GeForce GTX 275 Roundup (Gigabyte, EVGA, MSI, Sparkle, BFG)

Conclusions

MSI GTX 275 896MB Twin Frozr OC

The lone MSI card we received proved to be a breath of fresh air in a roundup cluttered with reference-based GTX 275 cards. Not only was the Twin Frozr OC the second highest clocked card of the bunch but it came with a custom designed heatsink which in itself made us stand up and take notice.

Let’s start with the heatsink first. Even though the 55nm core in the GTX 275 is supposed to produce less heat than the 65nm version in the GTX 260, properly cooling it off is a tall order as evidenced by the near lack of aftermarket air coolers for the current generation of higher-end Nvidia cards. Yet it seems that against all odds, MSI’s new heatsink worked like a charm and was able to keep core temperatures well below what we are used to seeing. It’s just a shame that all the hot air is dumped back directly into the case but let’s be honest: any enclosure with a half decent cooling setup will take care of that excess heat in no time.

Performance-wise, the Twin Frozr OC came pretty darn close to the GTX 285 but was never quite able to beat it in a straight fight. Couple that to a price that places it near may stock GTX 275 cards along with Canada-based RMA service and the recipe for success is definitely there. The only major issue we have with the MSI experience is the truly awful CoreCenter overclocking and monitoring software they advertise on their website.

Our hats really do have to come off to theose guys at MSI since they were not only able to deliver an overclocked card but also showed that it is possible to have an amazing, non-reference cooler without a huge increase in cost. Indeed, MSI’s Twin Frozr proved itself to be a glimmering beacon of change in an otherwise dull lineup of GTX 275 cards. It is different but in all the best ways possible and as such it wins our Dam Innovative Award.




Sparkle GTX 275 896MB PLUS

The last time we looked at a Sparkle card, their Calibre GTX 250 won our hearts and minds but their entry into the GTX 275 arena was somewhat dull by comparison. Maybe our expectations were too high because when push came to shove, the GTX 275 PLUS proved to be a great performer hamstrung with a slightly too high price and sparse availability. Its increased clock speeds do give it an advantage over the stock GTX 275 but we doubt any customer would really notice any difference in the games they play on a regular basis.

What we are used to seeing is very aggressive pricing from Sparkle but this time it just wasn’t meant to be. Part of this lies in the fact that Sparkle’s cards are quite hard to find in North America and as such, pricing is pretty much dictated by a few retailers.

In the grand scheme of things, Sparkle’s GTX 275 PLUS has the same clock speeds and performance as the BFG GTX 275 OC but it is also priced slightly higher and doesn’t come with as long of a warranty. We feel that with decreased pricing through expanded availability, Sparkle’s card could become a real competitor against the big guns.