A major benefit of the 512-bit memory bus on the EVGA GeForce GTX 280 was the ability to handle higher quality levels of antialiasing such as 16xQ. In these situations, higher levels of image quality are obtainable at lower resolutions such as 1680x1050.
BioShock - 1680x1050 with 16xQ Antialiasing
Gamers that use lower resolution monitors, but are looking for high quality antialiasing, may want to consider a high-end graphics card based on the GeForce GTX 280. Games where a low, but steady frame rate, such as flight and racing sims, come to mind.
1680x1050 - 16xQ Antialiasing
CONCLUSION
Although we only had a few days to skim the surface of the GeForce GTX 280's capabilities, the EVGA FTW model performed flawlessly during our 3D testing under Windows XP. (Updated: Note that an anomly did occur with our review unit, which is mentioned in this discussion thread). This model is moderately overclocked out-of-the-box from the reference model and in a closed case, reached a peak temperature of 79° C. Fan noise is noticeable under load, but not overbearing.
The GeForce GTX 280 outperformed the GeForce 8800 GTX at the resolution of 1920x1200, but delivered the best bang for the buck at 2560x1600 and with high quality (16xQ) antialiasing at 1680x1050. Overall increases in the average frame rate at these settings ranged from 57% to 92%. While the increase in performance at these extreme settings will command a premium price, NVIDIA has finally delivered a true successor to the awesome GeForce 8800 GTX.
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