is going to be cheaper than a GeForce 8800 GTX anyway. The only thing you should make sure of is that this card is compatible with your mainboard. And like with other GeForce 8800 GT, there is no clear correlation with the version of the PCI Express interface supported by the mainboard. The card may work in one PCI Express 1.0/1.0a mainboard and refuse to work in another.

Apart from the increased GPU and memory frequencies, the MSI card doesn’t differ from the reference GeForce 8800 GT. It doesn’t have gorgeous accessories or an advanced cooler, but it copes with its main job quite well – it delivers high performance in games. So, if you are not interested in such bonuses as free games, if you are not into extreme overclocking, and if ou are experienced enough to do without a detailed user manual, the MSI NX8800GT-T2D512E-OC is going to suit you just fine.

Highs:

• Performance close to that of GeForce 8800 GTX;
• Wide range of supported FSAA modes;
• Excellent anisotropic filtering quality;
• Fully-fledged support of hardware HD-video decoding;
• Advanced post-processor for HD-video;
• PCI Express 2.0 support;
• Compact design;
• Convenient and reliable packaging;
• Low price for the performance.

Lows:

• Not the most efficient cooling system;
• Not very high overclocking potential;
• Compatibility issues with some of the mainboards;
• Not very rich accessories bundle;
• Not informative documentation.