Conclusion and thoughts
After all is said and done, what do we think of Gainward's FX 5900 interpretation. Our attention is first drawn to the obscuring of no PCI slots. That may seem a little trivial for users with a standard midi-sized case, but let's not forget the explosive growth of small form factor PCs. By their very nature, they can only accommodate cards with that don't encroach on space; ATi has managed to produce powerful cards in the standard factor, so it's pleasing to see Gainward follow suit. Massive cooling sure looks the part and may well woo potential buyers on pure aesthetics alone, but we'd hazard that most buyers would be happier with a slimline card. The Gainward does well here.The cooling is well designed and implemented. The twin LED-laden fans makes it attractive in a windowed case, and the fans aren't particularly loud in tandem. One area of poor design concerns the width of the cooler, especially near the AGP slot. It became almost impossible to remove the card with an AGP lock in place. There was much snapping of nails and shouting of obscenities before the card was finally levered out of place. Still, with its attractive design, VIVO functions and single slot design, it's a decent effort by Gainward.
Software-wise, we really feel as if Gainward need to update its bundle. We have no problems with the hardware side, and if you've laid your eyes on their top-of-the-range cards you'll know that everything bar the kitchen sink is included. The software could do with a revamp and a couple of newer games. The FX 5900 is a sound and impressive GPU, so it follows that any card based on it should be impressive. The Gainward's performance usually fell between a Radeon 9700 and 9800 Pro.
A good-looking card that doesn't sacrifice a single PCI slot. A bit more spice to the bundle would have made this a very attractive package. It's still a good card, though.
