Sponsor: XFX

Price: 209.99 @ NewEgg

Author: Tazz

Published: Mon, Dec-04-2006

Reads: 8933

Introduction

First Impression

     Today we are going to be looking at a pair of XFX 7900 GS video cards. The 7900 GS has a lot in common with its two big brothers (7900GT and 7900GTX). The 7900 GS is being offered as a value-performer in so many words. It can be pushed to impressive clocks with a little overclocking, or can be purchased already overclocked above the nVidia reference models.

     The nVidia reference model comes in with a 450 MHz core clock and a 1320 MHz memory clock. XFX offers four versions of the 7900 GS, each offering a different factory overclock. The two cards we will be looking at today are the 480M Extreme and the 525M Extreme (PV-T71P-UDE3 & PV-T71P-UDP3). The number signifies the core clock of the cards. The cards appear to be identical excluding the stock clock rates they ship at. The 480M version ships with the clocks of 480 MHz core and 1400 MHz memory. The 525M version ships at 525 MHz Core and 1550 MHz Memory.

     The packaging of the XFX cards are eye catching and informative. Here we have on the left the XFX GeForce 7900 GS 480M 256MB DDR3 RoHS ( PV-T71P-UDE3 ) and on the right the XFX GeForce 7900 GS 525M 256MB DDR3 RoHS ExTreme ( PV-T71P-UDP3 ). Although XFX's site doesn't show the 480M being an ExTreme card, the packaging has it tagged that way.

      Initially looking at one of the 7900 GS cards I thought "Heck these are almost identical to the GT I just reviewed". Looking at the GS vs the GT cards a little closer you will spot some of the differences. Cosmetically though they are pretty darn close.