Conclusion:
Geeks.com sells the 512MB
Sparkle GeForce 9800 GTX+ for
$157.99. While this is quite a competitive price when compared to other brands of 512MB 9800 GTX+ cards found at a variety of other retailers, it will soon face some serious competition in the form of its clone, the GeForce GTS 250. While I have not yet seen any of these new cards available for sale, they are expected to debut at around $129. Considering that the GTS 250 is pretty much a 9800 GTX+ with a shiny new appearance, saving $30 on the "new" version is hard to argue with.
The bottom line is that the 512MB Sparkle GeForce 9800 GTX+ offers decent low to mid level gaming performance, but it draws way too much power and is about to need a price cut to stay competitive. The strongest selling point is that it stays cool and quiet at all times, which coupled with an integrated HDMI port makes it a good fit for an HTPC. It can handle games just fine when the settings aren't turned up too high, and the multimedia capabilities are more than adequate for any HD playback.
The 512MB Sparkle GeForce 9800 GTX+ earns the Bigbruin.com "Whisper Quiet" award for its low noise operation.
Pros:
» Good choice for an HTPC used for multimedia and some gaming
» Fan stays very quiet at idle or under a load
» GPU temperature never got that hot
» Integrated HDMI port
» Three way SLI ready
Cons:
» Draws a good deal of power under a load
» Minimal bundle of accessories and software
» Priced higher than comparable new generation card - GeForce GTS 250
Special thanks to
Geeks.com for providing the Sparkle GeForce 9800 GTX+ Graphics Card to Bigbruin.com for review!
