GeForce 7900 GS Group Test

XFX GeForce 7900 GS 480M Extreme:

Core Clock: 480MHz
Memory Clock: 1400MHz
European Warranty: 2 years limited (parts and labour)
US Warranty: limited double lifetime warranty (details here)
HDCP Compliant? No
Price: £146.43 including VAT - CCL Online

XFX's GeForce 7900 GS 480M Extreme comes in the smallest box of the test, but that doesn't mean it is poorly packed. The card is secured tightly in a vacuum formed plastic housing and doesn't rattle around inside its box. Not surprisingly, the bundle is quite a small one - there are no games included and a minimalistic selection of cables.

On the connectivity front, there is only a single DVI-to-VGA converter, along with a 6-pin PCI-Express power adapter, and an S-Video cable. There is no component attachment included at all - very disappointing. To round the bundle off, there is a multi-language quick install guide, an instruction manual, a leaflet explaining the HDTV-out connection (only through DVI) options and a driver/utility CD.

The card comes with the same black theme as the XFX GeForce 7950 GT 570M Extreme video card, but unfortunately XFX has opted to use the NVIDIA reference cooling design. We've given this particular cooler a battering ever since its introduction and I'm a little disappointed to see that some board partners are still using it, especially when there are better options out there. I'm not sure why XFX didn't include a silent cooling solution on this card, because it would have given the card a much bigger appeal - maybe we will see one in the future? We can but hope.

Aside from the lack of attention on the cooling front, XFX has come up with another good looking video card. The black PCB and brackets give off an aura of coolness in much the same way that the green DVI ports do. The attention to the details is great, but we just can't get over the decision to leave the cooler as-is.

XFX has clocked the card at a relatively conservative 480MHz core and 1400MHz on the memory. Like many board partners, XFX has chosen not to include the HDCP crypto-ROM for one reason or another. It's disappointing not to see HDCP support as a check box feature with Windows Vista so close. For those who don't want to watch HD media content from HD DVD or Blu-ray discs, it's obviously not a concern.

For those who do want to watch HD media, it is worth reiterating that XFX doesn't include a component cable. You're going to have to go out and buy an S-Video to component converter from somewhere like Maplin if you want to watch first-generation HD content. From what we understand, the first generation content on both HD DVD and Blu-ray will be playable via an analogue connection if you don't have an HDCP-enabled system.

Warranty: XFX's video cards have differing warranties depending on the region you buy your video card in. In the UK and mainland Europe, XFX operates a standard limited two year warranty service covering the repair or replacement of the product - this is similar to what most other board partners offer in their own products. In the US, XFX operates a limited double lifetime warranty.