Conclusion
Without a doubt, the EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition is an attractive card even without the inclusion of a 55nm core. It offers excellent performance when pitted against ATI?s HD 4870 512MB and 1GB cards and at times even comes close to the performance of the GTX 280. Some reports have been putting the 55nm Core 216 Superclock?s performance slightly above that of the GTX 280 but let me tell you now: that ain?t gonna happen. That doesn?t stop it from being able to play many of the newer games without a hitch even when you jack up the resolution and IQ settings. Indeed, from a price / performance standpoint, this is a tough act to beat.
However, the big question here is whether the change to a smaller manufacturing process will benefit you, the consumer. The answer to that is a resounding NO. Here is the bottom line: the 55nm core may mean lower production costs for Nvidia but in the end it doesn?t mean much to people like you and I since these lower costs have not yet filtered down to lower retail prices. The new core not only overclocks similarly to the outgoing 65nm version but its power consumption savings are minimal at best and it performs like a mirror image of the 65nm card. Heck, even temperatures remain pretty much the same courtesy of the bastardized GTX 260 heatsink. This is probably why there have been zero changes in the GTX 260 namesake and the price remains relatively unchanged as well.
We all know that Nvidia needed to launch the GTX 260 with 216 shaders in order to offer some proper competition to the HD 4870 1GB. However, when you really sit down and look at the mess that is now the GTX 260 lineup, it is more than evident that Nvidia has been trying to play catch-up to competition they never thought would be so strong. For the sake of brand clarity, it would have been much easier to have seen the GTX 260 with 216 SPs originally released with a 55nm core and named the GTX 265 or somesuch. As it stands, I can see this card being a very tough sell with the current price-cutting of the 65nm product carrying the same name.
With all of this being said, we have to commend EVGA for a job well done since they have taken a somewhat uninspiring GPU and have made it into a real contender. The Lifetime Warranty and Trade Up programs continue to work extremely well and the addition of the full Far Cry 2 game is sure to add some value. As prices for this GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked fall once stock of the 65nm cards dries out, it will be at the forefront of the price war with ATI?s cards and in a prime position to gain some valuable market share.
All in all, if you have bought a GTX 260 with 216 SPs, you have nothing to fear considering the 55nm version doesn?t give you any tangible benefits. With prices of the 65nm GTX 260 cards falling through the floor, the card reviewed here today probably isn?t too appealing at this juncture but it shouldn?t be written off too quickly. It occupies the tough position of a transitionary product that some (myself included) were hoping would bring better overclocking and lower power consumption to the table. These hopes weren?t fully borne out and that comes as a disappointment. It is as plain and simple as that.
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