eVGA 7800 GT PCI-E 256MB

It has not even been two months since the 7800GTX was released, that we see the 7800GT. Whenever a new card is released, the first question we usually ask ourselves is whether it’s neccessary or not. In this case, it depends on your needs and budget.

The 7800GT is a scaled down version of the GTX, but it still has the potential to kick some serious ass. At $449US, the GT can’t really be considered a budget card, but it’s certainly more affordable than it’s big brother which retails for $599US. Before we jump in any further, here is a quick bio blurb about eVGA.

Founded in 1999, EVGA has grown exponentially in the channel, serving the system builder, distribution and retail markets with products that offer the highest in quality and customer satisfaction, thereby making the computing experience transparent to the hardware in the box. eVGA only offers visual processing products based on NVIDIA chipsets and has recently expanded its product line to include motherboards.

eVGA doesn’t usually throw any surprises at us when it comes to their packaging.. it’s all very similar. It’s always clean and classy looking and does nothing to hint at the power the product holds. The box art doesn’t do much for the user, so let’s tear it open.

Inside, it’s tightly packed as expected. Included in the box are two DVI to VGA adapters, VIVO (S-Video / Composite In), HDTV Output, Molex to 6-Pin PCI-E power cable, manual and CD. No game bundle was included with this specific package, but you can buy a slightly more expensive version that includes BF2. What’s fun about *paying* for a bundle though?

Looking at the card now, we can see that it’s printed on standard green PCB. Not so interesting, but it works. eVGA is using the reference cooler design, which they brand with a great looking black eVGA sticker. It’s too bad the PCB is green, and not blue or black, because that would look deadly.

The card follows reference design all over, including the dual DVI and S-Video connector. What makes the card special though are it’s higher clock speeds. For those of you who are interested in looking over all the specs, here they are:

General Info
• eVGA Website
• Release Date: August 11, 2005
• Lifetime Warranty
• SRP: $449.00US

Performance
• NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT
• 445 MHz GPU
• 20 Pixel Pipelines
• 400 MHz RAMDAC

Memory
• 256 MB, 256 bit DDR3
• 1070 MHz (effective)
• GB/s Memory Bandwidth

Interface
• PCI-E 16x
• DVI-I, DVI-I, VIVO
• SLI Capable

Resolution & Refresh
• 240 Hz Max Refresh Rate
• 2048 x 1536 x 32bit x 85 Hz Max Analog
• 2560 x 1600 and 1600 x 1200 Max Digital