![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Monday , June 16, 2008
- Author:
- Brent Justice
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
BFG Tech GeForce GTX 280 OC & GTX 260
NVIDIA’s next-gen GPU has arrived. We game with BFG Tech’s new GeForce GTX 280 OC in Crysis, Age of Conan, COD 4, and Assassin’s Creed. We’ve included the GeForce GTX 260 as well. Real gameplay advantages are to be had, especially in the brand new Age of Conan.
BFGTech GeForce GTX 280 OC
For evaluation today we have a complete BFGTech GeForce GTX 280 OC video card package all ready to go. BFGTech should have availability of this video card on Tuesday the 17th. BFGTech’s excellent warranty plan is still in place for this next generation. They offer a 24/7/365 phone and email support system if you have any problems and offer a lifetime warranty if you register the video card purchase on their website.
The “OC” model we are evaluating today is overclocked out of the box according to BFGTech, though it is just barely overclocked from NVIDIA’s stock frequencies. The core clock is set at 615MHz which is only a 13MHz overclock from NVIDIA’s stock frequency of 602MHz. The stream processors are overclocked to 1.350GHz which is only a 54MHz overclock. The memory frequency is untouched and operates at the stock 2.214GHz. These overclocks do not yield any noticeable performance gains in our testing compared to NVIDIA stock frequencies. I suppose it does allow BFGTech to say it is quote: "Overclocked out of the box to deliver a free performance boost over standard models."
Thankfully BFGTech will be offering other models in the future, including an “OC2” model, an “OCX” model and an “H20C” model with increasing clock speeds. The “OC” model being evaluated today will have an MSRP of $659.99 which is $10 more than NVIDIA’s suggested pricing for stock frequency GTX 280s. That extra $10 also buys you an HDMI cable that will be included in the bundle.
There will be two different boxes used with the BFGTech GeForce GTX 280 OC depending on if you are buying retail or e-tail. The first screenshot above is of the retail box which you will see on shelves, and the second is the e-tail box which lists specifications on the front.
Included in the box you will find a quick install guide, DVI to VGA adapter, DVI to HDMI adapter, HDMI cable, S/PDIF audio cable, HDTV cable, Molex to 6-pin adapter, 6-pin to 8-pin adapter (not in our picture above), and driver CD.
BFGTech’s official system requirements indicate a 575W power supply with a combined 12V rating of 42A or more.
The BFGTech GeForce GTX 280 OC is double-slot, long and heavy. It is the exact same length as a GeForce 8800 Ultra or GeForce 9800 GX2, and almost as heavy as the GX2. NVIDIA is keeping their eloquent all encompassing case design for video cards with the entire video card being wrapped in a plastic casing. We even found rubber fittings over important connections like the SLI connectors to protect them. You can tell a lot of thought went into the design and aesthetic appeal of the video card. There are proper vents in the right places to let the video card port air where it needs to go. The fan intakes air and exhausts it out the back.
The power connectors are located on the side of the video card and there is proper room now between the casing the connectors so that the clasp on the power connectors can fit in nicely without having to force it in there. There isn’t much else to say about the video card, it is big and heavy, but it looks slick and works well in our testing.
GeForce GTX 260
We will also be including an NVIDIA reference GeForce GTX 260 in this evaluation. This video card runs at NVIDIA stock frequencies.
The GeForce GTX 260 looks exactly the same as the GeForce GTX 280. If you sat two them side-by-side you would not be able to tell which the 280 is and which is the 260, they are identical in every way. The only way to tell them apart is to read the side label and look at the power connectors.
The GeForce GTX 260 requires two 6-pin connectors whereas the 280 requires an 8-pin and 6-pin.