So today sees NVIDIA announce two new products in the high end of the mid-range, launching one with immediate availability to boot, in order to do something with less than perfect G71 silicon in one instance, and phase out an existing product with something they think is better in the other. GeForce 7900 GS and GeForce 7950 GT are their names, here's the skinny on them both. Further, we warn you now that this analysis will be short and sweet, given that we've taken a look at GeForce 7 series in depth already from a technical perspective, and G71 is G71. We simply want to show you where it slides into the product stack where price/performance is concerned. - Hexus

EVGA e-GeForce 7900 GS KO HDCP Ready Review

So if the GeForce 7900 GT is a G71 in full fettle, with 256MB of memory and at 450/1320MHz, the GeForce 7900 GS is just the GT with one vertex shader unit and one fragment quad disabled and all ROP's intact, NVIDIA using defective G71 dice this time around. The GeForce 7900 GS has the same clocks, the same memory size and the same GPU, just a fraction of it is turned off. So down on texture sampling, vertex and fragment processing rates in terms of theoretical numbers. It's how that translates into performance compared to GT we're most interested in, especially as GT looks to be phased out by the GeForce 7950 GT.

The GeForce 7950 GT is announced today too, but NVIDIA have asked to hold back on releasing performance data until the 14th of September, to coincide with the boards being available at retail. We're allowed to tell you the chip config though, and the other board details. It's a G71 of course, in full 8/24/16 splendour, at 550/1400MHz and with 512MB of on-board memory. That means clocks go up compared to the GeForce 7900 GT, and board memory size doubles. With the GeForce 7900 GTX at 650/1600MHz, everything else identical, the GeForce 7950 GT raises NVIDIA's one from the top bar for single-GPU board products.

As you'd expect, NVIDIA's board partners are waiting in the wings with their own takes on GeForce 7900 GS, be that a reference copy or something a bit different. EVGA are using a different cooler for this KO version which they run at 500/1380MHz up from the default 450/1320MHz. The cooler actively cools the DRAM devices on the front side of the PCB, on the same side as the G71 GPU. The GeForce 7900 GS leaves HDCP support up to the AIB, whereas on other SKU's it's mandatory whether the AIB likes it or not. SLI support is present and the board requires help with power so the usual 6-pin connector is present.

At $199 MSRP, that should translate into about £130 or so in the UK before long, which is slap bang in the middle of current GeForce 7600 GT pricing. So if you were planning to spend between £120 and £150 on an NVIDIA VGA board in the near future, the GeForce 7900 GS is what you're looking for. Any version with mild-to-decent overclocks on the memory will almost always keep good pace with GeForce 7900 GT at interesting resolutions for the majority of the time, for good money. However, with the ATI Radeon X1900 GT available for about £150, the GeForce 7900 GS faces very stiff competition.

However, with prices falling, choice in the £100 to £150 space has never been stronger, meaning the SKU spaghetti is actually worth something if you're prepared to do your research. The introduction of the GeForce 7900 GS will push down the GeForce 7600 GT pricing too. Add SLI to the equation and you've got a SKU worth a serious look. Definitely consider the GeForce 7900 GS, but be mindful of the Radeon X1900 GT for a wee step more, and give the EVGA e-GeForce 7900 GS KO a goosey if the good cooler and clocks appeal.