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 9800GTX OCX Graphics Card Review
April 20, 2008 by Cabro · Leave a Comment
Manufacturer Product Page: BFG Tech – BFG NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX OCX 512MB PCIe 2.0
Product Number: BFGR98512GTXOCXE
Availability: Now
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: Click Here to Compare Prices
Just a few weeks ago Nvidia launched their highly anticipated 9800GTX and while we can debate forever about the public’s response to this particular card, it is here for the time being and it is a hell of a performer according to our past tests. Nvidia has pretty much achieved what they set out to do; to completely dominate nearly all of ATI’s offerings while christening the 9-series with a card worthy of the GTX name. In our original BFG 9800GTX review we saw that with relatively little effort, Nvidia released a card which brought new features to the table like full HDMI support and at the same time offered performance in the $350 category people only dreamed about a year ago.
Meanwhile, even though next to no time has passed since the release date of the 9800GTX, prices have already begun to fall to the point where some cards are retailing for under the $320 CAD mark. At that price we believe they represent a phenomenal value for that they bring to the table. This has also opened the door for companies to release pre-overclocked versions which may carry a higher price but they also offer performance which is uncompromising in every sense of the word. Nvidia lifted the veil from these cards a little while after the official launch so finding them is a bit hard but if you look hard enough, pre-overclocked 9800GTX cards ARE out there in the wild. As you may have already guessed, this review will be focusing on a certain card from BFG called the 9800GTX OCX.
To give you a little backgrounder, BFG is one of the largest Nvidia board partners here in North America and they have been offering their products to consumers for longer than many of us can remember. BFG prides itself in having some of the best after-sales service around while offering competitive prices to consumers who demand the best performance for their hard earned money. With a lifetime warranty and a newly introduced step-up program, they are truly forging their way into the forefront of consumers’ minds. They have also been known to release pre-overclocked cards more often than not but in the past many of these cards offered what could only be called severely limited overclocks. However, with the release of their OC2 and OCX lines (in addition to their normal OC line), they have brought more extreme factory overclocks to their customers. Their BFG 9800GTX is now being offered in four flavors based on how far they are pre overclocked; there is the stock card, the OC model has a moderate overclock, OC2 has slightly higher clocks while the OCX card we have here today is the best of the best.
As we already mentioned, the overclocked 9800 GTX cards come with a price premium over stock cards as is usual in the graphics card industry. However, be prepared for a bit of sticker shock when it comes to the BFG 9800GTX OCX since you will be shelling out about $400 Canadian if you want to hold this beauty in your sweaty little palms. While some of you may have gagged slightly at that price, I suggest you wait to pass judgment until you see how this thing performs in our battery of tests.
