ASUS EN8800GT TOP 512MB Graphics Card Review

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Call of Juarez (DX10)

Call of Juarez (DX10)

Other than being one of the first benchmarkable DX10 games, Call of Juarez also received luke-warm reviews but it provides some stunning visuals. To benchmark this game we used the in-game benchmark tool and ran it 4 times to give an average score.


1280 x 1024

1600 x 1200

1920 x 1200

With its increased clock speeds, the ASUS 8800GT TOP is able to pull ahead of the 8800GTS 512MB ever so slightly until the highest resolution we tested. We can see once again (as we did in the 9800 GTX review) that there seems to be some issues with the 169.25 drivers in this game with all 8-series cards. It should also be noted that the tests between the ASUS card and the stock 8800GTS 512MB were so close that with the margin of error factored in, theses two cards can be considered even.

 

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Prey / Unreal Tournament III

Prey

Even though Prey may be a bit older game compared against many of the other ones we are testing, it still provides a workout of even the best graphics cards on the market. This time we have enabled its Graphics Boost feature (Gboost in the charts) and run through a custom timedemo.

In all of the tests and at every resolution, the ASUS 8800GT is able to stay ahead of the 8800GTS 512MB which goes to prove that sometimes brute force clock speeds trump a few extra stream processors.


Unreal Tournament III

With absolutely stunning graphics, this popular online FPS provides great visuals to go hand-in-hand with palm-sweating gameplay.

For these tests we set up a 15 minute Bot Match on the Serenity level and let it play though. All of the results were recorded with FRAPS.

The Unreal Tournament III results look a bit different since it seems like this game is able to take full advantage of the increased number of stream processors in the higher-end cards and so the Asus card is relegated to the back of the field. That being said, the TOP is able to offer a 10% or more frame rate increase over a stock 8800GT.

 

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World in Conflict DX9

World in Conflict DX9

This is one stunning game. World in Conflict has provided us with some of my most memorable gaming experiences since the first Homeworld game was released and it has not stopped wowing me. In its DX9 form it provides eye-popping visuals and pushes most modern GPUs to their limits. However, in DX10 mode this game will cause nearly every graphics card to beg for mercy.

For this test we used the in-game benchmarking tool.


1280 x 1024

1600 x 1200

2560 x 1600

As we near the end of our benchmarks, the ASUS 8800GT TOP is still holding strong against the competition but to varying degrees of effectiveness. One thing that is always a constant is the TOP’s dominance over the stock 8800GT 512MB.

 

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World in Conflict DX10

World in Conflict DX10

1280 x 1024

1600 x 1200

2560 x 1600

As we saw in the 9800 GTX review, there seems to be some issues with the GTX at certain resolutions in World In Conflict but this just goes to show how well the Asus 8800GT can stretch its legs. While we sometimes see the limitations of the G92 architecture coupled with a 256-bit bus, it seems like the clock speeds of this card end up benefiting it to a certain extent.

 

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Heat & Acoustical Performance / Power Consumption

Heat & Acoustical Performance

For this test we loaded the core of the 9800GTX with 3dMark06’s Batch-Size rendering test at the highest triangle count with a resolution of 1600x1200 and 2xAA. This puts a constant high load on the core for the indicated time. All temperatures were recorded with nTune’s temperature logging program.

It should also be noted that after trying two of these Asus cards we have come to the conclusion that the stock thermal sensor seems to be disabled or certain software programs just can't detect it properly. Rivatuner, Ntune and ATItool did not pick up a temperature from the core on two of these cards. ASUS' SmartDoc software is able to monitor the temperatures but did not play nice with a fresh install of Vista x64.

Thus, we took the Glaciator off the 8800GT TOP, installed it on an EVGA 8800GT (overclocked to 700Mhz / 2000Mhz) and then hard-wired the fan to run directly off a Molex connector. Additionally, we ensured it was being fed the same voltage as when it was installed on the original ASUS card by way of a resistor.

However, we continue to look for a solution to this and will update you when we get to the bottom of it.

Update: Please refer to the http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/video-cards/5469-asus-en8800gt-top-review-comment-thread.html for a work-around to our temperature monitoring issue.

Well, the results we achieved can only be called definitive since the Glaciator cooler reduced the temperature of the test card quite significantly. You should also remember that this is on an overclocked card so there is quite a bit more heat to dissipate than with an 8800GT running at stock seeds. Not only does this show that the heatsink attached to this card is extremely efficient but it also shows just how inefficient the stock 8800GT unit is at removing heat from around the core.

While it is busy cooling off the graphics card, the Glaciator stayed remarkably quiet and it did not increase in noise output since it is rigged to run at a constant speed. This in itself is a reason to seriously consider buying the 8800GT TOP since the stock 8800GT heatsink puts out a massive racket when the GPU core is under significant load.


Power Consumption

For this test we hooked up our power supply to a UPM power meter that will log the power consumption of the whole system twice every second. In order to stress the GPU as much as possible we once again use the Batch Render test in 3DMark06 and let it run for 30 minutes to determine the peak power consumption.

As we can see here, with increased clock speeds comes higher power consumption. With the core overclocked to 700Mhz and an additional 200Mhz overclock on the memory, the ASUS 8800GT TOP shows that it consumes quite a bit more power than a stock card and even more than a stock 8800GTS 512MB. Indeed, it even comes close to equalling the power consumption of the newly-released 9800 GTX. No one said performance didn’t come witout some sacrifices folks!!

 

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Overclocking…is there more?

Overclocking…is there more?

Overclocking the ASUS 8800GT TOP WILL void your warranty.

Max Overclocks

Core: 756Mhz
Memory: 2086Mhz (DDR)

As we saw months ago with the EVGA 8800GT Superclocked, overclocking this card’s memory didn’t yield much in the way of increased clocks since all we achieved was a paltry 86Mhz increase. However, the core surprised us a bit by overclocking an additional 56Mhz over its pre-overclocked speeds which represents a whooping 156Mhz increase over 8800GT stock speeds. Not bad…not bad at all.

 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

Looking at the performance figures we have seen from the ASUS 8800GT TOP Edition, it is abundantly apparent that what we have here is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It looks like an 8800GT and it costs the same as most pre-overclocked 8800GTs on the market but it performs like an 8800GTS 512MB. In every one of the tests we ran, this card was a good ten to fifteen percent faster than a stock 8800GT and in quite a few instances actually passed the performance levels of an 8800GTS 512MB. This is the perfect product for those of you who don’t want to go through the trials (and voided warranties with some companies) of overclocking your graphics card to get the maximum performance it can offer. Right out box you have a card that is able to put any stock-clocked 8800GT to shame which is incredible considering pre-overclocked products don’t usually come with the gameplay increase this one does. In the 8-series world this card occupies, it really is balls-out performance that the ASUS 8800GT TOP offers.

Not only does this card have the distinction of being one of the highest-clocked 8800GTs on the market today but ASUS has also decked it out with one sweet cooler called the Glaciator. All kidding about the name aside, this proprietary heatsink is able to keep the temperatures of the overclocked G92 core under control while keeping noise output to an absolute minimum. “Overclocked” is the operative word here since the stock 8800GT cooler has issues keeping the core temperatures under control when the card is operating at stock speeds let alone the heat produced by an overclock of 100Mhz.

While everything up to this point looked like fireworks and happy dancing leprechauns, there is more than what first meets the eye when it comes to this card since there are a few underlying issues that need to be addressed. First of all it seems even ASUS has a bit of trouble classifying this card since this version with the Glaciator cooler is not listed on their website and its product number is the same as the 8800GT without it installed. Next comes availability which (at least here in Canada) is next to nonexistent. We can live with the increased cost which is naturally associated with a pre-overclocked card but we would at least expect to find it for sale somewhere. Finally, mention has to be made of ASUS’ warranty on their graphics cards which at a mere three years is light-years behind their competition. With some manufacturers offering lifetime, double lifetime and modder-friendly warranties, the ASUS warranty just doesn’t entice a customer to buy their product.

When push comes to shove, the ASUS 8800GT TOP offers blistering performance for a card in its price range and the Glaciator heatsink only adds to its appeal. ASUS has also sweetened the pot by adding a more than almost anyone could want with the inclusion of one of the best RTS games on the market today. Even small issues like a 3-year warranty and limited availability can’t hold this graphics card back from receiving our highest honours.


Pros:

- Blistering speed
- Great aftermarket cooling
- Glaciator heatsink is VERY quiet
- Priced less than most 8800GTS 512MB cards
- Full game included (and it’s a good game too)

Cons:

- Limited availability
- 3-year warranty
- 8800GTS 512MB cards are getting closer and closer in price

Thanks to ASUS for providing us with this graphics card

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/video-cards/5469-asus-en8800gt-top-review-comment-thread.html​