GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB Roundup

Final Words

As with our recent 8800 GTX/GTS article, the most exotic card in this roundup is the Sparkle Calibre card. The P880 LV factory overclocked 8800 GTS 320MB card features thermoelectric cooling by MACS and moderately boosted clock speeds. While we love the idea of including unique and innovative cooling technology on graphics hardware, we just can't recommend this card for everyone.

For those who want a cooler running, quiet card but don't want to modify the hardware themselves, the Calibre P880 LV may be an option. The average user will benefit more by either saving the money or spending the difference on a more aggressively clocked 320MB part like the EVGA 8800 GTS 320MB KO ASC3. The extreme enthusiast on the other hand will be utterly unsatisfied with the cooling capacity of this card, as other TEC solutions, liquid, and phase change cooling methods are capable of achieving significantly lower temperatures which are of more interest to those who really want to push their hardware.

While we are talking about higher priced hardware, the EVGA 8800 GTS 320MB KO ACS³ certainly leads in performance in all of our tests. At a price lower than that of a stock 8800 GTS 640MB, this 8800 GTS 320MB is a good option for people who want spend less than $400 without sacrificing performance and quality at resolutions at or below 1920x1200. While MSRP is $350, we expect the street price of the ACS³ 320MB card to be a little lower. The major advantage of the 320MB hardware is its low price and high performance, and there is only so much of a premium that can be charged before it stops making sense to look at the lower memory part.

The MSI, and EVGA SuperClocked card performed nearly the same, but from what we have found the EVGA card is the cheapest of the three coming in at between $300 and $310. The lower price of the EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB KO ACS³ edges out the MSI card, but we won't count it out, as prices change all the time. If you can find the MSI card for between $300 and $310, it is just as good an option as the EVGA SuperClocked. For this reason, we are giving both the MSI NX8800 GTS 320MB OC and the EVGA SuperClocked cards our Gold Editor's Choice award. They are reasonably overclocked versions of the standard 8800 GTS 320MB reference design, with a price that is only slightly higher than stock.

In spite of the fact that the Sparkle card performs on par with both the EVGA SuperClocked and the MSI cards, the Sparkle card is at a disadvantage. The added benefit of the TEC does not, in our minds, outweigh the cost. End-user overclocking may be slightly better due to the lowered temperatures, but without a warranty that covers overclocking it just falls short.

The XFX card is priced near the EVGA SuperClocked and the MSI card, but performance is a little lighter coming in between these two and the stock hardware in most cases. While our stock clocked ASUS card is also priced in the area of $300, there are cheaper stock speed 8800 GTS 320MB parts available from other manufacturers, and we would have to recommend one of these over either the XFX Extreme or the ASUS cards. For those who don't need or want the added performance boost, stock hardware can be had for about $275, providing a decent savings and offering performance near that of the stock 640MB card at the most common resolutions.