• Panasonic Viera 46" Plasma TV for $1299 at Newegg
• Acer 19" Widescreen Monitor for $99 at Newegg
• PNY XLR8 GeForce 9800 GTX+ for $144 after rebate at Newegg
• Corsair SLI Ready 1000W PSU for $239 after rebate at Newegg
• Apple Ipod Touch 16GB for $200 at Amazon.com

• Zalman 750W PSU at Hardware Secrets
• Thermaltake Toughpower 650W PSU at Bigbruin.com
• Corsair Dominator 1600MHz 6GB Triple Channel DDR3 Memory at TweakTown
• NorthQ FlexQ Combo Cooler at DriverHeaven
• Cooler Master's UCP Ultimate 900W PSU at bit-tech
• PSU Shootout at Madshrimps

• OCZ SLI-Ready 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Dual Channel Memory for $14 at Newegg after rebate
• EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 for $239 at Newegg
• BFG GeForce GTX 280 for $349 at Newegg after rebate
• ASUS VW223B Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor for $129 after rebate at Newegg
• Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz Quad-Core for $299 at Newegg

• World of Warcraft Showdown: ATI vs. NVIDIA at ExtremeTech
• FurMark 1.5 OpenGL Benchmark and Stability Test
• Radeon HD 4850/4870 from Palit and PowerColor at iXBT Labs
• Games vs. Graphics Processors: Fall 2008 at X-bit labs - New
• OCZ PC3-12800 Gold 6GB Triple Channel Memory Kit at Guru3D
• IN WIN Commander Series 1200W Modular Power Supply at Tweaktown

• EVGA GeForce 9600 GT Video Card for $69 at Newegg after rebate
• BFG GeForce 9800 GT OC+ for $89 at CompUSA after rebate - New
• XFX GeForce 9800 GTX+ w/FarCry 2 for $159 at Newegg after rebate - New
• Acer V223Wbd Black 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $169 at Newegg

• NVIDIA ForceWare 180: GeForce GTX 260 Performance Realised at Hexus
• Watercooled GeForce GTX 280 Showdown at bit-tech
• BFG Gives Free Upgrade to PCI Express for BFG AGP Card Holders
• SilverStone FT01 Midtower Chassis at OCIA.net
• NZXT Whisper Classic Series Case at Overclockers Club
• The TechReports's Christmas 2008 System Guide - New
• Left 4 Dead Gameplay Performance and IQ at HardOCP - New

• eVGA GTX 280 Video Card for $389 at Newegg after rebate
• Intel Core i7 920 Processor from $299
• PC Power & Cooling 750W PSU for $79 at Newegg after rebate

• Silverstone Fortress FT01 Case at Benchmark Reviews
• Intel Core i7 Memory Analysis at TweakTown
• Silverstone NT06 Evolution CPU Cooler at Tweaknews
  
• HD 4870 vs GTX 260 Core 216 at Techgage
  
• ASUS P5Q Pro at Overclockers Club
  
• Intel X25-E Solid State Drive at The Tech Report
  
• Corsair TX750W PSU at Overclockers Club

Top Holiday Games of 2008 Graphics Shootout

From the low to high-end, ATI and NVIDIA offer consumer-based GPUs that fit the needs of gamers that range from casual to enthusiast. ATI markets their consumer-based GPUs under the Radeon brand name while NVIDIA uses GeForce. Although nV News is an NVIDIA fan site and primarily reviews NVIDIA-based graphics cards, we occasionally test graphics cards from ATI and their add-in partners.

• eVGA GTX 280 Video Card for $389 at Newegg after rebate
• Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Performance 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory for $36 at MWAVE after rebate
• Samsung LN46A550 46" LCD TV for $1223 at Newegg

• XFX GeForce GTX 260/216 Black Edition at Motherboards.org
• ASUS GeForce EN9800GT Matrix at Techgage
• Thermaltake RamOrb Memory Cooler at OCIA
• Silverstone FP35 Bay Card Reader at Ninjalane
  
• Thermalright TRad2 VGA Coolers at Virtual-Hideout
  
• ASUS Rampage II Extreme X58 Motherboard at Tweaktown
  
• StarUSA xAGE-902 Dual HDD Docking Station at Techpowerup
  
• Wolfking Warrior Xxtreme Gaming Keyboard at Tweaknews
  
• Coolermaster ATCS840 Case at OCC

• BFG GTX 280 Video Card for $359 at Newegg after rebate
• Corsair XMS3 DHX 4GB PC3-10666 DDR3 Memory for $143 at Newegg after rebate
• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked for $279 after rebate at Newegg

• Forceware GeForce v180.48 Vista/XP 64/32 bit WHQL
• Intel Core i7-920 at Benchmarkreviews
• Thermalright Ultra Extreme Copper CPU Cooler at Hardocp
• GeForce GTX 260 with 216 cores Video Card at Hardwaresecrets
• Gigabyte and MSI join the Core i7 motherboard Crowd
  
• Antec the Skeleton Case at Driverheaven

• Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz Processor for $304
• Intel Core i7 940 2.93GHz Processor for $575
• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 for $229 after rebate at Newegg

• Five Newest Gaming Titles Tested at Overclockers Club
• NVIDIA ForceWare 180.47 Analysis - XP and Vista at TweakTown
• Radeon 4870 vs GeForce GTX 260 216 at Guru3D
• ASUS Rampage II Extreme Motherboard at t-break
• Thermaltake BlacX External HDD Docking Station at Tweaknews
  
• ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GT at The Tech Lounge

• XFX GeForce 9800 GTX+ for $159 after rebate at Newegg
• Corsair Dominator 4GB PC2 8500 Memory Kit for $77 after rebate at Newegg

• ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm Edition Motherboard at Techgage
• Seagate Free Agent Go 320GB External HDD at Bigbruin
• Seagate FreeAgent 1TB External HDD at ThinkComputers
• XFX GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition at Legit Reviews
• Left 4 Dead First Look at Gameconnect
  
• Mathematica Users Get 100X Performance Boost From NVIDIA CUDA

• BFG GTX 280 Video Card for $374 after rebate at Newegg
• Samsung T260HD 25.5" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $519 at Newegg

• XFX 9800GTX+ Black Edition
• Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition Processor at Benchmark Reviews
• ECS GF9300T-A at OCC
• FIFA 09 - PC Review at Gamepyre
• G.Skill F2-6400CL4D-4GPI-B DDR2 Memory at Virtual-Hideout
  
• Patriot & Super Talent DDR3-1800 at DriverHeaven

• MSI GeForce 9800 GT for $94 after rebate at Newegg
• ASUS P5Q Pro Motherboard for $99 after rebate at Newegg
• Thermaltake Toughpower 850W Quad SLI Approved PSU for $179 after rebate at Newegg
• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 for $229 after rebate at Newegg

• VidaBox Premium Wireless Media Center Keyboard at APH Networks
• Lian Li PC-A77B Full Tower Chassis at BigBruin
• Corsair HX1000 1000W Power Supply at Overclockers Club
• Palit GeForce 9800 GTX+ at Overclockers Club
• Viewsonic VLED221 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor at bit-tech
  
• ABS Tagan BZ1300 1300 Watt Power Supply at TweakTown

• AMD Phenom 9850 Quad Core Processor for $169 at Newegg
• PNY GeForce GTX 280 for $349 after rebate at CompUSA
• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 for $269 after rebate at Newegg
• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 for $229 after rebate at Newegg

• ECS X58B-A Motherboard at Guru3D
• Lian Li Silent Force 850W Power Supply at bit-tech
• Thermaltake Holiday Giveaway at ThinkComputers
• OCZ EliteXStream 1000W Power Supply at Hardware Secrets
• Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier at Overclockers Club
  
• Altec Lansing VS3251 Surround Speaker System at TweakTown

• Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo Dual Core Processor for $159 at Dell
• eVGA GeForce 9600 GT for $84 after rebate at Newegg
• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 for $269 after rebate at Newegg
• Samsung Syncmaster 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $239 after rebate at Newegg

• 750GB Hard Disk Drive Roundup at X-bit Labs
• XFX GeForce 9800 GT at Overclockers Club
• Foxconn Destroyer nForce 780a at Overclockers Club
• Corsair HX1000W Power Supply at Hardware Secrets
• Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA SLI at Hexus
  
• Abit AN78GS Motherboard at Overclockers Club

• eVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 for $269 after rebate at Newegg
• eVGA GeForce 9800 GTX+ for $159 after rebate at mwave

• Antec Signature 850W Power Supply Unit at DriverHeaven
• Xilence Icebox Passive Hard Disk Cooler at TechwareLabs
• Cooler Master HAF 932 Full Tower Case at Tweaknews
• Call of Duty World at War 16 VGA Card Performance Test at Guru3D
• Intel Core i7 - Choosing the Best Memory Kit at Techgage
  
• ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm Edition X58 Motherboard

"The size and complexity of data is growing at an exponential rate. The challenge for today's professional is to make sense of the mountain of data by distilling it into a form they can comprehend, analyze and use to make impactful decisions," said Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional Solutions, NVIDIA.

"At stake can be billions of investment dollars, or even people's lives. The Quadro FX 5800 has advanced features to allow massive datasets to be viewed beyond traditional 3D enabling professionals to make fast and accurate decisions."

Similar to what The TechReport did in their Intel Core i7 processor review (with a Radeon HD 4870), I benchmarked Fary Cry 2 by starting a new game and running Fraps through the first 3,500 frames of the introduction (jeep ride to hotel in Pala). While they benchmarked at the resolution of 1024x768, I wanted to capture the performance at my monitor's native resolution of 2560x1600.

Of course, I also happen to use SLI, a couple of GeForce GTX 280's, which is a must have to obtain playable performance at this level of graphics quality. Results are from very high settings under Windows XP.

I understand the performace under Windows Vista is even better, so I'll give that a try next.

• Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Dual Core Processor for $189 at Newegg
• Corsair 4GB PC3-10666 DDR3 Memory for $145 after rebate at Newegg
• BFG GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 for $264 after rebate at Newegg

• Lian Li Tyr PC-X500 Case at techPowerUp
• Asus P2-M3A3200 HTPC Case at OCC
• Thermaltake MaxOrb EX CPU Cooler at OCIA
• Linksys WRT150N-RM Wireless-N Router at ThinkComputers.org
• NZXT Whisper Case at bit-tech
  
• Intel i7-965 XE Extreme Edition Nehalem Processor at Tweaknews.net

• NVIDIA Graphics Supercharge Windows 7
• Toshiba Introduces the World's First Laptops With Three NVIDIA GPUs
  
• NVIDIA Redefines Entry-Level Professional Graphics for Small and Integrated Form Factors

• MSI GeForce GTX 260 for $199 after rebate at Newegg
• MSI GeForce 9600 GT for $74 after rebate at Newegg
• Asus Striker II Extreme Motherboard for $389 after rebate at Newegg

• Cooler Master CM 690 NVIDIA Edition Case at Benchmark Reviews
• Hiper Power Type M 780W PSU at OCC
• ASUS P6T Deluxe X58 Motherboard at Guru3D
• Overclocking Intel's Core i7 920 at bit-tech
• Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler at Tweaknews.net
  
• Gelid Solutions Silent Spirit CPU Cooler at techPowerUp
  
• Lian Li PC-7FW Case at PureOverclock
  
• OCZ Dominatrix Laser Gaming Mouse at ThinkComputers.org

• BFG Tech GeForce GTX 280 for $375 after rebate at Newegg
• OCZ Platinum 4GB PC2-8500 Memory Kit for $64 after rebate at Newegg
• Samsung 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $229 after rebate at Dell

• XFX GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition at Overclockers Club
• OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W PSU at Virtual-Hideout
• BFG Tech and Zotac GeForce GTX 260 216 at Digit-Life
• OCZ Gladiator Max HDT CPU Cooler at Legit Reviews
• Thermaltake VI-ON 2.5" USB HDD Enclosure at TweakTown

• PNY GeForce GTX 280 for $349 after rebate at CompUSA
• EVGA GeForce 9800 GTX+ for $159 after rebate at Mwave

• Hardware Buyers Guide for November 2008 at bit-tech
• Intel X58 Extreme DX58SO Motherboard at Guru3D
• Intel Core i7 at X-bit Labs
• Arctic Cooling Silentium T2 Computer Case at Tweaknews

• Thermaltake Toughpower 750W PSU for $99 after rebate at Newegg
• eVGA GeForce 9600 GT for $89 after rebate at Newegg

• Intel Core i7 Platform Evaluation at PlanetX64
• Intel Core i7 Multi-GPU Game Performance at Guru3D
• Intel Core i7 920 and Core i7 965 at Guru3D
• Palit GeForce 9800 GTX+ at PureOverclock
• Intel Core i7 - Nehalem Arrives and FSB Departs at TweakTown
• NZXT Whisper Case at Virtual-Hideout
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (PC) at GamingHeaven
• EVGA nForce 790i SLI FTW at Hexus
• Thermaltake Spedo Advanced Cae at ThinkComputers
• Intel Core i7 Motherboard Comparison at The Tech Report
• Intel Core i7 Performance Review at Techgage
• Intel Core i7 and X58 Chipset at Hexus
  
• Intel Core i7 Application Results at Hardocp
  
• Intel Core i7 Performance at t-break
• Intel Core i7 at DriverHeaven
• Intel Core i7 Review at OverClockers Club
• Intel Core i7 and 965 XE CPU at Madshrimps
• Intel Core i7 920, 940, and 965 Processors at Legit Reviews
• Intel Core i7 920, 940, and 965 Processors at bit-tech
• Intel Core i7 Performance Numbers at Hexus
• All About Intel Core i7 Socket LGA 1366 Cooling at TweakTown

The license key is an important feature since it is dependent on certification by NVIDIA, which includes verification of stability, power, compatibility, and layout. If a motherboard is certified, then NVIDIA's drivers will enable SLI functionality.

Some certified motherboards with native slot configurations will support 2-way and 3-way SLI configurations. In this case, native slot configurations consist of PCI-Express slots that are connected to Intel's X58 chipset. However, X58-based motherboards with NVIDIA's nForce 200 chip will be able to provide full-bandwidth x16 connections for 3-way SLI. These systems will also be able to support four x16 PCI-Express slots, creating maximum bandwidth for 3-way SLI systems with a dedicated PhysX GPU.