ASUS Extreme N7800GT Dual
19. Conclusion
This was the first Dual GPU card we have received from ASUS and we were quite impressed first of all by the look of this card. This is a Limited Edition card with the series number engraved on the heatsink to signify how its limited supply.
The package is very complete, as with most ASUS VGA cards. You will really find everything that you will need in the retail package. If you don't have a hefty PSU, don't forget to order the optional AC adapter.
The card is really huge, and if you are interested in buying it, size isn't going to be your only concern. The ASUS N7800GT Dual VGA card is not compatible with all PCI-E motherboards. You can see a list of compatible motherboards presented earlier in this review, but most compatible motherboards are from ASUS.
In performance, the N7800GT Dual GPU card performs similarly to the 7800GT SLI system. Getting one card and not two SLI cards has some major advantages. First of all, you gain some space in your case layout. Secondly, we noticed increased performance in some cases, due to the single PCB handling video memory synchronization rather than it going through the mainboard bus with intervening SLI circuitry. And if you want your PC system to produce less noise, the ASUS N7800GT Dual uses only one fan, while two 7800GT cards use two fans (one fan for each card).
Overclocking is the weak point of this card. We managed to get only 30MHz core frequency gain, and in most benchmarks, the performance did not increase by more than 3 fps. But then, we shouldn't except everything from this type of card when it comes to overclocking. On the plus side, the temperature was kept at low levels when overclocked.
Because this card comes in Limited edition only, it might not be that easy to find on the market. The card is priced a little above US$800, a reasonable price considering the cost of two 7800GT cards. This is indeed the fastest card available on the market today. We would certainly prefer to have the Limited edition Dual GPU card rather than two cards in our case.
Pros:
- Best performing single card available
- Excellent cooling system
- SLI in one PCB
- Considerably low noise levels
- Great ASUS and nVidia features
- Limited Edition card
Cons:
- Not compatible with all mainboards
- Limited overclocking
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