Conclusion
The BFG GTX 280 OCX manages to become the fastest single-GPU card we've tested, and yet it's easily overshadowed by AMD's dual-GPU-on-a-single-PCB Radeon HD 4870 X2 (R700).
In some tier 2/3 games that do not scale so well with internal CrossFire the BFG GTX 280 OCX would, maybe, be the better buy, but all the games in our benchmark suite see excellent scaling when comparing the Force3D HD 4870 to the Sapphire HD 4870 X2, and that makes the distinction between single-card and single-GPU less of an issue.
So whilst the BFG GeForce GTX 280 OCX achieves the objective of being the fastest GTX 280 that we've tested, and it ships with considerable pre-overclocking for a minimal outlay over default-clocked cards - £305 vs. £280 - the launch of the Radeon HD 4870 X2 is a game-changing event, literally. The R700 is easily quicker, especially 2,560x1,600, and it doesn't cost that much more.
The OCX is a good enough product when considered in isolation but falls down when measured against the lofty performance standards laid down by the HD 4870 X2, and this is what this end of the market is all about. Yes, NVIDIA's progressions with Cuda and PhysX are all well and good, adding shine to GeForce GTX 200, but they're largely incidental for the die-hard gamer, we reckon.
The ~£340 ceiling imposed by reference-clocked Radeon HD 4870 X2s means that, for them to remain competitive in the high-end market, GeForce GTX 280 pricing needs to drop to around £250, and pre-overclocked models have to etail for sub-£300 - a far cry from just two months ago.
Bottom line: one of the best GeForce GTX 280 cards that attracts only a £25 premium over default-clocked efforts. However, for it to be a tenable solution with Radeon HD 4870 X2 looming large, etail pricing needs to drop to around £275.
HEXUS.certification
The BFG GeForce GTX 280 OCX 1GB receives the HEXUS.labs certification for successfully completing our benchmark suite without issue. This is not an outright recommendation to buy, however.
HEXUS Where2Buy
The card can be purchased for £305 here.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS.net, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any BFG representatives choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
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