Test: MSI n9800GTX PLUS

Konklusion

MSI n9800GTX PLUS er et ganske fint kort til en lettere overdimensioneret pris. Ydelsen er helt godkendt, og kortet kan da sagtens overkomme det meste i 1680*1050. Men et kort som Radeon HD4870, der ligger i cirka samme prisleje, yder generelt bedre; og den virkelige kompetant til kortet her, må siges at være HD4850. Men lad os tage en mere konkret opsummering:

Innovation/Teknologi - 3
Kortet understøtter de gængse teknologier, såsom Directx10, og har endda også DX10,1-egenskaber med ShaderModel4. Endvidere er der også fuld support for PhysX, CUDA og vice versa - men man kan ikke komme udenom, at G92-chippen efterhånden er en aldrende chip, der snart bør udskiftes. Også selvom nVidia har givet G92 kunstigt åndedræt, ved at producere den med 55 nanometers transistortæthed.

Bundle/Tilbehør - 4
Ingen bøf uden garniture, må MSI's motto være. Tilbehøret de har valgt, er nemlig ganske fornuftigt komponeret. Der er kabler, adaptere, spil og software - sådan skal det være. En lille strømadapter ville dog også være rar at få med. Jeg har set vildere bundles - men denne er stadigvæk ganske tilfredsstillende; hvorfor et 4-tal må være passende.

Design/Layout - 4
Kortet er ikke verdens mindste, og heller ej verdens mest spændende at se på. Men køleren fungerer som den skal, og går i store træk ubemærket hen. Og selvom vi efterhånden er godt vandt mht. standardkøling, skal kortet alligevel have lidt credit.

Software/BIOS - 4
Et 4-tal gives, da nVidias ForceWaredriver naturligvis fungerer ganske upåklageligt. Men også fordi at MSI virkelig har forsøgt, at levere en masse software til kortet.  I flæng nævnes programmer til kryptéring af filer, til at låse computeren, til at kalibrere skærmen, til at over-/underclocke og til at opdatere BIOS og driver. En topkarakter bliver det dog ikke til, da MSI i bund og grund har taget munden for fuld, og lavet en masse programmer, der ikke alle er lige brugbare. Et kort råd herom til MSI vil være "kvalitet frem for kvantitet".

Ydelse - 3
Kortets ydelse er ganske hæderlig, uden at være fortræffelig. I Call of Duty 4, yder kortet op med Radeon HD4870, hvilket er ret imponerende. Men i bund og grund er HD4870 for meget foran, taget i betragtning af at det kan fås for ca. samme pris. Endvidere er der 2-5% ydelsesboost, set ift. et standard 9800GTX+, hvilket er noget - men ikke overvældende. At MSI ikke har sat fabriksfrekvenserne højere, skyldes formentlig at G92-chippen allerede er så presset fra nVidias side, at det ganske enkelt ikke er muligt at overclocke kortet meget mere. Vi havde i hvert fald ikke det store held med overclocking.

Pris - 2
Små DKK 1500,- bobs er hvad man skal kaste på bordet. Og det for et kort der, trods alt, er meget mainstream. Dette er lige i overkanten af, hvad der er fair, efter min mening, da standardmodellen kan fås for små DKK 1200,- mens et HD4850 kan fås for blot en tusse. Til gengæld får man her noget ekstra tilbehør, og et fabriksoverclock. Men et decideret bang-for-the-buck grafikkort, er det dog ikke.

Test: MSI n9800GTX PLUS

Innovation / Teknologi	3
Bundle - Tilbehør	4
Design - Layout	4
Software - BIOS	4
Ydelse	3
Pris	2
Samlet	66%

UK summary

MSI n9800GTX PLUS is a pretty decent card, to a somewhat overdimensional price. The performance is approved, and the card can master most things run in 1680*1050. But a card like Radeon HD4870, which is in the same pricerange, performs better overall; and the real combattant for this card, has to be HD4850. But let us sum it all up: 

Innovation/Technology - 3
The card supports the most common technologies, such as Directx 10, and even has DX10.1-features with ShaderModel4. Furthermore it fully supports PhysX, CUDA and vice versa - but you have to acknowledge, that the G92 chip is somewhat old, and should be replaced soon. Even if nVidia tried to boost it a little, by producing it with 55 nanometer transistor-density.

Bundle/Accessories - 4
No stake without garniture, has to be the motto of MSI. The bundle chosen is quite reasonable composed. There are cables, adapters, game and software - way to go. A small power adapter would have been nice though. I have seen more wicked bundles then this - but this is still quite satisfying; which is why 4 is given.

Design/Layout - 4
The card is not among the smallest in the world, and not the most exciting to look at. But the cooler works as it is supposed to, and this while being unnoticable. And eventhough we are used to having high standards with standard cooling, the card still deserves some credit.

Software/BIOS - 4
A 4 is given, since nVidias ForceWaredriver ofcourse works quite great. But also because MSI really tried to deliver alot of software with this card. Like file crypting, computer lock, calibrating the screen, over-/underclocking and for updating the BIOS and driver. A top grade would be too much thought, since MSI went in over their heads, and made alot of programs that are not equally usable. A piece of advise to MSI here, has to be "quality above quantity".

Performance - 3
The performance is quite nice, without being amazing. In Call of Duty 4, the card performed equally with HD4870, which is very impressive. But in general HD4870 is quite far ahead, considering it can be purchased for about the same price. Furthermore there is a 2-5% performance boost, compared to 9800GTX+, which is atleast something, but not overwhelming. The reason MSI did not set the standard frequency higher, is probably because the G92-chip is already under alot of pressure from nVidia, and it is simply not possible to overclock the card a whole lot more. Atleast we did not have alot of succes, when trying to overclock it.

Price - 2
Around DKK 1500,- is the price for this card. And that for a card that is rather mainstream. This is a little higher then what is fair,  in my oppinion, since the standard model can be purchased for around DKK 1200,- while a HD4850 can be purchased for only around DKK 1000,- You do however here get some additional bundle, and a factory-overclock. But it is not a bang-for-the-buck graphics card.