Graphics Cards Guide

Compare This

NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256MB

06 Sep 2006

Tags: (none)

Filter by Manufacturers

HWZ's Overall Rating: 8.0

<div id="product-review" class="article">
			<h2 class="header-green">NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256MB (PCIe)</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Vincent Chang on Wednesday, 06 Sep 2006</span>
		<div class="share">
	<div
		id="addthis_div_51c1050323140" 
		class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"
		addthis:url="http://www.hardwarezone.com/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie"		addthis:title="NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256MB (PCIe)"	>
		<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:count="false"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_facebook"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_twitter"></a>
		
		<a class="addthis_button_email"></a>
	</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 		//AddThis thing
		addthis_share = window.addthis_share || {};
		addthis_share.url_transforms = {
			add: {
				utm_source: 'addthis',
				utm_medium: 'referral',
				utm_campaign: 'addthis',
				utm_content: 'NVIDIA%2BGeForce%2B7900%2BGS%2B256MB%2B%28PCIe%29'
			}
		}
		
		addthis_config = window.addthis_config || {};
		addthis_config.data_track_clickback = true;
		addthis_config.data_ga_property = 'UA-166763-1';
		//window.addthis && addthis.toolbox (".addthis_toolbox");
		 
	});
//]]>
</script>		<div class="content resizeable">
						<div id="page-1" class="page">
		 		<h2 class="page-title">When One Becomes Two</h2>
		 		<h3 class="page_title">When One Becomes Two</h3>
<p>Just like day turning into night, it was all too predictable that NVIDIA has prepared a response to ATI's recent attempt to streamline its product lineup into a leaner and more price competitive bunch. A new ATI flagship, the single-GPU Radeon X1950 XTX, and additions to the mid and lower end graphics segment with the new Radeon X1650 PRO and X1300 XT are just <a href="/product-guide/view/57401/review/58361" target="_blank">some of the recent announcements</a>. Of course, many of these measures are simply cosmetic or minor tweaks to clock speeds and product names while retaining the same core. More changes are expected as ATI continues to fine-tune its products and improve its fortunes, which frankly, has not been too rosy in the discrete segment.</p>
<p>Since the enthusiasts have gotten wind of the ATI revamp months before it actually happened late last month, you can bet that NVIDIA knows all about it. With its GeForce 7950 GX2 still mostly on top of the new Radeon X1950 XTX due to its two graphics cores in SLI, NVIDIA probably does not need reinforcements in that elite category. Even the new mid-range Radeon X1650 PRO may find the DDR3 versions of the GeForce 7300 GT a serious competitor. Hence, NVIDIA has chosen to preempt the upcoming changes expected from ATI. Details are still fuzzy about the developments over at ATI (we are hearing rumors of a possible Radeon X1900 PRO and Radeon X1650 XT) but we do know something about NVIDIA's plans and so far they seem to be focused on the high-end.</p>
<p>The crux of this plan seems to be the 'diversification' of the current GeForce 7900 GT, which is just doing what graphics chipmakers do best - recycling and cannibalizing their older products. Springing forth from the loins of the GeForce 7900 GT will be the GeForce 7950 GT and the GeForce 7900 GS. If you have been paying attention to NVIDIA's naming conventions, you would also know that the GeForce 7900 GS is the lesser of the two 'new' cards.</p>
<p>Apparently, the GeForce 7950 GT will be an enhanced version of the original GeForce 7900 GT, with higher clock speeds and a larger frame buffer of 512MB. Meanwhile, the card that we will be concentrating on today, the GeForce 7900 GS will naturally be a slightly 'crippled' version of the GeForce 7900 GT, with one less vertex processor and only 20 instead of 24 pixel processors (one less operating quad). In fact, the GeForce 7900 GS is actually not that new, since OEMs like <a href="http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2329" target="_blank">Dell has already been selling a version of it </a>for a while now with their systems. However, that version came with slightly different clock speeds from the eventual retail edition that's just been released. So how does this new retail edition GeForce 7900 GS stack up against the competition?</p>
<p class="rtecenter">
<table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" align="center">
    <caption>GPUs Comparison</caption>
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Model</th>
            <th>NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256MB</th>
            <th>NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT 256MB</th>
            <th>NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB</th>
            <th>ATI Radeon X1900 GT 256MB</th>
            <th>ATI Radeon X1800 GTO 256MB</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <th>Core Code</th>
            <td align="center">G71</td>
            <td align="center">G71</td>
            <td align="center">G73</td>
            <td align="center">R580</td>
            <td align="center">R520</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Transistor Count</th>
            <td align="center">278 million</td>
            <td align="center">278 million</td>
            <td align="center">177 million</td>
            <td align="center">384 million</td>
            <td align="center">321 million</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Manufacturing Process (microns)</th>
            <td align="center">0.09</td>
            <td align="center">0.09</td>
            <td align="center">0.09</td>
            <td align="center">0.09</td>
            <td align="center">0.09</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Core Clock</th>
            <td align="center">450MHz</td>
            <td align="center">450MHz</td>
            <td align="center">560 MHz</td>
            <td align="center">575MHz</td>
            <td align="center">500MHz</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Vertex Shaders</th>
            <td align="center">7</td>
            <td align="center">8</td>
            <td align="center">5</td>
            <td align="center">8</td>
            <td align="center">8</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Rendering (Pixel) Pipelines</th>
            <td align="center">20</td>
            <td align="center">24</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Pixel Shader Processors</th>
            <td align="center">20</td>
            <td align="center">24</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
            <td align="center">36</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Texture Mapping Units (TMU)</th>
            <td align="center">20</td>
            <td align="center">24</td>
            <td align="center">8</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Raster Operator units (ROP)</th>
            <td align="center">16</td>
            <td align="center">16</td>
            <td align="center">16</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
            <td align="center">12</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Memory Clock</th>
            <td align="center">1320MHz DDR3</td>
            <td align="center">1320MHz DDR3</td>
            <td align="center">1400MHz DDR3</td>
            <td align="center">1200MHz DDR3</td>
            <td align="center">1000MHz DDR3</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>DDR Memory Bus</th>
            <td align="center">256-bit</td>
            <td align="center">256-bit</td>
            <td align="center">128-bit</td>
            <td align="center">256-bit</td>
            <td align="center">256-bit</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Memory Bandwidth</th>
            <td align="center">42.2GB/s</td>
            <td align="center">42.2GB/s</td>
            <td align="center">22.4GB/s</td>
            <td align="center">38.4GB/s</td>
            <td align="center">32.0GB/s</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Ring Bus Memory Controller</th>
            <td align="center">NIL</td>
            <td align="center">NIL</td>
            <td align="center">NIL</td>
            <td align="center">512-bit (for memory reads only)</td>
            <td align="center">512-bit (for memory reads only)</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>PCI Express Interface</th>
            <td align="center">x16</td>
            <td align="center">x16</td>
            <td align="center">x16</td>
            <td align="center">x16</td>
            <td align="center">x16</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Molex Power Connectors</th>
            <td align="center">Yes</td>
            <td align="center">Yes</td>
            <td align="center">Yes</td>
            <td align="center">Yes</td>
            <td align="center">Yes</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Street Price</th>
            <td align="center">US$199 (Launch Price)</td>
            <td align="center">US$269 - 289</td>
            <td align="center">US$150 - 180</td>
            <td align="center">US$249+</td>
            <td align="center">US$199+</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <th>Other Information</th>
            <td align="center">
            <ul>
                <li>SLI Ready</li>
            </ul>
            </td>
            <td align="center">
            <ul>
                <li>SLI Ready</li>
            </ul>
            </td>
            <td align="center">
            <ul>
                <li>SLI Ready</li>
            </ul>
            </td>
            <td align="center">
            <ul>
                <li>CrossFire Ready</li>
            </ul>
            </td>
            <td align="center">
            <ul>
                <li>CrossFire Ready</li>
            </ul>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
</p>			</div>
		</div>
			<div class="pagination" >
		<span class="desc">Page 1 of 9</span>
		<ul>
			<li class="prevnext prev"><a href="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie" class="disabled">&lsaquo; Prev</a></li>
			<li class="skip">
				<form id="PageAddForm" method="post" action="/go"><fieldset style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST" /></fieldset>					<select name="data[Page][url]" class="page-selector" id="PageUrl">
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie" selected="selected">When One Becomes Two</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb">The NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256MB</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/test-setup-163"> Test Setup</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/results-3dmark05-pro-3dmark06-12">Results - 3DMark05 Pro &amp; 3DMark06</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/results-splinter-cell-chaos-theory-fear-directx-9-benchmarks-14">Results - Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory &amp; F.E.A.R (DirectX 9 Benchmarks)</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/results-chronicles-riddick-quake-4-opengl-sm20-benchmark-0">Results - Chronicles of Riddick &amp; Quake 4 (OpenGL SM2.0+ Benchmark)</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/temperature-testing-71">Temperature Testing</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/overclocking-87">Overclocking</option>
<option value="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/conclusion-324">Conclusion</option>
</select>					<input type="submit" class="submit" value="Go" />				</form>			</li>
			<li class="prevnext next"><a href="/review-nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb-pcie/nvidia-geforce-7900-gs-256mb" class="">Next &rsaquo;</a></li>
		</ul>
	</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var container = document.getElement ('#product-review'),
			content = container && container.getElement ('.content'),
			pagination = container && container.getElement ('.pagination'),
			form = pagination && pagination.getElement ('form'),
			menu = form && form.getElement ('.page-selector'),
			links = {
				prev: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.prev a'),
				next: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.next a')
			},
			page = -1,
			desc = 'Page {curPage} of {lastPage}'
		;

// Tag as Javascript-enabled
		pagination.addClass ('js');

menu.addEvent ('change', function (e)
		{
			var curPage = this.selectedIndex + 1,
				lastPage = this.length,
				url = this.get ('value'),
				pageContent = container && container.getElement ('.page')
			;

// Disable controls
			menu.set ('disabled', 'disabled').blur ();
			if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', .5);

new Request.HTML ({
				'url': url,
				'method': 'get',
				'link': 'cancel',
				'update': content,
				'onSuccess': function ()
				{
					// Update controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					links.prev
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage > 1)? curPage - 2: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage > 1)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					links.next
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage < lastPage)? curPage: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage < lastPage)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					pagination.getElement ('.desc').set ('text', desc.substitute ({ curPage: curPage, lastPage: lastPage}));

captureIntraLinks ();
					new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement (container);
				},
				'onFailure': function ()
				{
					// Restore controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', 1);
				}
			}).send ();
		});
		$$([links.prev, links.next]).addEvent ('click', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			if (!this.hasClass ('disabled'))
				menu.set ('value', this.get ('href')).fireEvent ('change');
		});
		form.addEvent ('submit', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		})

// Capture all intra-page links and hook to js
		function captureIntraLinks ()
		{
			content.getElements ('a[href^="#"]').flatten().each (function (link)
			{
				var target = link.get ('href').substr (6).trim ();
				if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length)
					link.addEvent ('click', function (e)
					{
						e.stop (); this.blur ();
						menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
						menu.fireEvent ('change');
					});
			});
		}
		captureIntraLinks ();

// Trigger initial pagination state
		var target = location.hash && location.hash.substr (6).trim ();
		if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length && target != page)
		{
			menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>
				</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var section = $('tab-product-content-review'),
			dropdown = section.getElement ('#reviews-list'),
			tId = 0
		;

if (section && dropdown)
		{
			var list = dropdown.getElement ('ul'),
				links = list.getElements ('li a')
			;

dropdown.addClass ('js');
			list.set ('morph', { 'link': 'cancel' });

$$(dropdown, list).addEvents ({
				'mousemove': function ()
				{
					$clear (tId);
				},
				'mouseenter': function ()
				{
					list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 1 });
				},
				'mouseleave': function ()
				{
					tId = function () { list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 0}); }.delay (1000);
				}
			}).fireEvent ('mouseleave');

links.addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				//unescape the 'alt' prooperty
				var o = new Element('i', { 'html': this.get ('alt')});
				new Request.HTML ({
					'url': o.get('text') + '&as=ajax',
					'method': 'get',
					'link': 'cancel',
					'update': section.empty().grab(new Element('div')
						.addClass ('waiter')
						.grab (new Element ('span', {
							text: 'Please wait while we load your article ...'
						}))
					)
				}).send ();
			})

section.getElements ('.footer .comments a').addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($('tab-product-details'));

var href = this.get ('href').match (/#.+$/), target = href && href[0];
				if (target)
					(function () { new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($(target.substr (1))); })
						.delay (3000);

$('tab-product-comments').getChildren ('a')[0].fireEvent ('click');
			})
		}
		if( $$('.image-caption-container').length < 1 )
		{	
			$$('.article .content img[title]').each (function (img)
			{
				// skip if title is empty
				if (!img.get ('title')) return;
			
				new Element ('span', {'class': 'image-caption-container'})
					.addClass (['left', 'right'].contains (img.get ('align'))? img.get ('align'): '')
					.set ('width', img.get ('width'))
					.replaces (img)
					.grab (img)
					.grab (new Element ('div', {
						'class': 'image-caption',
						'html': img.get ('title').trim ()
					}))
				;
				img.erase ('align');
			
				var link = img.getParents ('a');
				if (link) link.addClass ('captioned');
			});
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>

Graphics Cards Guide

NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS 256MB

Filter by Manufacturers

You may also be interested in...