Enhanced Performance & Overclocking

When looking at the Gainward version of the GeForce 8800 GTS, we somehow got the feeling that this card is capable of more. The looks and design suspect that this GTS has been designed to deliver stunning performance, but that some still have to be discovered. Since the GTS has been released we saw as well some pre-overclocked version being introduced. Yeps, indeed, Gainward also made one which is going by their Golden Sample suffix. And well overclocking, unlocking the extra performance is exactly what we have done. And although the G80 core powering the GeForce 8800 GTS comes at only 1.3V and no voltage increase is possible via a simple BIOS tweak.

Benchmark Results - 1600x1200 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
BLISS 8800 GTS 640MB (4x AA/8x AF)	3DMark06 Score
513/1584MHz (Reference)	5698
576/1800MHz (GTX OverClock)	6324
650/2000MHz (Max OverClock)	6937
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Would you have imagined that? We just overclocked the core and memory by upping the clock speeds and that resulted in decent increase in performance. As you can clearly see from the figures we gotten from 3DMark06 as significant boost is noticeable. We raised the Gainward card up and beyond the GTX level and it withstand the increase firmly. During all our benchmarks the GTS kept on humming stable with no hickups to finally set the top speed at 650/2000MHz. Would you have thought so? Well, frankly we didn't, the card did better than our expectations. Some devious overclocking beyond our senses!

Far Cry Results - 1600x1200 - E6300 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
BLISS 8800 GTS 640MB (4x AA/8x AF)	Game Score
513/1584MHz (Reference)	103.50
575/1800MHz (GTX OverClock)	114.91
650/2000MHz (Max OverClock)	123.88
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

Since gaming is where it all comes down to, we didn't want to keep those figures from you either. So we actually use all our previous games but narrowed our report down to Far Cry to show our findings. And no this is not because Far Cry is better or worse, it actually was in between. So once again we used two settings and started our gaming benchmarking. And yes when you apply the GTX core and memory speed the GTS performs faster than the multi-GPU system. Raising these to the maximum stable clocks shows that it can surpass all expectations and crush the previous results. With some improved cooling you should be able to achieve even 675MHz core, but in our case that was only possible by applying some extra airflow. So the Golden Sample edition by all means is one hell of a great idea from Gainward!

Final Thoughts

We won't go around it much and just put it on the table as we experienced it... We are impressed! And that is just not strong enough. What? Indeed there is even a better version with the GTX suffix so maybe we should just be a bit less free of mind. No matter how you look at it the G80 graphics processor is a hell of a great piece of hardware. A fully renewed architecture, bringing the performance to the next level, delivering stunning image clarity and quality it is all present with the GeForce 8800 series. The performance of the Gainward BLISS 8800 GTS card was very impressive, running past NVIDIA's previous flagship GPU with easy, the only competition for the 8800 GTS is actually the GTX version.

Without a doubt, the Gainward BLISS 8800 GTS is the fastest graphics accelerator around, if you leave the quite expensive GTX out of the picture. While it didn't win all the tests we threw at it against the likes of the NVIDIA multi-GPU system build around two GeForce 7950 GT's, it has been a damn close battle. The new architecture build around the unified shader technology has paid off and shows that already with DirectX 9.0 it is faster and better than the competition. And yes NVIDIA has proven once again that it is back, releasing the first DirectX 10 compatible graphics processor while the games are still to come. But that is just normal, as the games can only be build of existing hardware and capabilities.

With Gainward and its company commitment to bring the end user the best possible video card experience and customer support, you are sure to have a professional experience. Gainward puts the consumer first and offers one of the best sales and support staff in the business. Each staff member is highly trained and very skilled at there responsibilities and you will get prompt professional help. Gainward certainly knows how to differentiate themselves and their products, and are second to none when it comes to innovation and going one step further than the competition. We can only encourage Gainward on having taken this approach. Keep up the good work and excellent track record!

The most exciting part about the card is without a doubt the overclocking potential of the Gainward graphics card. The BLISS 8800 GTS hit straight on a score of 575/1800MHz which is just as the GTX has been set at. But that wasn't the end of it; due to the high-end 1.2ns memory chips we could take this card further than we expected to hit a final top of 650/2000MHz. Yes, you got that right, you can say goodbye to those lovely GeForce 7900 series cards, because those are no longer needed. In fact the GeForce 8800 series upped the stakes by crushing all performance giants and place itself at the top of the chain. With the GTS you are just one small step behind the GTX, the current flagship from NVDIA.

The Gainward BLISS 8800 GTS card is an outstanding graphics card that promises to deliver outstanding performance for any game you can throw at it. We proved that the BLISS 8800 GTS can handle gaming at incredible frame rates even at Extreme HD resolutions with a price tag that won't make you cry; at least not once the gaming has commenced. So, if you are looking for a new GPU for an upgrade or fresh system build, you will find the Gainward BLISS 8800 GTS very inviting as the price is modest and the performance is spectacular. Gamer's looking for the right card for a new gaming system, the Gainward BLISS 8800 GTS is a perfect fit.

Pros

• Solid Stunning Performance
• High Quality and Quiet Cooling
• Gorgeous Design and Functionality
• Simultaneous HDR & AntiAliasing
• SLI Ready, Multi-GPU Enabled
• Mircosoft DirectX 10 Ready
• Unified Shader Architecture
• Fast Samsung GDDR3 (1.2ns) Memory
• HDCP Ready & Compliant
• Amazing Overclocking Capability
• Competitive Pricing

Cons

• Hefty Power Consumption

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