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256MB GeForce 8800 GT on the way
Nvidia removes 256MB of RAM from its acclaimed GeForce 8800 GT to produce a bargain graphics card in time for Christmas
Either the guys at Nvidia are feeling particularly generous or they’re turning their trousers brown at the thought of what ATI might have in stall, but whatever the reason, there’s soon going to be a bargain GeForce on the way.
Nvidia’s latest mid-range monster is going to be a 256MB version of the GeForce 8800 GT, which XFX is planning to release before Christmas. Details are thin on the ground at the moment, but we assume it’s going to be otherwise identical to the 512MB version with the exception of the memory. If this is the case, then it will have 112 stream processors clocked at 1.5GHz, and 900MHz (1.8GHz effective) GDDR3 memory.
As such, the performance should hold up well up to a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050, but the card is likely to fall down when you go up to higher resolutions such as 1,920 x 1,200 and start piling on the anti-aliasing, as that’s when the extra memory will be needed. The 512MB card still produced playable frame rates in F.E.A.R., Need for Speed: Carbon and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at 1,920 x 1,200 with 4x AA, so this is likely to be what you’d lose by going for the 256MB card.
Nvidia estimates that the card will retail for between £135 and £145 inc VAT, making it an ideal graphics card for those on a tighter budget who don’t need super high-res gaming performance. We’ll give you more details as and when we receive them.
Update: XFX has now announced that its version of the card is expected to retail at €149 ex VAT, which works out at just £123.30 at the current exchange rate.Tthis could be a bargain, providing UK retailers don't get too greedy.
