The GTX 280 is the latest and meanest high-end GPU release by Nvidia to date. With its performance, extreme gaming suddenly seems to have new possibilities. FEATURES: Crysis fans rejoice! Finally, there's a card that can handle it at very
high settings with ease. Equipped with 1.4 billion transistors and 240 stream processors, the GTX 280 can offer a better gaming experience than its predecessors. Furthermore, it boasts of 1 GB GDDR3 RAM running at 2.2 GHz and a 512-bit interface.

It's only been a few months since Nvidia launched its 9-series GPUs, which were incremental upgrades to the 8-series ones. However, the GTX 280 is a different animal altogether. The new GPU's raw power is complemented by Nvidia's CUDA architecture for accelerating CPU-intensive tasks on the GPU. A driver update in July is expected to enable this feature (on 8-series cards upwards), which promises to make tasks such as transcoding videos up to seven times faster. Unfortunately, you'll have to pay through your nose for features like this.

However, Rs 45,000 for the GTX280 makes much more sense than Rs 35,000 for a 9800 GX2, even though it's less than three months old and shouldn't have become outdated so quickly. PERFORMANCE: It's only natural to expect incredible performance from the GTX280. At first we tested it with 2 GB RAM on our rig, but the results were unexciting.

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However, when we tried 4 GB, the monster roared to life! The card sailed through 3DMark Vantage and Crysis at very high and even extreme settings. Call of Juarez was playable at resolutions as high as 1920x1200 with 2X AA. The GTX 280 performs almost as well as two 9800 GX2s in SLI, easily defeating a single GX2. According to the scores, the GTX 280 can safely be called the most powerful GPU today. Be warned, this card will require a PSU that can provide lots of juice.

VERDICT: While the GTX 280 offers massive performance, it will show its
true potential only in a very high-end PC. Intended for extreme gaming, the GTX 280 is definitely a better choice than a single or even dual 9800 GX2 cards. All in all, if you're a gaming freak with a high-end computer and no budget 'constraints, this is the only card for you.

FOR: Excellent performance and cooling. AGAINST: Power hungry, RAM demands.

Specifications
Chipset: Nvidia GeForce GTX 280; Memory Size/Interface: 1 GB GDDR3/512-bit; Corel Memory (MHz): 1296/2214; Manufacturing Process: 65nm; Unified Shader Model: 4; Max Resolution: Up to 2560x1600; Dutput:
Dual DVI & HDTV; HDCP support.