MSI unveils N285GTX HydroGen graphics card
May 4, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
Taipei, Taiwan — Micro-Star International (MSI), global brand manufacturer of high-end graphics cards and professional mainboard, today announced their latest N285GTX HydroGen graphics cards series. The MSI N285GTX is equipped with the exclusive all-copper Micro Channel water cooling. This solution provides the lowest operating temperature while staying absolutely calm, is a scarcely seen high-end solution for GTX285 powered graphics cards on today’s market.
All-Copper, Dramatically Reducing Temperature
When purchasing a new high-end graphics card, the overclocking capability is the major consideration, this is especially true with the N285GTX graphics chip which is done in a new manufacturing process. Therefore, in using an advanced high-efficiency cooling system you will be able to squeeze even that last bit of performance out of the graphics card. MSI continues using the industry leading Micro Channel water cooling technology that had been setting new standard already with the previous X38 and N280GTX series, utilizing an all-copper water cooling tank made of lathe-processed sub-millimeter sized copper. With this extra thin water cooling tank the N285GTX HydroGen’s heat dissipation efficiency even beats competitors’ with a double-sized conductor body.
In real life field tests under full load the MSI N285GTX HydroGen with its Micro Channel water cooling managed to decrease heat emission by more than 40% when compared to conventional fan cooled graphics cards of the same product level.
MSI’s exclusive HydroGen Micro Channel water cooling by far exceeds cooling efficiency of regular air cooling fans and therefore gives overclockers much more room to fully indulge in the technical challenge of overclocking voltages and bus speeds to the maximum. Since with the MSI N285GTX HydroGen those respective heat issues are a thing of the past.
1-Slot Design, Revolutionizing Craft
The Micro Channel and all-copper design offer great cooling efficiency as well as improved installation convenience. As MSI insists on using a 1-Slot solution this also reduces the actual weight of the graphics card whereby weight pressure on the slot is minimized and the graphics board won’t bend anymore either. And the all-copper water tank design offers increased heat transfer efficiency in comparison with other solutions out in the market. For power users and gaming enthusiasts using 2-way or even 3-way SLI the MSI N286GTX HydroGen brings about a maximum of installation convenience. As you don’t have to worry about a lack of space between the PCI-E slots on your mainboard any more, and therefore wouldn’t be able to use water cooled graphics solutions.
ISO Standard Size Pipe Thread Design – match all standard
The MSI N285GTX HydroGen uses the internationally accepted G ¼ Inch (DIN ISO 228-1) standard for the water tank pipe thread. Different from other manufactures who are applying a closed and self-contained system, this utilization of the DIN ISO standard pipe thread doesn’t only help to save money for consumables such as pumps, water pipes, cooling liquid etc., but also offers full compatibility for existing and additional upgrade water cooling systems.
MSI unveils N285GTX SuperPipe 2G Graphics Card
April 24, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
[Taipei – Taiwan] Leader in graphics card cooling technology, MSI International is always inventing new, better thermal designs to give our customers the most efficient products. Launched today, the N285GTX SuperPipe 2G is not only powered by one of the most powerful GPU in the market – the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 – but also adds an amazing 2GB GDDR3 RAM, and utilizes MSI’s exclusive SuperPipe and Twin Frozr thermal design. This card dominates the market with peak performance in both graphics and cooling efficiency.
MSI SuperPipe technology
The N285GTX SuperPipe 2G is one of the most powerful cards equipped MSI SuperPipe technology. The heatpipe on a graphics card is a very important component which is responsible for dissipating heat away from the GPU to the surrounding fins. The thicker the heatpipe, the faster the heat can flow to allow better cooling. MSI SuperPipe technology is using 8mm thick heatpipe that is 60% thicker than the traditional heatpipes, and improves the cooling by 90%. With such performance, there is no doubt that MSI SuperPipe technology is perfect thermal solution for high-end graphics cards.
Twin Frozr thermal design
The N285GTX SuperPipe 2G uses MSI all new Twin Frozr thermal design, which features an intelligent dual-PWM fan design that changes speed with the GPU’s temperature and load to keep it cool. During idle condition, the card remains almost silent, and even when the card is running 3D games, the Twin Frozr design remains quiet while efficiently eliminating the heat of GPU. The dual-fan design also offers twice the cooling efficiency and protects from any single fan failing that makes the system malfunctioned due to overheating.
Additionally, Twin Frozr cooling system uses an industry leading 5-heatpipe design that outperforms other two – four pipe designs by greatly increasing the speed of the heat flow. This design spreads the heat out through the heatpipes to the fins, and then dual fan system quickly carries the heat away.
2GB memory – Push your game settings to the max
More and more DirectX® 10 games are offering ever more realistic environments to gamers who are demanding the absolute best visual effect which requires much more video memory than reference design. For example, recently the hottest game, Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA4), requires 1.5 GB of graphics memory to run smoothly with turning on its special effects to maximum.
MSI builds upon its recent N260GTX Lightning which has 1792 MB of video memory, and will attract even more positive attention from the media and markets with the N285GTX SuperPipe 2G series which double memory to a whopping 2GB. MSI N285GTX SuperPipe 2G sports the most video memory in its class, and is sure to satisfy gamers’ desire for high quality and blazing fast performance.
Sphere: Related ContentUltimate Heavy-Weight Fight: Radeon HD 4890 CrossFireX vs. GeForce GTX 285 SLI
April 23, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
Despite the economic crisis the performance of powerful graphics solutions is still of extreme interest to dedicated gaming fans. Today we are going to witness another duel between multi-GPU systems built on the fastest ATI and Nvidia graphics cards.
The recent launch of the Radeon HD 4890 has changed the standings in the sector of single-chip graphics cards since AMD has got a product capable of rivaling the Nvidia GeForce GTX 285. Yet notwithstanding AMD’s strategy of filling the top market segment with dual-processor solutions, AMD’s graphics department is in no hurry to introduce a Radeon HD 4890 X2. Perhaps the company’s partners will be offered the opportunity to create such a product but AMD does not yet agree to it, and the Radeon HD series is still topped by the Radeon HD 4870 X2 which is somewhat inferior to the GeForce GTX 295 in performance (see this news story for details).
However, the arrival of the Radeon HD 4890 has provided the opportunity to build CrossFireX subsystems out of two, three or even four such cards. Even a dual-processor tandem should be no worse than a GeForce GTX 285 SLI, let alone a single GeForce GTX 295. And it is going to be cheaper because the recommended price of the Radeon HD 4890 is within $229-249. So, theoretically, a graphics subsystem made out of two such cards is going to cost you no more than $500. For comparison, the GeForce GTX 285 sells in retail for $330-340 and more, and a couple of such cards are going to cost more than $600.
The GeForce GTX 295 can be found selling at $500-550 but it will surely be inferior to a Radeon HD 4890 CrossFireX tandem, particularly because it has less of graphics memory available for 3D applications (896MB against 1024MB). This also refers to the GeForce GTX 275 SLI tandem that has higher clock rates but only 896MB of effective graphics memory and a cut-down GPU configuration with 28 raster back-ends per a core as opposed to the GeForce GTX 285 SLI’s 32 RBEs per a core. Thus, the most interesting thing is to compare the Radeon HD 4890 CrossFireX and GeForce GTX 285 SLI. The battle is going to be exciting if we put aside the factor of price and focus on gaming performance only.
Despite the global crisis, gamers are still interested in advanced and expensive multi-GPU configurations, and we will cater to our readers by performing a comparative test of Radeon HD 4890 CrossFireX and GeForce GTX 285 SLI tandems, especially as we’ve got four graphics cards necessary for such a test just in time. The “green” camp will be represented by EVGA GeForce GTS 285 FTW and Zotac GeForce GTX 285 AMP! cards. They will be opposed in this heavyweight fight by ASUS’s EAH4890 and EAH4890 TOP. Let’s now take a closer look at each of the fighters.
Zotac GeForce GTX 285 Infinity Edition Review
April 20, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
High end GPUs target a niche market. In other words, companies make these cards with a specific type of user in mind. And while price is always an important consideration, it’s usually not the deciding factor when it comes to introducing these flagship parts. This is especially true when you consider the consumers who are willing to throw down $500+ for a videocard. In this world, performance is by far the biggest selling point. Time after time, we’ve seen how NVIDIA and ATI have gone all out to capture the performance crown, even if their grip only lasts for a few short months. Currently, NVIDIA owns the bragging rights for the best performing dual-GPU and single-GPU cards on the market. As a result, we’ve covered both the GTX 295 and GTX 285 extensively since their respective launches and even had several overclocked models strut their stuff. But with a small army of manufacturing partners providing their own twists to the reference models, the question arises – who makes the fastest videocard?
Recently, BFG’s GTX 285 OCX impressed us by beating out two other overclocked cards in our GTX 285 round up. While the numbers were very close, they did show measurable performance increases over reference settings that translated into more frames per second in the latest games. And if that wasn’t enough, 3DMark Vantage provided further benchmarking bravado thanks to a triumvirate of higher core, shader, and memory clock speeds. But using the stock heatsink to cool a smoking hot GPU running at higher than normal speeds does have limits. In order to squeeze every last ounce of performance from a videocard, enthusiasts and modders will usually take cooling to another level. But sometimes, manufacturers will do it for them.
Watercooling has seen greater mainstream acceptance in recent years. As a result, manufacturers have acknowledged the trend and expanded their product lineups to include these more exotic parts. But what’s the big draw for videocards, motherboards, or memory pre-installed with liquid cooling options? Simply put, increased cooling potential nets higher overclocking headroom which translates into higher, stable operating frequencies and ultimately, more performance. Yes, there’s that word again. But in this particular case, performance is anchored by lower component temperatures and a quieter computing environment. Will consumers pay for the premium that these parts inherently demand? Zotac thinks so. In addition to their extensive roster of NVIDIA based graphics cards, they’ve unveiled the fastest single-GPU based card almost on the market. Zotac’s GTX 285 Infinity Edition pushes the envelope by replacing the stock heatsink with a solid copper water block and raising clocks speeds extensively. Let’s find out what makes this card so unique and how well it performs…
Galaxy GeForce GTX 285 2GB Tri-Fan Review
April 20, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
It’s good to see that not long after the launch of a new high-end product a company has come out and mixed it up a bit. While it’s not uncommon for us to see higher end ATI cards make this transition quickly, it seems that NVIDIA partners tend to take longer or sometimes not even bother at all.
Of course, it doesn’t help with the obscure PCB design on some of their cards like the GTX 295; fingers crossed that the rumors of a new single PCB dual GPU card is true.
We’re not here to talk about that today, however. What we have with us is a GTX 285 which in the looks department manages to stand out from the pack. If that wasn’t enough, Galaxy thought they would also take the time to strap on 2GB of memory.
In our normal style, before we get into the card and find out exactly what Galaxy has done, we’ll have a quick look at the package and bundle to see if there’s anything that stands out there first.
Sphere: Related ContentASUS RADEON HD 4850/4870 and GeForce GTX 285/295 Review
April 20, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
More and more plain reference copies are released into the market, and it’s a sad situation for reviewers, as there is no point in presenting just another copy for the Nth time.
Fortunately, company’s R&D department still exists in its full strength, so we have an opportunity to see original ASUS products from time to time.
Still, there are some exceptions: e.g. NVIDIA GTX 2xx products have been represented only by reference designs so far. But those are special because of the complex PCB design with 512-bit and 448-bit buses. Engineers haven’t probably come up with their own cheaper design yet. And if it’s not cheaper, there is no point in it.
Let’s examine new cards from ASUS based on top NVIDIA GPUs as well as Mid-End GPUs from AMD.
MSI N285GTX SuperPipe OC Review
April 9, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
The N285GTX SuperPipe OC is one of two new GTX 285 based video cards that MSI has just released. It and its brother, the reference clocked version, both share a unique dual-fan cooling solution with thicker than traditional video card heatpipes according to MSI. In fact, MSI is expanding this “SuperPipe” technology to the GTX 260 and the new GTX 275 as well, both which we will be looking at on a later date. According to their website MSI is using 8mm extra thick heatpipes which are “60% thicker than traditional heatpipes” and provide “90% better cooling.” Actually, there are five heatpipes on this video card, and two of them are of the “SuperPipe” variety. MSI claims the larger heatpipes will help transfer more heat and the dual-fans will help cool not only the heatsink, but also other components on the video card such as capacitors and memory.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 285 Review
March 30, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
You know, I was thinking, if there’s one product series that is consistently in price-drop somehow .. it has to be the GeForce GTX 200 series GPUs. Even after the GPU update from GTX 280 towards the 55nm 285. This is what the GTX 285 is all about, not shocking ground breaking new graphics architecture, but a move to the 55nm fabrication process – making that chip (GT200b) die size smaller, aim for better yields, and in the end, a product that requires less voltage, performs better and is more affordable.
With the new SKU in mind, we were interested to see what we could save in terms of money if we just did not opt for an overclocked, xxx, OC, SSC and what not editions. It’s interesting to see how well AIBs monetized the passion we all share; overclocking. So from that point of view it should be interesting to test the reference based product with no whistles and bells, and see if we can tweak it a little ourselves.
Luckily there are a number of manufacturers out there which sometimes do not infiltrate the channel with special overclocked editions, and whenever that happens, chances are good that their product have not been pre tested and qualified for higher clock frequencies. And that is making the chance for manual overclocks much better … while you pay the lowest price possible.
Gigabyte is such a company. They only offer a non-overclocked GTX 285 and when you purchase their GeForce GTX 285, you can not choose between six different models. It’s the GTX 285, and whatever you decide to do with it is your call. As such we picked up a retail Gigabyte GeForce GTX 285 with ironically … a gigabyte of graphics memory (yeah lame puns, I like em a lot 
.
So today we have a slightly different focus. How would a reference based high-end product perform, how would it overclock and can we save some money by purchasing such a regular product opposed to all the pre-overclocked models while boosting that clock frequency ourselves ?
It makes an interesting thesis, so we’ll find out … Of course we’ll make a full blown review out of the product as well. But not before you have had a peek at the product we are testing today. Next page you guys
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 240sp 1024MB Review
March 30, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
A while ago we examined the new dual-GPU graphics card NVIDIA GeForce 295, based on two 55nm GT200b chips. And today we are going to review a single-chip GeForce GTX 285 card that is to replace GTX 280, the previous single-GPU top card. First of all, it’s a usual upgrade to a better process technology that leads to corresponding improvements in power consumption, heat release, and a little performance gain.
GeForce GTX 280 hasn’t had a single-GPU competitor from AMD since its release. RADEON HD 4870 X2 is more expensive and reaches higher frame rates in popular applications, and HD 4850 X2 is not widely spread. However, the latter card is the best choice for comparison with the new GTX 285, if we consider their recommended prices. It conforms well with AMD’s concept of manufacturing High-End dual-GPU graphics cards. Unlike AMD, which already manufactures only multi-GPU solutions for the High-End segment, NVIDIA is not going to give up the idea of single-GPU top cards, and GeForce GTX 285 continues this good strategy.
Unlike GTX 295, our product under review is a very pragmatic solution for NVIDIA, designed to reduce manufacturing costs and to ensure large sales volumes. Together with the overhauled GTX 260 with its 216 stream processors based on GT200b, this model should improve financial situation of the company, which has not been doing very well of late. And that’s what NVIDIA got used to. Manufacturing costs of the new cards, which have come to replace GTX 260 and GTX 280, are significantly lower owing to 55nm GPUs and a simplified PCB design. Of course, the company should have launched the overhauled products before the beginning of 2009. But to all appearances, there were some problems with GT200b.
Theoretical part of our GeForce GTX 285 review will be very short, because we already examined the GT200 architecture (GT200b is not different) and even wrote several articles about the GT200b. And the only differences from GeForce GTX 280 that matter to common users are increased operating frequencies and reduced power consumption.
If you are not familiar with the architecture of GeForce GTX 200 (GT200), you can read about it in our baseline review. This architecture developed from G8x/G9x with some modifications. Before you read this article, you should study the baseline theoretical articles — DX Current, DX Next, and Longhorn. They describe various aspects of modern graphics cards and architectural peculiarities of products from NVIDIA and AMD.
MSI intros two ‘SuperPipe’ GeForce GTX 285 cards
March 26, 2009 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
MSI has just revealed the first SuperPipe series graphics cards, two GeForce GTX 285s with a twist. Both boasting 1GB of GDDR3 memory, the N285GTX SuperPipe and its ‘OC’ version feature 240 Processing Cores, a 512-bit memory interface, 3-way SLI support, and the Twin Frozr cooling system which makes use of two fans and five copper heatpipes – three 6mm pipes and two 8mm SuperPipes.
The N285GTX SuperPipe has stock frequencies – 648 MHz for the GPU, 1476 MHz for the shaders and 2484 MHz for the memory, while the N285GTX SuperPipe OC reaches up to 680 MHz (GPU) and 2500 MHz (memory). The overclocked model has already started to be listed in European stores where it is priced at just under 340 Euro.
Source: tcmagazine
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