Vendor Cards: MSI NX7800GTX

Final Words

The fact that our MSI card was able to overclock more than the EVGA doesn't actually matter. Performance of the two cards at maximum overclock is exactly the same due to NVIDIA's method of handling clock speed controls. With a little less heat and a little more noise, this card stacks up pretty well against our reference, but the EVGA's factory OC gives it a slight advantage going into the final round.

What it really boils down to is price, and this changes constantly. Over time, you'll see the lower clocked 7800s selling for less, but since these cards are fairly new on the market, you can find some pretty good deals if you are lucky. The MSI NX7800 GTX is four dollars cheaper at ZipZoomFly than the $539 N538 version of EVGA's 7800 GTX (the version with a 450MHz clock and Battlefield 2). But the real deal (at the time of publication: 7/24/05) is Monarch Computer's sale of the EVGA N538 e-GeForce 7800 GTX for $500 ($507.70 including shipping charges).

Right now, our recommendation all comes down to price. The extra performance of the EVGA part out of the box is well worth another four dollars. But add Battlefield 2 and the lowest price that we've yet seen on a G70 based part to date, those interested should jump on this deal. The price of 7800 GTX cards will fall over time, but with many still selling at 20% more, this is definitely a deal.

We aren't sure how long this deal will last, but, as a general rule, for the same price (or even a couple of dollars more), the higher clocked version of the EVGA 7800s gets our recommendation. Pay attention to the part number here, as the name on the box is the same no matter which version is inside. Eventually, the lower clocked 7800 GTX cards may settle out to a lower price, and at that point, the choice will come down to the cost of an extra few fps and Battlefield 2 or Chronicles of Riddick. Riddick is an absolutely wonderful game (probably the best game based on a movie of all time), but Battlefield 2 is destined to be more popular (especially with those interested in buying a 7800 GTX).

That brings our second 7800 GTX vendor review to a close with the EVGA still on top. Please stay tuned as we continue to update price and performance numbers with more vendors' cards. Next on the list is BFG. We want to bring you the best and most reliable information around, and as more cards come along, we will continue to get a clearer idea of how each of the manufacturers implements the G70, and how they measure up to eachother. Please let us know if there is anything that we can add to this series to help make it the most useful 7800 resource around.