XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB XXX Video Card

Conclusion

When it comes to performing well in todays current games the XFX 8800 GTS 320MB XXX edition graphics card is no slouch. In some cases, it was very near the class leading 8800 GTX, which speaks volumes about the kind of gaming experience you can expect. I was more than a little skeptical when I first heard that NVIDIA planned to bring a card to market with half the memory size of the standard GTS but I have been thoroughly impressed with the performance of the XXX 320MB card. It delivers exactly where it counts, at resolutions the largest percentage of the market actually games.

I feel that the extra-added performance of the XXX card is worth the small price premium it carries. The guaranteed overclock really boosts performance while the standard clocked 320MB card was near the bottom in most of our tests. However, this does not necessarily make it a bad card because it still performs much better than the X1900XTX and 7900 GTX XXX and gives you the ability to run Direct X10 games once they are available.

In terms of overclocking our XFX XXX edition 320MB card left us floored. An extra 50MHz core and 270MHz memory speed really put the card over the top. Of course, not every card is going to overclock the same but the maximum core clock speed for all six un-modified 8800 series cards that I have had my hands on seems to be 630MHz. I am not sure how some other review sites are getting higher overclocks but you can be sure that our results are the norm rather than the exception.

The 320MB GTS will likely be the least expensive card we will see in the 8800 series. Rumors are swirling of the soon to be released 8600 Ultra and slower variants so it is safe to say that this card is the least expensive way to get 8800 GTX like performance. Making a purchase decision between the 320MB card and 640MB is more difficult when checking prices online. The 640MB GTS has seen some recent price drops and can be found as low as $349 after mail-in-rebate which puts it only $20 more than the $329 MSRP of our XXX card. The important thing to look at is what resolution you will be gaming. At 1600×1200 and lower, the 320MB GTS is more than capable of delivering the kind of gaming experience you have been dreaming of since the 8800s launched, but could not afford. For those gaming at 1920×1200 you should consider the 640MB GTS or the 8800 GTX if you do not already have one.

Finally, the XFX 8800 GTS 320MB XXX card had no problems with heat as it comes with the same cooler as the 640MB variant. Idle temperatures hovered around 55c and loaded around 70c. The cooler is nearly silent and does a better job of getting the heat outside of your case than the GTX models. Considering power requirements, a 400 watt power supply is recommended for the 8800 GTS 320MB.

We can’t forget about SLI technology and while we don’t have two identical cards we still tried with what we had. The 8800 GTS comes with only a single SLI connector unlike its big brother the GTX. Please note however that, at least right now, you cannot SLI a 320MB card with a 640MB card. It simply would not give me an option to enable SLI in this configuration.

On another note, Legit Reviews is giving an XFX 8800 GTS away in the forums at the end of the month for one lucky forum member. To enter the drawing one must be active in the community and desire the card? Sound too good to be true? Go check it out and sign up! It’s free after all!

Legit Bottom Line: The XFX 8800 GTS XXX brings 8800 GTX like performance to more of the masses by lowering the price point and memory size. If you have considered replacing your aging video card but could not quite afford the $400 it was going to take, the XFX 8800 GTS XXX is the card for you.