NVIDIA launched the GeForce GTX 280 and GTX 260 graphics cards in last June. And both are based on the GT200 GPU which uses NVIDIA's improved, second generation unified architecture. As one of NVIDIA's biggest retail partner, ASUS has no less than seven different GeForce GTX 280 models. They consist of three versions, each available with or without HDMI support. The three major versions are the basic Extreme GTX 280, the game bundle kit and the top of the line TOP or overclocked edition. This is the typical style of ASUS to come with several versions and that the TOP line is really the one version to go for when you want something extra, especially when it comes to great performance. - TechARP

ASUS Extreme GTX 280 TOP Overclock Style Review

Although the new GT200 GPU has 240 stream processors, it delivers only an average of 80 textures per clock cycle, just twenty five percent more than what G92 based graphics cards are capable of. Because it runs at a much slower clock speed of 602MHz, it actually has about the same texture fillrate as the GeForce 9800 GTX+ version. On the other hand, the GT200 has a much higher pixel fillrate with some very healthy boost in memory bandwidth to boot. NVIDIA initially pegged the GeForce GTX 280 as far superior to the ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics card, though the real live experience was slightly different.

NVIDIA had to take both the GeForce GTX 280 and GTX 260 down in price and position. The new price point, coupled with its support for PhysX, now makes the GeForce GTX 280 a much more attractive proposition than it initially was. ASUS took the GeForce GTX 280 one step further, offering the factory overclocked TOP editions which they promise would deliver at least around twelve percent better performance than the standard GeForce GTX 280. They did so by overclocking the core to 670MHz and the GDDR3 memory to 2430MHz. Will it be as fast as they claim it to be? The ASUS Extreme GTX 280 comes in a big cardboard box.

Typical of all ASUS graphics cards, the box was well designed with excellent print quality. The Extreme GTX 280 TOP is only available without HDMI support but ASUS has other GeForce GTX 280 models with HDMI support. Inside, you will find a very stylish black cardboard box containing the Extreme GTX 280 TOP graphics card and two smaller black boxes. And the larger, flat box contains the documentation and CD's while the smaller, rectangular box is where all the cables and adaptors are stored. The kit comes with virtually everything you need to hook up the Extreme GTX 280 to all kinds of display options.

Overclocking any graphics card is easy. Both ATI and NVIDIA even provide the software tools to do it. However, the process can be a little tedious and usually involves numerous crashes and reboots before you get the right clock speeds. For those who prefer not to get their hands dirty, ASUS offers TOP editions of their graphics cards. NVIDIA sure is lucky they came up with the GeForce GTX 280 because the Radeon HD 4870 is faster than their GeForce GTX 260. At its stock clock speeds, the GeForce GTX 280 card is only a little faster. Only the possibility of better PhysX support makes it a more future proof option.

The ASUS Extreme GTX 280 TOP attempts to improve the GeForce GTX 280's advantage by running the GT200 at much higher clock speeds right out of the box. The standard GeForce GTX 280 card already comes with a large amount of memory bandwidth, but the memory overclock gave it a much higher bandwidth. This allowed the Extreme GTX 280 TOP to scale upwards in resolution and anti-aliasing modes with minimal effect on frame rates and it was superb at anti-aliasing, beating even the Radeon HD 4870 card. Even in CPU limited games like Supreme Commander, it was able to deliver significantly better performance.

Although we absolutely hate the camouflage scheme on the Extreme GTX 280 TOP's cooler shroud, it is a small price to pay for better performance. Thanks to its higher clock speeds, the ASUS Extreme GTX 280 TOP is a card that truly has a significant performance advantage over the formidable Radeon HD 4870.