Cooling the GeForce 8800 GT
NVIDIA's move to a 65nm core - the G92 - has been such a splendid success in its present form at the heart of the GeForce 8800 GT 512MB that the upcoming remake of the GeForce 8800 GTS will also utilize this revised core. So too will the high-end GeForce 8 Mobility GPUs that you'll probably find in gaming notebooks next year. Despite its popularity and impressive performance, we have yet to be convinced by the reference cooler from NVIDIA on the GeForce 8800 GT. While it is quiet and admirably slim, the temperatures on the GeForce 8800 GT have been generally quite high. This has prompted brisk sales for certain third party coolers among enthusiasts though at the same time, raises the ownership costs for a quiet and cool GeForce 8800 GT.
No doubt, the vendors themselves concur, for it wasn't long before they came up with their own custom cooling solutions to tackle this. One of the early results we have seen include the Palit GeForce 8800 GT Sonic, which has done rather well in our temperature tests. Gigabyte is another company with a similar idea and it has turned to Zalman to provide the solution. The end result is the Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP, equipped with the Zalman VF700-ALCU cooler. Besides that, the card uses a custom blue PCB, is overclocked by default and includes Gigabyte's Turbo Force technology that supposedly enhances stability while overclocked.
NVIDIA's move to a 65nm core - the G92 - has been such a splendid success in its present form at the heart of the GeForce 8800 GT 512MB that the upcoming remake of the GeForce 8800 GTS will also utilize this revised core. So too will the high-end GeForce 8 Mobility GPUs that you'll probably find in gaming notebooks next year. Despite its popularity and impressive performance, we have yet to be convinced by the reference cooler from NVIDIA on the GeForce 8800 GT. While it is quiet and admirably slim, the temperatures on the GeForce 8800 GT have been generally quite high. This has prompted brisk sales for certain third party coolers among enthusiasts though at the same time, raises the ownership costs for a quiet and cool GeForce 8800 GT.
No doubt, the vendors themselves concur, for it wasn't long before they came up with their own custom cooling solutions to tackle this. One of the early results we have seen include the Palit GeForce 8800 GT Sonic, which has done rather well in our temperature tests. Gigabyte is another company with a similar idea and it has turned to Zalman to provide the solution. The end result is the Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP, equipped with the Zalman VF700-ALCU cooler. Besides that, the card uses a custom blue PCB, is overclocked by default and includes Gigabyte's Turbo Force technology that supposedly enhances stability while overclocked.
The Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP
Unlike the closed and shrouded reference design, the Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP uses a two-slot Zalman cooler, with that familiar fan shaped design. Interestingly, the fins are a mixture of copper and aluminum, though unlike the retail version from Zalman, the memory chips on this card do not include individual heatsinks. The cooler is also a dual ball bearing design and is extremely quiet, with Zalman's website stating a noise level of between 18.5 - 28.5 decibels (the maximum occurs when it's running at 2650rpm). From the looks of it, installing this cooler is straightforward so if you're inclined towards this cooler and already have a GeForce 8800 GT
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| Display Capabilities | Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP Technical Specifications
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As for the card's clock speeds, it is overclocked quite high at 700MHz for the core and 1900MHz DDR for the memory, placing it among the faster cards we have seen. Besides that, Gigabyte continues to tout its ultra durable technology, which includes features like all solid capacitors, though these are also found on the standard design. Then there's also Gigabyte's Turbo Force technology that claims to enhance stability during overclocking. Finally, Gigabyte's game of the moment, found in most of its graphics cards now, is Neverwinter Nights 2 and again you'll find that in the package, along with the items below:
- 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
- Driver CD
- Quick installation guide
- 6-pin Molex power connector
- 9-pin mini-DIN to S-Video/Component cable
Conclusion
While the question about the retail availability of the GeForce 8800 GT has been raised often over the past few weeks, it seems that though the situation may have improved slightly, prices are generally higher than the figure given by NVIDIA at its launch. With the similar G92 equipped GeForce 8800 GTS set to debut very soon, we have to wonder if we'll be seeing an even tighter supply of G92 cores and subsequently the finished retail products. Like Nintendo and the limited supply of Wii consoles, NVIDIA will have to do a delicate balancing act in ensuring that disgruntled consumers won't settle for a rival product instead (though ATI's Radeon HD 3870 seems to be in the same boat).
However, if you're looking for a GeForce 8800 GT and you just happen to be able to snag any model in the market now, the Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP is a worthy contender. While its overclocked performance may not match up to the fastest models available now, its true edge lies in the Zalman cooler that lowers its operating temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius, which is very decent for the GeForce 8800 GT. Of course, one could also purchase the same Zalman cooler and attach it to their own GeForce 8800 GT but that's an additional cost that the consumer would have to bear. Presumably, the Gigabyte package would be more enticing in terms of price and convenience.
Finally, while we have tried to get the price for this recently launched model, that is one thing that is not the easiest to acquire nowadays. Since it features a third party cooler, expect the price to be higher than the standard model, though the decent bundled game, Neverwinter Nights 2 may soften the blow if you're an RPG fan. For those who appreciate a cool and silent enclosure with a speedy graphics card, the Gigabyte GV-NX88T512HP with its TuboForce Technology is an important step towards that goal and comes highly recommend in our books.
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