Shootouts

What's the Right Price - A Trio of GeForce GTX 260

By Vincent Chang - 18 Jul 2008

Our GeForce GTX 260 Trio

Leadtek WinFast GTX 260

Our first GeForce GTX 260 is the standard flagbearer, a reference design that is basically identical to all the other GTX 260 cards in the market bar the Leadtek decal and packaging. This means that the core clock on this WinFast GeForce GTX 260 stays at the default 576MHz, with the odd memory clock of 1998MHz and the stream processors at 1242MHz. All the features that you can expect from a GeForce GTX 260 are here, from its 448-bit memory bus to its 3-way SLI support.

Disappointingly, Leadtek has not updated its game bundle and we found the same Neverwinter Nights 2 game that we have been seeing for quite a while. Also, while we couldn't find the US price for this Leadtek, it can be found locally at S$599, which is clearly a price that has not been revised yet. We aren't sure if this will be adjusted soon but you would definitely want to get an updated price if you're shopping for one.

The latest addition to its WinFast series, the GeForce GTX 260. This is a standard version with the default clock speeds.

The following are the items that we found bundled with this Leadtek card:

  • DVI-to-VGA adapter
  • 9-pin mini-DIN to Component/S-Video dongle
  • 2 x 6-pin Molex power connectors
  • Quick installation guide
  • Driver CD
  • Neverwinter Nights 2 (full game)


XFX GeForce GTX 260 XXX Edition

XFX has quite a few editions in most GPU SKUs and for the GTX 260 and we got ourselves an overclocked one with a XXX suffix (which can also be identified by a "640M" suffix in the actual model number). Apparently, this represents the core clock speed, which at 640MHz, is a more than 10% jump in frequency. The memory and stream processors have also been adjusted, to 2300MHz DDR and 1363MHz respectively.

As usual, XFX has quite a few editions and this is the XXX version, which had its core GPU clock tweaked to 640MHz.

XFX has also recommended a higher wattage PSU (at least 630W for non-SLI) than NVIDIA's own requirements and that could be a precaution due to the overclocking (or that most XFX products owners have a beefy rig). Most importantly for enthusiasts, XFX has at least included a recent DirectX 10 game to showcase the capabilities of the new GPU in the form of Assassin's Creed. Currently, Newegg has this particular XFX model at US$329, slightly more expensive than the typical GTX 260 due to its overclocked nature.

Below is the list of items found in the XFX box:

  • DVI-to-VGA adapter
  • 7-pin mini-DIN to Component dongle
  • 6-pin Molex power connector
  • S/PDIF cable
  • Quick installation guide
  • Driver CD
  • Assassin's Creed (full game)


Zotac GeForce GTX 260 AMP! Edition

Finally, Zotac is the other vendor that had promptly sent us a GTX 260 and it turns out to be its AMP! Edition. As some of you may know, this is its name for the overclocked model and at 650MHz, this Zotac has the highest core clock of the cards we have seen so far. The memory however was not as fast as the XFX at 2100MHz, though the stream processors were marginally higher at 1400MHz. Going by these specifications, we can expect similar performance to the XFX.

Zotac too has sent an overclocked GeForce GTX 260 to our labs in the form of its AMP! Edition.

 

Zotac also has included a racing game known as GRID that's only been released recently. Together with the list of accessories shown below, this card has a recommended retail price of US$349.

  • DVI-to-VGA adapter
  • DVI-to-HDMI adapter
  • 7-pin mini-DIN to Component/S-Video dongle
  • 2 x 6-pin Molex power connectors
  • S/PDIF cable
  • User manual
  • Quick installation guide
  • Driver CD
  • GRID (full game)
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