Closely following ATI's revamp, NVIDIA too has played its hand, with both the GeForce 7900 GS and the GeForce 7950 GT introduced to replace the outgoing GeForce 7900 GT. Springing forth from the original GeForce 7900 GT, these two new members of the GeForce 7900 series continue the tradition of graphics chipmakers and their tendency to tweak their product lines. These moves are usually aimed at aligning their products such that they are more competitive or fulfill some other goal like reducing inventory levels of older chips. And more often than not, they do so by adjusting the clock speeds of the GPU's or disabling pipelines to achieve the needed performance level. - Hardware Zone

Leadtek WinFast PX7900 GS TDH Extreme Review

Therefore, it is not too difficult for vendors to follow suit with the retail versions, which have quickly populated the shelves. Since the vendors are probably very familiar with these cards by now, many models with custom clock speeds and other additional features have been brought upon almost immediately on the initial versions, which is naturally a boon for consumers. As usual, Leadtek is one of the first to introduce a souped up version of these new cards and we have just received its Extreme version of the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB. Higher clock speeds and HDCP readiness seem to be the more apparent improvements.

Featuring a different if not unfamiliar cooler compared to the reference board from NVIDIA, Leadtek's overclocked GeForce 7900 GS looks rather standard besides the choice of cooler. The trademark green PCB favored by NVIDIA and Leadtek gives it a plain Jane appearance. Even the bluish plastic shroud of the aluminum cooler is understated rather than bold, which seems contrary to industry trends. In short, the Leadtek WinFast PX7900 GS TDH Extreme is typical of the brand. Almost generic looking and devoid of crowd-pleasing colors and gimmicks, Leadtek understands that not all enthusiasts go for the flashy stuff.

For these power users, it is what's under the hood that pushes their buttons. And the Leadtek Extreme we are looking at appropriately features more substance than style. An overclocked core at 520MHz instead of the default 450MHz, and a 1400MHz DDR memory frequency as opposed to the standard 1320MHz. These settings are not minor bumps but sizeable increases in clock speeds. Another subtle but easily neglected feature on the Leadtek Extreme is the HDCP compliant DVI output. While this may not be on everyone's wishlist for a graphics card, it is still a worthwhile addition that future-proofs the card.

What more can we say about the WinFast PX7900 GS TDH Extreme? If you have gone through our observations with a fine needle, you would have heard about its advantages in clock speeds over the generic model and hence know all about the performance boost. You would have learnt about the addition of HDCP support, a sensible decision for a high-end card that could probably last a couple of years. There is the relatively quiet and solid aluminum cooler that, unlike the reference version, takes care of the memory chips too. Then, there is the excellent bundle of games and applications, which are relevant and current.

Of course, we could nitpick on the bland, boring looks of the Leadtek, like the same old green PCB that pales in comparison to the more exotic colors of other brands. But that would be superficial and Leadtek refuses to sink to that level to earn your dollar. Instead, the cost savings from not having exterior eye candy seems to have been rightfully passed on to the consumers. A price of $239 is not only competitive with other overclocked, special editions, it is in fact not too far from a standard GeForce 7900 GS. Considering the default performance gains, we would not hesitate to recommend the Leadtek.

Moreover, the Leadtek WinFast PX7900 GS TDH Extreme surpassed the GeForce 7900 GT in our benchmarks, showing that clock speeds can indeed overcome the fewer pipelines on the GeForce 7900 GS. While the GeForce 7900 GT may be easing out of the market soon, there are still stocks of these cards available but the Leadtek removes any reasons for getting these older cards. After all, it is not only faster, but is even cheaper. Between its excellent performance, bundle and attractive pricing, we have no qualms about recommending this overclocked GeForce 7900 GS as an excellent bargain.