Introduction
Like processors, GPUs of the same series are generally made from the same line. The different models you see in stores actually come off the same platter. These chips are tested and binned into different speed grades, for sale at different prices. But unlike processors, GPUs can be further binned according to their "defects".
When a GPU die is not fully functional after the fabrication process, manufacturers can often disable the non-functional sections. This allows them to salvage their imperfectly-fabricated GPUs and turn them into functional chips. Of course, this salvaged GPU will be slower due to the lower number of working pixel shaders or other components of the die that may have to be disabled.
These GPUs are sold as fully-functional GPUs, albeit at lower prices due to their lower specifications. Of course, this is not always the case. Market forces play a part in the creation of cheaper, crippled parts. In fact, many perfectly-functional GPUs are deliberately crippled in the same way to obtain lower-performance parts when the demand for such parts exceed supply.
One of such GPUs is the NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS. While based on the same G71 core as the GeForce 7900 GT and the GeForce 7900 GTX, it has fewer functional pixel and vertex shaders. You can think of it as a slightly crippled version of the GeForce 7900 GT.
But what happens when you put a graphics card based on a downgraded GPU like the GeForce 7900 GS on steroids? That's what we will find out today when we review the ASUS EN7900GS TOP. ASUS took the cheap GeForce 7900 GS and turned it into Hercules. Take a look at this comparison and you will see why.
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT |
ASUS EN7900GS TOP |
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS |
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GS |
|
Manufacturing Process |
0.09 Micron |
0.09 Micron |
0.09 Micron |
0.11 Micron |
Transistor Count |
278 Million |
278 Million |
278 Million |
302 Million |
DirectX Support |
9.0c |
9.0c |
9.0c |
9.0 |
Interface |
PCI Express X16 |
PCI Express X16 |
PCI Express X16 |
AGP / PCIe X16 |
Vertex Shaders |
8 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
Vertex
Shader Version |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
Pixel
Shaders |
24 |
20 |
20 |
16 |
Pixel
Shader Version |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
3.0 |
Textures Per Clock |
24 |
20 |
20 |
16 |
ROPs |
16 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
Core
Speed |
450 MHz |
590 MHz |
450 MHz |
375 MHz |
Fill
Rate |
10800 MTexels/s |
11800 MTexels/s |
9000 MTexels/s |
6000 MTexels/s |
Memory
Bus Width |
256-bits |
256-bits |
256-bits |
256-bits |
Memory Type |
GDDR3 |
GDDR3 |
GDDR3 |
GDDR3 |
Memory
Speed |
660 MHz |
720 MHz |
660 MHz |
500 MHz |
Memory Bandwidth |
42.20 GB/s |
46.08 GB/s |
42.20 GB/s |
32.00 GB/s |
The NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS improved upon its predecessor, the 7800 GS by offering a 50% higher fill rate and almost 32% more memory bandwidth. But that wasn't enough for ASUS. They boosted the GeForce 7900 GS' core speed from 450MHz to a staggering 590MHz and increased the memory speed to 720MHz (1.4GHz DDR).
Thanks to the higher clock speeds, the ASUS EN7900GS TOP had over 30% more fill rate and over 9% more memory bandwidth than what it was originally rated for. In fact, it had a higher fill rate than the standard NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT, even though it had four fewer pixel shaders. It is indeed a GeForce 7900 GS on steroids.
The Package
The ASUS EN7900GS TOP came in a large cardboard box with an archer girl adorning the front. If you buy this card, you may just win her heart... or at least that's the idea. More notable is the relatively small chart at the upper right corner which claims that this overclocked variant is 20% faster than the regular GeForce 7900 GS.
If you need more information, then flip the box over to the back. Here, you can read about the key features of the GeForce 7900 GS card as well as exclusive ASUS-only features found in this card.
The box is pretty big for what it contains. Inside the box, you will find :
- One ASUS EN7900GS TOP graphics card
- One DVI-to-VGA converter
- One HDTV-out cable
-
- One faux leather CD case
- Two CDs
It is a pretty spartan bundle, but then again, what else do you really need? All the necessary accessories are already in the package. Any other bundled accessories would be merely superfluous additions to the package.