A Closer Look at the BFG 9800GTX OCX


Upon first glance there is absolutely nothing to distinguish this card from a stock 9800GTX. It is still the same length (about 9.5”) and it even has the same heatsink housing sticker as the vanilla version. BFG doesn’t equip their overclocked cards with aftermarket cooling solutions either so this stays the same as well.

That being said, the black heatsink shroud covers the entire length of the card from stem to stern and it cuts a pretty imposing figure. Even though it has a somewhat feminine look to it when compared to the somewhat brutish design of the G80 coolers of yesteryear, we have seen that it does its job well.


The only distinguishing feature which sets this card apart from its “slower” brethren is a small OCX sticker on the fan hub. That’s it; no flashy graphics and no fireworks and we happen to like this subtle approach. It’s like having a stock-looking Ford Mustang but under the hood lies a blown 600 horsepower behemoth of an engine which is ready to rip the doors off anything you will encounter.


Due to its high core and memory clocks, the 9800GTX OCX has a pair of PCI-E 6-pin connectors on the outside edge of the card. According to Nvidia, its maximum power consumption of the stock version is around 160W and since this card is overclocked, it should consume quite a bit more.

The side of the fan shroud also holds an SPDIF input connector for use with the HDMI output which BFG has supplied with the card. The SPDIF connector is bordered by a GeForce logo which is positioned in such a way that it will be right-side up when installed into a case with a standard ATX layout.


As we have already mentioned, the DVI to HDMI connector connects directly to a DVI port in order to stream both video and audio over an HDMI cable. Meanwhile, the SPDIF connector attaches directly into the side of the card in order to link it to an external audio source. Unfortunately, if you are working in a dark case it may be a bit hard to find but don’t worry, you will manage.