Conclusion
Conclusion
Reviewing a product such as the GTX 275 Super Overclock really isn’t easy since it’s one of those cards that could have been a market leader if its release was just timed right. Gigabyte overclocked this thing to unbelievable heights and its performance belittles the GTX 285 again and again. This made its benchmark performance somewhat bittersweet since the Super Overlock is being released unbelievably late.
On the positive side of things, we believe that Gigabyte really does have a winning combination with their Super Overclock series. We were impressed by the first card sporting this moniker –in GTX 260 216 guise- and the follow-up GTX 275 follows closely in its footsteps by delivering suitably stunning performance. One interesting aspect of this card’s parity with the GTX 285 is that it actually consumes less power then its big brother. That additional efficiency would lead us to recommend the GTX 275 Super Overclock over a GTX 285 for a high-end folding rig. The additional memory also comes into effect in some rare scenarios which allows this card to really pull away from both its reference kin and the higher end NVIDIA cards.
While, performance isn’t a problem with the Super Overclock, there are other things holding it back. At this point, we have HD 5850 cards that are retailing for under $300 which pistol whip the ~$330 Gigabyte card on nearly every level. In overall performance, price, efficiency, heat production, acoustical footprint and even availability (yes, that’s saying a lot considering finding the HD 5850 is next to impossible), Gigabyte’s card gets battered and bruised. We actually believe this card is exactly what the NVIDIA crowd needed but at a price that undercuts the HD 5850 1GB by a good $30. Instead, it commands a significant price premium over ATI’s current price / performance leader.
Thinking back through all of the GPUs we reviewed in the past year, we really can’t help feeling that we have seen this all before. Why? Because months ago EVGA brought their GTX 275 FTW edition to market which (other than a 2Mhz difference in core speeds) sported identical clocks to the Gigabyte GTX 275 Super Overclock. Not only was the FTW broadly available but its price was pegged around $350CAD…six months ago. Not only does this fact give voice to the absolute stagnation of NVIDIA’s GPU prices but it also makes us wonder why Gigabyte decided to release this card at this point in time.
Personally, I don’t want this to spell the end of Gigabyte’s Super Overclock series from because I love the fact there is one more manufacturer out there that is willing to push the limits of current technology. If it was retailing for $250 or even available at all we would have been singing a much different tune right now but that wasn’t meant to be.
In the introduction it was asked whether the GTX 275 Super Overclock was too little too late and I think we pretty much answered that throughout the course of this review. If it was released months ago, Gigabyte would have had a really winner on their hands. As it stands, it is still a great card when compared to other NVIDIA-based products but it just can’t compete on a level footing against the latest and greatest from ATI.
Pros:
- Fastest GTX 275 out there
- Beats a GTX 285 hands down
- Great accessory package
Cons:
- Too little too late
- Outgunned and outpriced by the HD 5850
- Inefficient compared to the competition
- No availability at this time