 | |||
|
|
|
|
|
 |
ASUS Extreme N7800GTX TOP/2DHTV Sneak Peek August 24, 2005 Brandon Sandman Bell |
|
 |
|
| |
Summary: EVGA isn't the only NVIDIA board partner with a custom cooling solution on their GeForce 7800 GTX board, ASUS has joined the fray too! ASUS has partnered with Arctic Cooling to deliver a copper-based cooler that delivers exceptional cooling performance in a quiet dual-slot package. Join us as we take a sneak peek at this exciting new 7800 GTX card!
 Introduction | Page:: ( 1 / 1 ) |
Earlier this week we showed you the first of these second-gen cards, EVGA’s e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO ACS³. Today we’re going to take a quick look at the second high-end 7800 GTX board that we’ve received that’s targeted specifically at enthusiasts, ASUS’ Extreme N7800GTX TOP/2DHTV. Whereas the cooling EVGA implemented on their e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO ACS³ board was an adaptation of NVIDIA’s original 7800 GTX cooler with copper components, the cooling ASUS has selected for their Extreme N7800GTX TOP/2DHTV board is all original.
[image]
| <% print_image("01"); %> | <% print_image("02"); %> | <% print_image("03"); %> |
Just how did ASUS pull off such a feast so fast (remember, the GeForce 7800 GTX was first announced just two months ago!) you ask? Simple, they partnered with Arctic Cooling!
[image]
| <% print_image("04"); %> | <% print_image("05"); %> | <% print_image("06"); %> |
Arctic Cooling inside
Most enthusiasts are probably familiar with the name Arctic Cooling. In the short time that they’ve been on the market, their VGA Silencer series of heatsink/fan units have gained a cult following among hardware aficionados. The VGA Silencer line has made quite a name for itself, delivering big performance in a quiet package. HIS (Hightech Information Systems), and more recently, Sapphire, have integrated VGA Silencer coolers on their high-end line of graphics cards. With ASUS now onboard, Arctic Cooling is sure to get even more exposure.
The cooling unit ASUS uses for their Extreme N7800GTX TOP/2DHTV is Arctic Cooling’s NV Silencer 5, which was initially designed for the GeForce 6800 series, including NVIDIA’s former flagship, the 6800 Ultra. The NV Silencer 5 features Arctic Cooling’s Direct Heat Exhaust System (DHES), which takes the air from within your computer’s case and exhausts it out the back of your PC. This is completely different than NVIDIA’s reference cooler for the GeForce 7800 GTX; while it’s also a ducted design like the NV Silencer 5, the hot air within your case remains inside your PC with NVIDIA’s cooler. You’ll also notice that the cooler takes up two slots. Arctic Cooling’s previous VGA Silencer cooling units have been built around this architecture as well.
We’ll provide more details on the card’s cooling in our full article.
[image]
| <% print_image("07"); %> | <% print_image("08"); %> |
Like other manufacturers, ASUS overclocks their Extreme N7800GTX TOP/2DHTV board from the factory, choosing speeds of 486MHz for the graphics core, and 675MHz for the memory (1.35GHz effective). This is the highest memory clock speed in the market to date.
[image]
| <% print_image("09"); %> | <% print_image("10"); %> |
ASUS also ships their Extreme N7800GTX TOP/2DHTV board with a few unique software programs, including ASUS’ GameFace technology, which has been enhanced to include instant messaging software, ASUS’ Splendid video enhancement software, and finally GameReplay and GameLiveShow, which allows you to record gameplay clips into MPEG4 files as well as stream gameplay over the Internet.
All this adds up to a package that could give EVGA’s e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO ACS³ a run for its money for the title of best GeForce 7800 GTX card. You’ll have to stay tuned to see which card comes out on top!