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By Rich Brown
Mar 21, 2008

Nvidia intends for its new dual-chip, 1GB GeForce 9800GX2 3D cards to replace the venerable GeForce 8800 GTX as its flagship 3D graphics card. Featured here in the ASUS EN9800GX2, we found that Nvidia's new card does indeed surpass the 8800 GTX, and for most PC gamers looking for a high-end upgrade, this card and others like it will be the obvious choice. That said, we'd still like to see this or any 3D card take on Crysis at its highest DirectX 10 settings and deliver at least 60 frames per second. Until that happens, we'll have reservations about spending so much on a 3D card.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

The GeForce 9800GX2 is similar in concept to ATI's recent Radeon HD 3870 X2, and also Nvidia's older GeForce 7950GX2. The design of all of those cards involves two graphics cards cobbled together into one physical package with a single PCI-Express interface at the bottom. Like the others, the 9800 GX2 does not require you to own a motherboard with two graphics card slots because the circuitry necessary for the two chips to operate in tandem is built into the card itself.

Unlike the GeForce 7950GX2, there is no standalone, single-chip "GeForce 9800" card yet. Instead, your alternatives include the GeForce 8800 GTX, and the insanely priced GeForce 8800 GTX Ultra.



Nvidia assumes a few things about potential owners of the GeForce 9800GX2. The first is that you have an interest at playing PC games at very high resolutions, likely on a 24- or 30-inch LCD, and with the detail levels cranked up. Our performance numbers showed that anything lower than that and you're probably still fine with an 8800 GTX.

The second assumption is that you have a robust enough computer to handle this new card. This includes a power supply rated to a minimum of 580 watts, or 850 watts for two GX2s in SLI, quad-chip mode (for which Nvidia is still working on software support). Also of note, the 9800GX2 requires both a 6-pin and 8-pin internal connection to that power supply.

The 8-pin connection in particular may cause you some grief. Our colleagues at GameSpot reported that they broke the plastic housing on their XFX card while trying to unplug the 8-pin connector. Nvidia's claim is that while it has followed the specification for the 8-pin female end, certain power supply vendors have not built their 8-pin plugs to spec. Our ASUS card came with a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter cable (which you might also need, as many power supplies don't have an 8-pin output) that we were able to insert and remove with no trouble.

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