What is the most important component in a gaming computer? Someone will answer that processor. Others will claim that RAM. But the one who says that the video card will be right. It is this component that is responsible for the qualitative output of graphic information. And the more powerful the adapter, the more likely it is to see all those “beautiful things” that were conceived by the creator of the game. The video card NVidia GeForce GTX 280 has the highest performance and may well reveal the full potential of the game. But there is one thing: this card is sharpened for high FPS, and not for image quality. However, it will bring gamers only joy. Let's take a closer look at this interesting adapter. But first, a few words about the manufacturer.
A little bit about the company
NVidia is one of the most famous manufacturers of graphics accelerators. The company was founded in 1993. Initially, only chips and sets of logical solutions for computers were produced. However, over time, the company mastered the production of high-performance graphics cards. At the very beginning of its life, NVidia was almost the only company producing such a plan. Well-known AMD then only dealt with processors. The video cards of the GeForce series have become legendary. Now every self-respecting gamer dreams of a top-end graphics card from NVidia. But not everyone can afford it. However, the last statement does not apply to our hero today - the GeForce GTX 280.
Currently, there is a competition between adapters from NVidia and similar products from AMD. The latter are clearly losing, because they do not have such productivity and energy efficiency. However, their price is much less. Nevertheless, top-end video cards from NVidia are well-deserved among professionals and gamers. Only these cards provide the best picture quality and the highest number of FPS. The success of the company in the release of video cards is truly phenomenal. However, let's move on to the review. Our hero today is the NVidia GeForce GTX 280. An excellent graphics card for a home computer. Let's consider it in more detail.
Lyrical digression
Do not forget that the GeForce GTX 280 was released back in 2008. Therefore, comparing it with modern products is the height of insanity. Performance will not be comparable. At the moment, this adapter is interesting precisely as an inexpensive and simple solution for a home computer, sharpened for work. Yes, the card easily pulls Full HD-video and not very demanding games (even from modern standards). But you should not count on launching tanks with maximum graphics settings.
Of course, with overclocking (the card also supports this option) and some tweaks, you can make the adapter play modern masterpieces of the gaming industry. But it is worth considering that without a good cooling system this is very risky. And the video adapter wears out faster than it should. Therefore, it is better to use the normal mode and not load the video card beyond measure. However, we turn to the technical characteristics of the device and try to understand what was innovative in it at the time of release.
Specifications
The video card is based on a chip made using 65 nm technology. What does it mean? This means that on a smaller chipset, you can place twice as many crystals than using the technology of the previous generation. This helped to reduce the size of the video card and make it much more energy efficient. It is also possible to positively solve the problem of heat dissipation. But this is what concerns physical parameters. What about other features? Graphics clock speed is 602 megahertz. This is a very important parameter. Many people think that the “coolness” of the adapter depends on the amount of memory, but this is not so. Performance is affected by just the operating frequency. And here she is pretty decent. The width of the memory interface is 512 bits. This parameter also affects the color depth. Bus bandwidth is 141 gigabits per second. This means that the GeForce GTX 280 is capable of processing information many times faster than its predecessors.
Now about what inexperienced users pay special attention to - the amount of memory. It is equal to 1 gigabyte. Is it a lot or a little? As already mentioned, this affects performance not as much as the operating frequency. However, it will be useful to have a reserve of memory. But a gigabyte for the eyes is enough to work confidently with ordinary everyday tasks. Among other things, the video card supports SLI technology and is connected using the PCI Express 2.0 slot. That is, it will suit the vast majority of modern computers. Even despite its "rarity". Now consider the main interfaces of the GeForce GTX 280.
Connection interfaces
So how to connect a monitor to this video card? It is worth noting that the VGA jack is not there. Therefore, old monitors using this technology can only connect to the adapter using an adapter. The NVidia GeForce GTX 280 graphics card has only two DVI format connectors. There is also the ability to connect via HDMI. But only a very ancient version of this technology is supported. Nevertheless, even such a meager set of interfaces is enough to connect any monitor. Another feature: there is a connector type SLI, which allows you to combine two similar video cards into one using CrossFire technology. Just this "chip" in 2008 was unique. This combination of two adapters helps to greatly increase productivity.
Many users complain that this card supports HDMI technology of an extremely old version. But do not forget that this adapter was released in 2008. Then, there simply was no current technology. For its age, the adapter is equipped with a very good set of interfaces and connectors. And if you need to connect something else, then you can use adapters and splitters. Nobody forbids this. Yes, and the design of the video card allows. And now a little about the various modifications of this video card.
Analogs from MSI
MSI GeForce GTX 280 differs from the "original" only in that it is slightly overclocked. So, the effective operating frequency of the bus is increased to 1500 megahertz. This allowed for greater productivity. The cooling system has also been completely redesigned. The heat sink has become more efficient. And also noticeable changes in terms of design. The card is now clad in a modern plastic case with MSI signature colors. Only a small nameplate with the name of the company now speaks of belonging to Nvidia.
By the way, cards from MSI are durable. You can not say about adapters from other manufacturers. According to users, these video cards live longer. Even under the condition that they were dispersed. And there are plenty of lovers of this business in our latitudes. As for the price, these adapters belong to the middle price segment.
Analogs from Zotac
This company is known for making real works of art out of pass-through versions of video cards and it is great to increase their productivity. So, Zotac GeForce GTX 280 can give odds even to modern entry-level graphics cards. Designers from the "Zotak" managed not only to increase the frequency of the bus to an extraordinary level, but also to expand the amount of internal memory. Naturally, such changes required a radical redesign of the cooling system. And she is really effective here.
"Zotak" produces top-end graphics cards. But they also have the ability to overclock. Therefore, at the moment they are still relevant, especially overclocked copies. The beauty of these adapters is that their cooling system allows you to indulge in overclocking without worrying about the possible consequences. This is a real find for geeks and gamers. The price for these models of video cards, of course, is appropriate. Buy them for a penny just does not work. But then the user knows exactly what he pays for.
Analogs from Palit
This office takes an adapter from a well-known manufacturer, hangs on it some branded "buns" and sells it as its product. Although there is nothing special about the Palit GeForce GTX 280. Performance remained at the same level, the amount of internal memory, too. The only innovation is the cooling system. But this is not so important. Design changes are also noticeable. This is perhaps the only thing the company worked hard for. In general, “Palit” is the same “Nvidia” with other colors.
Maps from "Palit" are the cheapest in our review. They have enough commendable reviews. But about the same amount and negative. Most users complain of extremely low survivability. These are the least reliable adapters of all existing ones. Therefore, of course, the price is appropriate. However, many choose this option just because of reasonable cost.
What games will go on this adapter?
It is impossible to answer this question with one sentence. It all depends on the graphics settings. Of course, modern toys will not go on ultra-tuning. Yes, even on average you can not count. But the low graphics settings of the GeForce GTX 280 1GB are still within reach. So, for example, well-known tanks show on this card stable 50 frames per second at the minimum graphics settings. Not so bad. With finer tuning, it is even possible to achieve a comfortable 60 FPS. The Warcraft version of The Fogs of Pandaria easily produces 70 and 120 frames per second. Naturally, with minimal graphics settings. However, the best results can be achieved with games of the same year as the video card: 2008. If in the recommended system requirements of the toy in the "Video Card" column there is a line like NVidia GeForce GTX 280 series or higher, then you can safely run it at the maximum graphics settings. A beautiful picture and excellent performance are guaranteed.
User's Manual
Usually this "piece of paper" comes with a video adapter. She is in the box. Together with the card itself. If you use a modification from another manufacturer (Palit GeForce GTX 280), the instruction may be on the driver disk and the necessary software. It contains all the information about the map on the shelves. Comprehensive explanations of where to connect are also given. And all this information is in Russian with an adequate translation. This is a sign that the company values its reputation and humanly treats customers. And it doesn’t matter which country they come from.
Of course, paper instructions are preferable. After all, it is not always possible to start a disk. But even without instructions, it’s clear how to connect a video card. Even a child can handle this. However, the instruction on the disk is more complete. It is also equipped with a fairly extensive multimedia material, in which everything is laid out on shelves. And if the user has a laptop or a second computer, then it is better to study all the necessary information directly from the disk.
Owner reviews
Feedback on the work and capabilities of the video card is extremely important. They provide an opportunity to understand how the component behaves in real conditions. As for the NVidia GeForce GTX 280, there are approximately equal numbers of positive and negative comments. Let's start with the pros.
Adequate users (those who understand that the adapter is quite ancient) note that the video card copes pretty well with all the tasks. According to some users, they were able to squeeze the maximum out of the map and launch even the newfangled Warface. And the lack of an inscription in the system requirements of the "NVidia GeForce GTX 280 series or higher" did not stop them. It turned out that the adapter did an excellent job. Even without overclocking. This once again suggests that this video card will give odds to many modern products (especially from AMD).
Also, many users respond positively to the cooling system of the adapter. Even under high loads, the temperature of the chip rarely reaches half the critical temperature. This is a great result. Positive comments were also made to the manufacturer because of the possibility of overclocking the card. Although in the official sources of the company this is not advertised. Nevertheless, enthusiasts managed to significantly increase the operating frequency of the card at home, which had a positive effect on performance. And a special thanks to the gamers said for the possibility of using two or more cards in SLI mode. This is a really useful option. However, enough laudatory odes. We pass to negative comments.
Reviews of a negative nature mainly come from those people who wanted to get a top-end video card at a budget price. However, they do not care deeply for the year of release. Nevertheless, among this whining it is quite possible to distinguish several adequate comments. So, for example, many owners of this miracle complain about a large number of factory defects. Moreover, analogues from other manufacturers are ideal. Only the original Nvidia are subject to marriage. This is unpleasant, but you can’t get away from the fact. Also, some instances of video cards do not work correctly with CrossFire technology, which gives a drop in performance. The numbers are insignificant, but still unpleasant. Many more note the poor efficiency of the cooling system in some instances of the "original" GeForce GTX 280. Such trifles are unpleasant, but they are, and you have to put up with them.
Conclusion
So, we examined the "rare" video card NVidia GeForce GTX 280. Once it occupied the top places, and now it is suitable only for everyday tasks and some toys. But some modifications of this adapter are still relevant today. They just moved from the category of top-end video cards to budget ones. In any case, this adapter is a great opportunity to save money and build an almost modern PC. The video card is perfect for those who do not pursue performance and beautiful effects. The main task of the video adapter is to display the image. And our today's hero copes with this in a way that no one dreamed of.