Launches of new GPU's happen all the time, but it's not that often that one so powerful, so big, and so drool worthy exits the gate. The latest case is NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 200 series, or more specifically, the GeForce GTX 280, which we will be taking a look at today, courtesy of Palit. Because the card was released almost a month ago, we won't get in-depth with regards to the specifics of what makes the GeForce GTX 200 series so great, but what you should know is that the new cards are designed for the ultimate gamers and those who need an extraordinarily fast GPU for non-gaming purposes, such as folding or some other applications that require specific calculation. - Techgage

Palit GeForce GTX 280 1GB Graphics Version Review

When the GeForce GTX 280 first launched, it retailed for the luxury price of $649. This coming at a time when everyone has already been in the groove of seeing killer $300 GPU's for quite a while. NVIDIA knew it would be a hard sell, but it was a brand new launch and one truly worthy of the ultimate title. But then AMD unleashed their Radeon HD 4800 series, which delivered very surprising results. That immediately caused a few quiet price drops of the GeForce GTX 200 series, so that $649 price tag is a thing of the past. It's unfortunate for those early adopters, because most of the cards can now be found for around $500.

What we have here is a completely new launch from NVIDIA. The GeForce 9 series was a little lackluster in that nothing was truly new, but that changes completely with the GeForce GTX 280. The physical die increase isn't the only change. The GeForce GTX 280 features 240 stream processors operating at 1296MHz, with the core itself operating at 602MHz. We have to wonder why they didn't simply clock the card at 600MHz, but hey, this is at least interesting, right? Further down the line is an 2214MHz GDDR3 memory speed, running on a 512-bit memory bus width. It's also the first GPU with 1GB of memory onboard.

Another notable feature is 3-way SLI support. As we will soon see, the GeForce GTX 280 is the furthest thing from being a lightweight, so the thought of putting three together is simply insane. Like the high-end cards from AMD's last-generation, the GeForce GTX 280 requires both a 6-pin and 8-pin connector, found on many new mid-range and higher power supplies. It's all about stability, and a card this powerful could use as much as it can get. Does it even make sense to overclock such a massive GPU? Of course it does, are you nuts? Our stable maximum overclock was 700/2550MHz and 1400MHz shader clock.

This card would have been a lot more difficult to conclude on a month ago when it was first released, but since the price has recently dropped, it's a lot easier to piece together. The fact of the matter is, right now, the GeForce GTX 280 is the fastest card out there, bar none. If you have the cash and the need for such a massive GPU, it's a good choice. It offers incredible performance from a single GPU, runs relatively quiet and should actually last a little while. But outright recommending one to everyone is impossible. The GPU is still $500, and at that price point, you could SLI two GeForce 9800 GTX's together for about $100 less.

It all comes down to what you want. If you want to save cash, get a smaller GPU or two. Many people will not need a GPU this big, and though it might sound strange, we only recommend it highly to those running a full blown widescreen resolution. For anything less, a GeForce 9800 GTX grade card will suit most people just fine. For the ultra high-end gaming though, the GeForce GTX 280 is a winner.