The new ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB is based on the NVIDIA G92 GPU, which is the leaner, meaner version of the ground breaking NVIDIA G80 GPU that powered graphics cards like the GeForce 8800 GTX and the GeForce 8800 Ultra. The ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS video card looks set to blaze a new trails in both performance and value for money. And it not only boasts the smaller, cooler and faster G92 GPU, it also comes with the new VP2 PureVideo HD video processor which allows it to completely take over HD decoding from the CPU. As such, it offers significant advantages in performance and features over the older GeForce 8800 series graphics cards. But how much faster is it really? - TechARP

ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB Video Card Review

The ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS offers a tremendous performance advantage over the older GeForce 8800 GTS models. It boasts a fillrate by a large margin. In fact, its fillrate is actually higher than the GeForce 8800 GTX. However, because it uses a narrower 256-bit memory bus, it has slightly less memory bandwidth than the older GeForce 8800 GTS cards even though its memory chips run at a higher clock speed. The GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB is based on the new NVIDIA G92 chipset. This is basically an improved G80 silicon die shrinked using the 65nm process technology allowing to cramp even more transistors into it.

The graphics core in the new G92 GPU remains essentially unchanged from the G80. The increase in transistor count in the G92 chip is actually due to the new VP2 PureVideo HD video processor integrated into the new GPU, as well as support for PCI Express 2.0. The ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB came in a large box, which is larger than most motherboard boxes. Well frankly, it is excessively large because the card isn't that big. In fact, when we opened it up, we found that the box was mostly empty. The card occupied only a third of the box and was well protected by styrofoam, with no games in the bundle.

The ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS is targeted at gamers who want maximum value for their money. There is no need for bundled games that would only increase the price of the card without adding any real value. The ASUS version is identical to the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB reference card. It is a dual slot card that is slightly shorter than the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX. Unlike the very sleek GeForce 8800 GT, the Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB is a bit of an ugly duckling. When you think about it, the slightly canted end of the shroud does look like a duck's bill... This graphics card will certainly not win any beauty contest.

The ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB graphics card is a fast card. Really, really fast actually. In all the benchmarks we ran, it was faster than the GeForce 8800 GTX in all but the highest anti-aliasing setting. That is a remarkable achievement since the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB is officially a lower model with a much lower price point. It was also a lot cooler and far more reliable than the GeForce 8800 GTX, which failed in both Crysis and BioShock. And if you think this is amazing performance from a mid-range card, then you should see just how much faster the Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB can be if you overclock it.

The ASUS Extreme N8800 GTS 512MB is also great for those who are looking to overclock their graphics cards as its larger cooler and powerful fan will allow you to achieve higher clock speeds. The GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB also features the new VP2 video processor that was missing from the older GeForce 8800 series cards. It allows you to completely offload HD decoding to the graphics card. The result is a truly compelling graphics card that offers a tremendous amount of processing power without the extremely high cost associated with the higher-end GeForce 8800 graphics cards.