Considering the GeForce GTX 295 is by now the best ever graphics card, you might be doubting why Nvidia has determined to re-release the manufactured goods in a innovative single-PCB configuration.

The reply to this question boils down to a single factor; cost. ATi's previous only some dual-GPU solutions have all been sole PCB cards with two graphics processors located in line with all other. Nvidia, on the other hand, has favored a sandwich configuration whereby two PCBs house a single chip each one.

This has enabled ATi to cut the costs of its Radeon 4870 X2 cards at the same time as still retaining productivity, forcing Nvidia to react by dropping the price of its own flagship to a stage where partners are not building sufficient money. Clearly amazing had to be done to put off the card's already-poor accessibility from withdrawing yet further.

The Zotac we are trying here is the first single-PCB GTX 295 to enter in our labs so we were eager to balance its performance, power utilization as well as thermal uniqueness to the unique card. On paper, the specifications are still precisely the same, with the GPU structural design being a slim mish-mash of the GTX 280 as well as GTX 260.

The dispensation capability is lifted straight from the previous, with 240 shaders per GPU, even as the 448-bit memory bus is the same to the later. In general this adds up to performance approximately corresponding to a duo of GTX 275 cards in SLI; indeed nothing to be sniffed at.

Performance from the GTX 295 remains excellent with the card providing matchless results across our benchmarks. FarCry 2 was glossy smooth when running at utmost feature with complete FSAA on our 30-inch Dell monitor, even as the similar was also factual for Crysis Warhead, where even the threatening “Enthusiast” feature levels were handled with aplomb.

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As before, a well-known 700W PSU will be necessary for a single GTX 295, even as those with a big enough for two cards in Quad SLI will require somewhat impending a kilowatt of power. Taking our readings at the wall we saw a matching full-load power draw among this card as well as its dual-PCB precursor, whilst unused utilization was somewhat more economical when using the recently intended variant.

Thermals among the two cards were too very close, with the imposing innovative cooler keeping the two cores presently lower than 80 degrees Celsius at full load; a consequence somewhat more effectual than the dual PCB design at a usually equivalent sound level.

Zotac has offered a really outstanding package with this exacting GTX 295. Even as other producer only provides you with the uncovered minimum, here you get an excess of adaptors as well as TV out cables, two printed manuals along with an HDMI cable. The software package is just as remarkable, with a complete copy of 3DMark Vantage as well as the outstanding driving game GriD being offered alongside the common driver disk.

In general the GTX 295 single PCB card is an evolutionary somewhat than ground-breaking product. As Nvidia promised; it offers the similar performance, sound as well as thermal credentials as its precursor in a package we have by now seen for around £30 cheaper. Accessibility has also been very much enhanced, lastly opening up this outstanding flagship card to those starving for the best performance obtainable.