Zotac 9800GTX 512MB

Is NVIDIA continuing to rule the graphics card roost? Josh Collins is beginning to wonder...

The sample we’re checking out this month is from the nice folks at Zotac and follows the NVIDIA reference design. As such it features a 675MHz core, 1100MHz memory (double data rate of 2200MHz) and a shader frequency of 1688MHz. This all stems from the G92-based core which, surprise, surprise, has 128 stream processors and a 256-bit memory interface – yup, just like the 8800GTS 512MB and 9800GX2.

The card is a two slot behemoth with a black plastic shroud covering the full face of the card’s heatsink and front area. Peaking out from the side of this shroud of darkness is a set of two 6-pin PCIe power connections. While the card itself is covered from left to right, it still maintains the ability to look like a graphics card. On the flip side, the 9800GX2 simply looks like a black plastic and metal brick with a PCIe connector popping out. That, or one of those chunky Time Zone blasters – we couldn’t quite decide.

Unlike the release of the 8800GTX, or for that matter the 7800GTX and 6800Ultra, there really isn’t anything new being presented to us here. The core used debuted as a cut-down version in the 8800GT 512MB with 112 stream processors, and one month later popped up in the 8800GTS 512MB with 124 stream processors. Not content with that, it showed its face again in the 8800GS 384MB card. Now that it’s in both the 9800GX2 and 9800GTX, we’re kind of over the ol’ girl, to be honest. If anything, it feels like NVIDIA is beating a dead horse to get that one last lap out of it.

Granted, there are two GPUs in the 9800GX2 and the 9800GTX features higher clock speeds, but it still feels like an 8800GTS 512MB. Be it as a single card or an SLI configuration.

We’ve gotten to know NVIDIA for its generational leaps over the past years. The 6800GT and 6800Ultra simply shat on the older 5-series – not that it was going to be hard – and the 7800GT and 7800GTX followed in similar fashion. As the 7800 series grew old a refresh appeared and thus we were presented with the 7900GT, 7900GTX and 7900GS.

Now let’s take a look at the 8800-series life cycle. Like its relatives, the 8800GTX and 8800GTS (640MB and 320MB models) came in and wiped the floor with the previous generation. As the series grew old another refresh came in. As the G70-based 7800GT/GTX was refreshed with the G71 based 7900GT/GTX, many were expecting to see the 8800GTS/GTX refreshed with a model something along the lines of an 8900GTS/GTX based on a G81 core. But this was not to be so.

Instead we received the G92 based 8800GT 512MB and later the 8800GTS 512MB and then a later model again in the form of the 8800GS 384MB – this we’ve covered. Fair call, many thought, and awaited another more powerful core to come through, and like history had shown us, wipe the floor with nearly two times the graphic grunt. The brutal truth however is that this hasn’t happened and dare we say this seems a repeat of the GeForce 4 to GeForce 5 change over – we bloody hope it’s not!

If you haven’t guessed it, the 9800GTX 512MB didn’t really impress us. It’s a fast card; certainly faster than other single core single GPU solutions out there, but to be given the 9-series tag, it really did leave quite a bit to be desired. With an 8800GTS 512MB going for as low as $330-$370 for the cheaper brands, we suggest getting one of them and overclocking the pants off of it – don’t be hurt in the wallet just because you’re an enthusiast!