NVIDIA GeForce 7 Phase 2 Review :: EVGA 7900GT CO SC

e-GeForce 7900GT CO SC P/N 256-P2-N565-AX
Brand	EVGA
Model	e-GeForce 7900GT CO SC P/N 256-P2-N565-AX
Graphics Chip	G71
Graphics Memory Type	DDR3
Memory (MB)	256
Graphics Core Clock (MHz)	550
Memory Clock (MHz)	1580
Memory Speed (ns)	1.4
RAMDAC Frequency (MHz)	Dual 400
Active Cooling on Graphics Chip	Yes
Heatsink on Memory	Yes
Video Capture	Yes
Ports
Dual Monitor Support	Yes
VGA Out	2x DVI-I
Video In and Out	S-Video Out
Package and Support
Printed Manual	Yes
Driver CD	Yes
Performance Tool Software	Coolbits
Major Games	None
Major Software	None
VR Glasses	No
DVD Player Software	None
Video Recording Software	N/A

Features

• 550/1.58GHz Core/memory
• 8 Vertex Units
• 24 Pixel Shader Units
• 256MB GDDR3
• 256-bit memory interface
• Dual-dual link DVI
• Lifetime Warranty
• Step-Up Program
• Toll-Free Technical Support 24/7
MSRP 299

EVGA provided a 7900GT for review. The 7900GT is the same chip as the 7900GTX card except clocked much lower, 450MHz for the core/1.32GHz for the memory, versus 650MHz for the reference 7900GTX and 1.32GHz for the memory. In many respects the 7900GT is the dark horse of the cards being released today, as the card is basically similar in fillrate and performance to the 7800GTX from last year. EVGA has several 7900GT SKUs with the 7900GT CO Superclocked the card I'm reviewing here.

The EVGA box is a rectangular box with a blue top and a green bottom half. The top of the box has Logos for Designed for Windows XP and Built for Microsoft Windows Vista. Also present on the front of the box is the SLI ready and Graphics by NVIDIA logos. The bottom half of the front of the box has the clock speeds of the card, the type of memory, the amount of memory and the bus interface for the card. The rear of the box has a list of the 7900GT Features the Package contents and a description of the Support EVGA provides. Also present on the rear is a sticker with the Part #, the Serial # and a window to the card. If the Stickers don't match, don't buy the card.

EVGA Support is second to none in the industry. They have a Lifetime Warranty that supports overclocking as long as no physical damage is done to the component. The EVGA Step-Up program allows the user to buy a new card within 90 days by paying the difference between the new card and the price you paid for the original card. Only Diamond and ATI have Trade-In programs giving a $50 credit towards the purchase of a new video card. They offer 24/7 Toll-Free telephone support as well. EVGA has always been one of my favorite companies due to their support.

The 7900GT PCB is small. In point of fact, it's very similar in size to the 7600GT PCB. The use of 256-bit memory necessitates a different memory configuration than that found on the 7600GT. The die of the 7900GT is small, 196 square millimeters according to NVIDIA. The ATI X1900XTX has a die size of nearly twice that of the 7900, meaning the NV card will likely cost less to manufacture, and yield well. NVIDIA is positioning this card at the $299 price point and EVGA's version is priced at a $40 premium over that. At the default clock speed, this means the EVGA 7900GT CO Superclocked is likely to have near 7800GTX 512 performances, but for a much lower price.

The cooling on the card is typical of the 7900GT cards for launch. EVGA put a 17-fin fan over the chip to cool the GPU. The heatsink is small for a card in the performance class the 7900GT is targeted to, barely covering ½ the PCB. The memory is arranged in a semi-circular fashion with traces for 256-bit memory present. EVGA outfitted the card with 8 256 megabit chips rated for 1.25ms or 800MHz. All 7900 series cards require the extra power of the 6-pin power connector, and the EVGA 7900GT is no exception. The card has Dual-Link DVI ports as well, making this card capable of using dual high resolution displays

The Bundle

• EVGA 7900GT CO Superclocked
• 2 DVI-I to D-Sub adapters
• PCI Express Power cable
• TV-Out Cable
• Driver CD
• User's Guide

EVGA's Bundle for their 7900GT is rather Spartan by most standards. EVGA decided not to include a game with the 7900GT card. Personally I miss the days when video cards came with many games and demos to show off the new capabilities of the cards. Last year, EVGA included Battlefield 2, COD2, and Quake4 at separate times during the last year. Hopefully, EVGA will continue that tradition with their other video cards this year. The User's Guide is extensive and helpful. The Driver CD contained 83.91 Forceware drivers. NVIDIA will likely launch the 7900 series with 84.xx drivers as I'm using 84.17 drivers for this launch.

EVGA decided to really up the ante with their 7900GT CO Superclocked video card. Out of the box, EVGA clocked the card at 550MHz/1.58GHz. This is a huge jump from the reference clocks of 450/1.32GHz, and should be the highest clocked 7900GT on the retail market. This fits in between the 650MHz core clock of the 7900GTX and the reference clock of the 7900GT. I was able to overclock the card to 566/1.658GHz, a slight increase but still impressive for a card that is single slot.

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