Conclusion
Please note that an unedited version of the conclusion was originally posted. It has been updated accordingly.
EVGA has impressed us again and again with their products and when it comes to performance, their GTS 450 1GB FTW is without equal. Its clock speeds show us exactly what this architecture can do when it is pushed to the absolute limit and the fact that it kept temperatures in check is impressive to say the least. In most tests it is at least equal to the HD 5770 and surpasses it in many situations. The FTW does away with the inconsistency we complained of in the original GTS 450 review and replaces it with awe-inspiring framerates.
We can rave all night about this card’s performance but when you take a closer look, things don’t look quite as rosy. Regardless of the clock speeds, we are of the opinion that EVGA are a victim of their own success in this case. Thinking they would have the high-clocked GTS 450 market all but cornered, a high price of $150 was slapped on the FTW edition. This is a mere $20 less than the GTX 460 768MB; a card that routinely slaps the FTW around like a lazy donkey at every single resolution. Nonetheless, the EVGA FTW will still be one of the fastest GTS 450 cards on the market for some time.
It has to be mentioned that ASUS has their own TOP DirectCU edition that has literally 96% of the FTW’s performance and packs a price which is less expensive at $140. Did we mention that the ASUS card comes with an excellent heatsink, heavily upgraded components and the ability to increase voltage via included software? These are all things which the FTW lacks.
We also don’t like to see EVGA bucking tradition and giving their premium cards a 2-year warranty which is actually BELOW the industry standard 3 years. That is not a good message to send in a market that craves value for their money and doesn’t mind paying a small price premium for an extra long warranty. Granted, there will be other EVGA GTS 450 cards with lifetime warranties but its absence from the highest-end SKU is noteworthy.
With the GTS 450 FTW, EVGA could have had a winner on their hands. Unfortunately, a slimmer than average accessory package which is missing the usual mini HDMI adaptor and a shorter than average warranty detract from what we have come to expect from EVGA's products. This model relies solely on its sky high clock speeds to justify its price premium. Yes, its performance is otherworldly (particularly when paired up in SLI) when compared to a reference board, but at this price level there are much better options out there.
Pros:
- Extreme performance for a GTS 450 card
- Runs quiet & cool
- Stunning SLI scaling
Cons:
- Price
- 2 year warranty (seriously, come on EVGA)
- Lacks mini HDMI to HDMI adaptor
- Competition’s card are more appealing in this case
Conclusion
Please note that an unedited version of the conclusion was originally posted. It has been updated accordingly.
EVGA has impressed us again and again with their products and when it comes to performance, their GTS 450 1GB FTW is without equal. Its clock speeds show us exactly what this architecture can do when it is pushed to the absolute limit and the fact that it kept temperatures in check is impressive to say the least. In most tests it is at least equal to the HD 5770 and surpasses it in many situations. The FTW does away with the inconsistency we complained of in the original GTS 450 review and replaces it with awe-inspiring framerates.
We can rave all night about this card’s performance but when you take a closer look, things don’t look quite as rosy. Regardless of the clock speeds, we are of the opinion that EVGA are a victim of their own success in this case. Thinking they would have the high-clocked GTS 450 market all but cornered, a high price of $150 was slapped on the FTW edition. This is a mere $20 less than the GTX 460 768MB; a card that routinely slaps the FTW around like a lazy donkey at every single resolution. Nonetheless, the EVGA FTW will still be one of the fastest GTS 450 cards on the market for some time.
It has to be mentioned that ASUS has their own TOP DirectCU edition that has literally 96% of the FTW’s performance and packs a price which is less expensive at $140. Did we mention that the ASUS card comes with an excellent heatsink, heavily upgraded components and the ability to increase voltage via included software? These are all things which the FTW lacks.
We also don’t like to see EVGA bucking tradition and giving their premium cards a 2-year warranty which is actually BELOW the industry standard 3 years. That is not a good message to send in a market that craves value for their money and doesn’t mind paying a small price premium for an extra long warranty. Granted, there will be other EVGA GTS 450 cards with lifetime warranties but its absence from the highest-end SKU is noteworthy.
With the GTS 450 FTW, EVGA could have had a winner on their hands. Unfortunately, a slimmer than average accessory package which is missing the usual mini HDMI adaptor and a shorter than average warranty detract from what we have come to expect from EVGA's products. This model relies solely on its sky high clock speeds to justify its price premium. Yes, its performance is otherworldly (particularly when paired up in SLI) when compared to a reference board, but at this price level there are much better options out there.
Pros:
- Extreme performance for a GTS 450 card
- Runs quiet & cool
- Stunning SLI scaling
Cons:
- Price
- 2 year warranty (seriously, come on EVGA)
- Lacks mini HDMI to HDMI adaptor
- Competition’s card are more appealing in this case
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