BFG GTX 275 OC Edition & SLI Testing
April 22, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
BFG has always been a front runner in getting new and interesting variants of GPU’s to market. While other vendors are often happy with just stock speeds on GPU’s, BFG offers a variety of models and speeds, many with different cooling solutions. Not only do they offer a wide variety of speeds, they are one of the “Enthusiasts” choices for purchasing a GPU because they offer high quality GPU’s and a limited lifetime warranty combined with unparalleled tech support
. With a resume like that, it’s hard not to pick a BFG GPU over lesser brands.
The advantage of buying a BFG factory overclocked GPU is that you get that little extra performance boost and it’s covered by the limited lifetime warranty. Many people want the performance boost but don’t have the experience or patience to overclock the GPU, so factory overclocked is good for them and it keeps the warranty intact. Not only do we have the BFG GTX-275 for you today, we also threw in some GTX-275 SLI results. So sit back and relax while we drive the GTX-275 like it was meant to be driven as hard as it will go, then pair it up with another GTX-275 and drive a pair of the enthusiast GPU’s like wild horses running from a prairie fire.
GeForce GTX 275 shootout BFG | Inno3D | Palit | Sparkle
April 20, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
A week or two ago NVIDIA announced it’s latest graphics card positioned in the high-end region, called the GeForce GTX 275. The GeForce GTX 275 is a bit of a hybrid card in-between the GeForce GTX 260 and GeForce GTX 285.
The card is positioned directly against the new ATI Radeon HD 4890, yet is slightly cheaper. NVIDIA launched the GeForce GTX 275 in an allergic reaction to team red’s product to show and flex their rendering muscle. Now I know that some of you guys might frown a little about this GTX 275 release, but trust me when I say, this is a really interesting move.
The GeForce GTX 275 has the very same graphics processor as that GTX 285, yet the memory configuration of the GTX 260 (896 MB). Fitted on a new PCB and armed with a dandy cooler NVIDIA did another thing, they lowered prices significantly.
The GTX 275 is a card that is being introduced at a 239~249 USD price level. And though features and performance wise the product is not exactly the reinvention of the wheel, it definitely is a massive load of performance at a very fair price. At the time of writing this article it’s two weeks after the launch and the first retail products are now hitting the stores in reasonable volume.
As such we figured to cease the moment and show you a couple of retail boards. For this article, a total of five GeForce GTX 275 graphics cards will be put to the test. We take the NVIDIA reference sample, two reference clocked products and two pre-overclocked products to see where we are at in terms of performance, cooling and features among the difference AIB/AIC partners.
We’ll take the BFG GTX 275 OC edition, the Inno3D Overclock editions GTX 275, the Palit GTX 275 with custom cooling and the all reference based yet blue’ish colored GeForce GTX 275 from Sparkle.
We’ll compare each AIB card at it’s default clocks and compare it to the reference model. Of course, you are on guru3D.com .. we’ll also overclock all cards tested today to investigate and observe what the limit of each product really is. First we start off with a quick introduction of the GTX 275, the differences, the new, and the not so new ….
BFG 9800 GT 512MB ThermoIntelligence Passive Cooling Review
April 7, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
BFG 9800 GT 512MB ThermoIntelligence Passive Cooling Review
In our last graphics card review, we promised to ply our contacts with wine, women, hockey sticks and maple syrup (yes, in that order) in a quest to find the products that were left out in the cold over the last few months. We were looking for graphics cards that bucked the reference trend set by what seems like an industry full of copycats. Could Nvidia’s and ATI’s board partners deliver with some exciting products? Hell, they better because they have had the last year in which to tinker with the same designs and then overclock the balls off them by way of slapping on an aftermarket cooler. The more we looked at the market, the more we wanted to see something new, something interesting. Last month, Sapphire came to use with one heck of a passively cooled card and we were hooked like a toddler on chocolate and Tic Tacs.
Today we let BFG have a go at impressing us with their own unique take on a classic with their 9800 GT 512MB ThermoIntelligence passively cooled video card. BFG’s ThermoIntelligence line of products always carries aftermarket heatsinks or water blocks and this one is no different. Yeah, this is the same card at the same speeds as the ever-popular 8800 GT but it has been gussied up with the 9-series moniker and BFG has added a crème de la crème cooling solution from our friends over at Thermalright. To our knowledge, this is one of the first applications we have seen of a retail Thermalright heatsink (in this case an HR-03 Rev.A) on a graphics card from BFG or any other manufacturer for that matter.
While this card has not yet been released to many retailers, you can find it here and there with a retail price of around $180CAD / $140USD after rebates. That puts it slightly in-line with most overclocked 9800 GT 512MB cards out there which we believe is more than fair since in this case higher clocks have been replaced with one of the meanest coolers available.
So what we have here is a card with BFG’s legendary customer support and lifetime warranty which is graced with a Thermalright heatsink. Is this a match made in heaven? Let’s find out.
BFG TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES VERSATILE GEFORCE GTX 275 OC GRAPHICS CARD
April 3, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
Lake Forest, IL – BFG Technologies®, Inc., the leading North American and European supplier of advanced NVIDIA-based 3D graphics cards, power supplies, and the Phobos™ High-Performance Gaming/Home Theater System, announced today the BFG GeForce® GTX 275 OC™ graphics card that offers outstanding PC gaming performance and advanced processing power in other applications from which even non gamers can benefit.
The BFG GeForce GTX 275 OC with CUDA™ technology provides superior gaming performance as well as advanced GPU computing performance for everything from video transcoding to video and photo editing. Whether it’s transferring HD videos in minutes to your portable video player using the Badaboom™ Media Converter, “upscaling” standard definition movies to near HD quality with Arcsoft SimHD™, or rapidly editing digital photos using Adobe CS4™, the BFG GeForce GTX 275 OC graphics card does it all with outstanding performance and reliability.
“Graphics cards based on NVIDIA® GPU technology increasingly offer more and more benefits to end users than just better gaming”, said John Malley, senior director of marketing for BFG Technologies. “We’re really seeing a myriad of new PC applications taking advantage of the GPU’s large number of cores. Without the GPU’s advanced processing abilities, the CPU’s small number of processing cores would struggle to efficiently process the advanced features that these newer applications offer. And consumers can confidently purchase this great new technology from BFG Tech knowing that we offer a rock solid lifetime warranty, free 24/7/365 expert technical support, and a 100 Day Trade Up Program.”
BFG GeForce® GTX 275 OC™ 896MB PCIe Graphics Card with CUDA™ Technology
• Memory: 896MB GDDR3
• Core Clock: 648MHz (vs. 633MHz standard)
• Shader Clock: 1440MHz (vs. 1404MHz standard)
• Memory Data Rate: 2304MHz (vs. 2268MHz standard)
• Processor Cores: 240
Eligible for the BFG Trade Up program
Within 100 days of purchase, the BFG GeForce® GTX 275 OC graphics card can be traded up to a BFG graphics card of greater performance and price, and the customer only pays the difference in price, plus applicable taxes and shipping. Currently the Trade Up program is only available in North America. Learn more at www.bfgtech.com/tradeupprogram.aspx.
Availability
The BFG GeForce® GTX 275 OC graphics card will be available for preorder starting April 2, 2009 at leading online retailers in North America and Europe. Visit www.bfgtech.com for more information.
BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 Graphics Card Review
March 3, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
The BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 1GB performed roughly the same as the original GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB, which makes sense since both cards have the same ‘engine’ under the hood. The BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 1GB’s larger 1GB frame buffer came into play when the image quality was cranked up or when running at resolutions above 1920×1200. In games like Call of Duty: World at War and FarCry 2 we were able to see a 10-13% performance improvement from the extra frame buffer. The GeForce GTS 250 didn’t put a world of hurt on the GeForce GTX 9800+, as many of you would have guessed without reading any of this…
BFG GTX 285 OCX 1GB Video Card Review
January 19, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
About a week ago, Nvidia launched their newest bid for market dominance with the GTX 285. While the card itself is nothing more than a massaged GTX 280 with a 55nm core, its performance wowed us even though we reviewed a heavily overclocked version. At this point we all know that ATI doesn’t have a single GPU card that comes close to competing with Nvidia’s new monster but they are making a good show of it by reducing the price of their formidable HD 4870 X2 so it is within spitting distance of the higher-clocked GTX 285s. This in turn is a shot to the gut of Nvidia’s other new kid on the block -the GTX 295- since it currently sits all by its lonesome at the highest peak of the pricing index.
With the GTX 285 we will see the gradual phasing out of the GTX 280 and indeed, we are seeing the telltale signs of this with the outgoing cards retailing for significantly discounted prices. This in effect has been putting some major pressure on the GTX 285 launch since the cards are very similar spec-wise but you can find the GTX 280 for more than $100 less if you care to look around a bit. That $100 may not seem much to some of you but when you have the price of a brand new HD 4670 separating two very similar cards, not many people will look at the more expensive option. Indeed, we expect this situation of opposing prices to iron itself out in the coming weeks but until then the GTX 285 should still appeal to people who want the best performance possible out of a single GPU solution.
Speaking of single GPU solutions, it is due to this one fact that the GTX 285 will probably appeal to the majority of enthusiast customers. Both the GTX 295 and the HD 4870 X2 are limited by their classification as dual GPU cards since this means their performance is closely tied to the compatibility of SLI or Crossfire profiles within a certain game. We have seen from our first GTX 285 review that more than anything else, a dual GPU configuration can and will hold back performance in certain instances and it is usually those instances which you will find yourself stumbling upon during your gameplay sessions.
Today we bring you a review of BFG’s highest-clocked offering into the GTX 285 marketplace: the OCX Edition. Following in the footsteps of the stock, OC, OC+ and OC2 editions this high powered card will only be available at online retailers for the time being. BFG has always been at the forefront of customer service with full RMA service within Canada (yes, that’s right, no need to ship back the RMA to the States) and a full lifetime warranty on all of their cards. This means their cards should be of particular interest to us Canadians who have long been asking for home-grown RMA support and processing. Hopefully, BFG will be able to capitalize on the GTX 285’s performance and give us a card worthy of the OCX moniker.
BFG GTX 260 OCX MAXCORE (216SP) 896MB Video Card Review
November 17, 2008 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
As time marches on, Nvidia has gone from an extremely confusing line-up just a few short months ago to one that is quite a bit more streamlined. Within this same timeframe there have been a number of new cards released from both Nvidia and ATI which have hit at different portions of the market. If you take a step back and look at what has happened since the release of ATI’s R770-based HD 4870 and HD 4850, Nvidia’s role has shifted from taking and keeping the performance lead to desperately trying to react against unforeseen competition. The problem for Nvidia was that both of ATI’s new cards hit straight into price / performance categories where Nvidia didn’t have much to answer with. To partially rectify this situation, Nvidia’s partners introduced the 9800 GTX+ to compete with the HD 4850 and after a short delay, showed us what their competitor to the HD 4870 looked like with the GTX 260 with 216 Stream Processors.
When we first reviewed the GTX 260 with 216 SPs, we mentioned that every company would be calling their card something different and it turns out that we were spot on with that assessment. All of Nvidia’s major partners have their hands in this new 216 SP cookie jar so it is only natural that BFG would release their own overclocked versions of this card. Much like their competitors, they have chosen a unique name with their new MAXCORE designation for the “unlocked” GTX 260 cards. They have also gone ahead and introduced quite a few different versions of the MAXCORE starting with the basic overclocked OC branded card, going up a notch with the OC2 and finally the highly overclocked OCX version. Even though there are three versions of this card, today we will be reviewing the highest-clocked one: the OCX.
Since this is the highest-clocked GTX 260 in the BFG lineup, it is not just meant to compete with the HD 4870 but to absolutely destroy it in as many applications as possible. As with all BFG cards, the GTX 260 OCX MAXCORE (boy, that’s a mouthful, isn’t it?) carries with it BFG’s Lifetime Warranty as well as numerous other perks that come with owning a BFG product. However, being the top dog also has its drawbacks and in this case price will become a stumbling point for a good many people. As it stands, $365 is the going rate for BFG’s wunderkind which puts it a good $70 over the price of a bone stock GTX 260 and $40 over a stock GTX 260 with 216 SPs. All in all, this isn’t that much to ask for considering the performance potential of the OCX.
While we have already reviewed a GTX 280 with 216 SPs, it will be interesting to see how the BFG card stacks up considering its price and the potential competition it has been put up against.
BFG GTX 280 OCX 1GB Video Card Review
August 17, 2008 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
No matter how many video card reviews we do, we know that there will always be something new and exciting just over the horizon. Just imagine, the now-legendary 8800GT was released almost a year ago and between then and now we have seen a flurry of releases from both Nvidia and ATI. While Team Red has progressed from their 3800-series directly to the new 4800-series, Nvidia has gone down a somewhat more winding road. The first 8800-series was augmented by the 8800GT and 8800GTS 512MB which were shortly joined by the 9800GTX, 9600GT and eventually the 9800 GX2. Most of these cards are still in play but have been now joined with Nvidia’s new assault on high end range with both the GeForce GTX 280 and GTX 260.
Almost since their release, the two new GTX 200-series cards have faced extremely tough competition from ATI in the form of the HD4800-series cards. Consumers have rejoiced to see the renewed performance war taking a significant toll on Nvidia’s pricing structure where cards once retailing for over $600 a few weeks prior now sometimes go for under $450. Now with last week’s formal introduction to the HD 4870 X2, Nvidia has officially lost the performance crown to a card that costs about $100 less than the GTX 280 did when it was first introduced. However, even though they no longer have the top dog on the block, Nvidia is hanging tough with their current cards while cutting prices a bit further so not all is lost…not by a long shot.
As the GTX 280 matures, Nvidia’s board partners have been able to eke a bit more performance out of their cards and have released products which carry higher and higher overclocks. While many enthusiasts may scoff at pre-overclocked cards, they hold an allure for many people out there since they offer increased performance right out of the box without having to go through the trail and error process of overclocking themselves. Through the last few years, BFG has always been at the forefront of the pre-overclocked craze and with their OCX cards, they take things to the next level. We should mention now that in our conversations with BFG they have stated that creating a highly overclocked GTX 280 isn’t as easy as it seems due to the massive amounts of heat generated by the core directly influencing the final overclock. That being said, in this review we will be looking at their GTX 280 OCX which is highest-clocked GTX 280 in their lineup that keeps the stock cooler. The only higher-clocked 280 sports a copper waterblock so it will be interesting to see how this particular air-cooled card copes with the increased heat output of the overclocked core.
While availability of this card seems extremely limited here in Canada, our friends south of the border have things a bit better with availability at several large retailers. Believe it or not, where this card was once retailing for somewhere north of $650, it seems that prices have come down enough that the GTX 280 OCX can be had for as little $450. Coupled with BFG’s lifetime warranty and newly-implemented Trade-Up program, $450 represents a surprising value in the grand scheme of things.
If the BFG GTX 280 OCX can perform up to our expectations, it may be a real winner for those of you who want some pre-overclocked goodness. Its performance however, has yet to be shown so let’s get this review under way!!
BFG 8800GT OCX & 9600GT OCX Thermointelligence Video Card Review
July 8, 2008 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
In the battle for market supremacy, many times the little guys are forgotten with minimal refreshes to mid-range video cards. That was the way it used to be but these days it seems like it is the high-end (think $500+) that is suffering as both Nvidia and ATI reshuffle their decks in order to broaden appeal in a lackluster market environment. Due to this current economic situation we are all living in, the $100 to $300 price range has seen a massive influx of cards which are either new to the market or are the recipients of price cuts. Cards like the HD3870 have dropped to below the $150 mark while some 8800GT’s have been lowered to $160 without any help of the oh-so-famous mail in rebates. In the end, it is the consumers who reap the benefits since we are now able to play most games at mid to high level settings on a card which costs less than $200.
While it may seem like we have had our fill of mid-range cards here at Hardware Canucks, companies continue to innovate and release new products. Our interest was recently piqued by BFG’s release of two new cards straight into the lucrative mid-end market: the 8800GT 512MB OCX and the 9600GT OCX. Both of these cards are part of BFG’s vaunted Thermointelligence lineup which used to consist of only 8600-series products but are not quite at the forefront of graphics card performance these days. With both the 8800GT and 9600GT going under the OCX microscope, it looks like BFG has added some much-needed flair to their Thermointelligence lineup.
BFG targets their OCX line of video cards at the people out there who want some of the fastest pre-overclocked cards on the market and in this case they have also equipped the 8800GT OCX and 9600GT OCX with aftermarket coolers (hence the Thermointelligence name). This provides a great jump in performance over stock-clocked cards while staying within the bounds of BFG’s Lifetime warranty. This means that users can feel confident that their cards are some of the highest-clocked out there without having to resort to possible warranty-voiding overclocking and aftermarket cooler installation.
At this time finding stock of the 8800GT OCX and 9600GT OCX is not easy but depending on where you look they are priced around $220 and $200 respectively. You also get access to BFG’s lifetime warranty and exclusive trade-up program but more on that later.
This review will be a little different from some of the past GPU reviews we have been doing here on Hardware Canucks. Since both the 8800GT and 9600GT have been around for quite some time, we will be foregoing the usual technology overview and jumping into the benchmarks as soon as possible. So, sit back and enjoy the show.
BFG Launches New 8800GT and 9600GT OCX TI Cards
June 3, 2008 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
Today BFG has introduced two new graphics cards into their ThermoIntelligence lineup: the 8800GT OCX TI and the 9600GT OCX TI. These cards join the 8600GTS and 8600GT as part of the ThermoIntelligence family which all boast some impressive overclocks while maintaining decreased temperatures over the stock cards.
How does BFG do this? Well, they have installed aftermarket heatsinks on both of these cards which not only dissipate heat quicker than their stock-clocked cousins but also do so at decreased noise levels. BFG has set up a good-looking little mini site for all of their custom cards which can be found here: www.thermointelligence.com.
Since both of these cards are launching the moment you read this, you should expect your favorite e-tailers to have them available shortly after launch.
We here at Hardware Canucks will have our review of BOTH these products up as soon as possible and judging from the clock speeds we will see below, these look to be some very interesting cards.
MSRP / projected street prices are as follows in USD:
9600GT OCX TI: $219 (MSRP) / $175 (street)
8800GT OCX TI: $269 (MSRP) / $210 (street)
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