Attack of the Blacks: XFX GeForce 9800 GTX/GX2 Black EditionXFX Black Edition - a distinct winner finally?
The XFX GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB Black Edition and the XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB Black Edition cards are excellent products, be it in terms of outlook, out-of-the-box performance or overclocking prowess.
Unlike many other manufacturers which bundle a little dated, or not-so-popular games, with XFX we get the latest game, Assassin's Creed bundled in our packages for both the 9800 GTX Black and the 9800 GX2 Black. Not only that, factory-overclocked performance is very impressive, and both cards hold one of the highest factory overclocked speeds out there in the market. Other manufacturers release overclocked GTX-es in the low 700MHz core region, and even lesser manufacturers do so for the toasty GX2.
Overclocking on both Black Cards is second to none. We were a little surprised we could get that much out of a reference NVIDIA cooler on the GeForce 9800 GTX Black Edition. Overclocking results on the GeForce 9800 GX2 Black Edition were a little more predictable, but still considered excellent.
The G92 GeForce 9800 GTX at default 675MHz definitely found the going extremely tough against the G80-based GeForce 8800 GTX, however with the introduction of the XFX GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB Black Edition, this would be the card for single-GPU solutions even though it still may not completely outrun an 8800 GTX and of course the even faster 8800 Ultra. The loss of a few frames can be compensated by a much cooler-running 9800 GTX, which also consumes less power.
The G92-450 GeForce 9800 GX2 already has the performance crown in its bag. The XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB Black Edition simply reiterates the fact that the G92-450 is at the front of the pack by going even faster.
The Black Cards do not really cost an arm and a leg either; the GTX retails for around US$ 350 with Call of Duty 4 and the GX2 retails for around US$ 600-odd. Stellar performance at a reasonable price. What more can you ask for?
XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB Black Edition and XFX GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB Black Edition from the back up.
With the introduction of the Black Edition series, the XT and XXX overclocked variants of the base model seem rather out of place. Perhaps XFX should just have two lines of products: the base variant and the overclocked Black Edition? :) We would like the idea of XFX marketing future Black Edition as a 'premium' product for gamers and enthusiasts who just want the best out there, while the factory default version would be seen as the product to buy by the mass consumer, given the fact that default NVIDIA reference clock models are the cheapest and XFX has a tradition of impressive packaging and game bundles.
As we wrap up this review, we strongly believe that both Black Edition cards should have the absolute edge over their competitors, till someone comes up with something better!
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