The NVIDIA GeForce 7 Series of Graphics Processing Units (GPU) have been a big hit in the enthusiast gaming community. Today, we check out MSI's NX7800GT-VT2D256E graphics card, which is based on the GeForce 7800 GT Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). We previewed the reference GeForce 7800 GTX and GeForce 7800 GT models earlier, but this article examines performance of the MSI NX7800GT in recent game titles, some of which are pushing the graphics envelope further than they were a few months ago.
Since the physical characteristics of many GeForce 7800 GT-based graphics cards are similar, add-in partners will differentiate their products through pricing, packaging, bundling, and extended warranties. The retail version of the MSI NX7800GT-VT2D256E ships with a solid first person shooter in the Chronicles of Riddick and also includes a few utility applications and a multimedia center software suite.
Hardware
2 DVI to VGA adapters
VIVO and Component output cables
S-Video cable
Molex to PCI-Express power Y-cable
Quick Installation guide
Installation Guide
Software
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Cyberlink PowerCinema
Cyberlink Power2Go
Cyberlink PowerProducer
MSI Utilities (Live Update, GoodMEM, LockBox)
Norton Internet Security 2005
Physically, the MSI NX7800GT-VT2D256E is identical to the reference sample we received back in September. The only discernable difference is the MSI decal that is placed on the fan and a extra serial numbers on the back of the unit.
MSI NX7800GT-VT2D256E
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I tend to shy away from overclocking reference samples since they are not retail products, but I subjected the NX7800GT to a hefty amount of overclocking. The rthdribl (Real-Time High Dynamic Range Image-Based Lighting) tech demo ran for hours on end with the NX7800GT core clocked at 490MHz (up 90MHz from stock) and the memory at 1.18GHz (up 180MHz from stock).
MSI NX7800GT-VT2D256E - 3/4 View
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Although minor artifacting was visible in Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, it was eliminated by lowering the clock speeds to 480MHz/1.12GHz.
MSI NX7800GT-VT2D256E - Backside
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I was extremely pleased with the overclocking results, but just how much did it impact performance? Let's find out...
