eVGA e-GeForce 7900 GS Superclocked
As you'd expect, NVIDIA's board partners are waiting in the wings with their own takes on GeForce 7900 GS, be that a reference copy or something a bit different. eVGA, one of NVIDIA's more aggressive AIBs when it comes to doing something a bit different with a SKU (witness its GeForce 7950 GX2 Black Pearl), were the AIB to sample us with GeForce 7900 GS for this launch, NVIDIA foregoing reference hardware sampling this time around (at least to us!).Here it is in the flesh, so to speak.
eVGA are using a different cooler for this Superclocked version which they run at 500/690 (up from the default 450/660). The cooler actively cools the DRAM devices on the front side of the PCB, on the same side as the G71 GPU. Both DVI outputs are dual-link, able to drive large displays like Dell's ubiquitous 3007FWP, and on this eVGA example at least they have HDCP enabled.
GeForce 7900 GS leaves HDCP support up to the AIB, whereas on other SKUs (upcoming 7950 GT for example) it's mandatory whether the AIB likes it or not. SLI support is present and correct (although we don't have another board to test it, the likely hood of SLI not working is, well, we'll let you guess), and the board requires help with power so the usual 6-pin connector is on the top right of the board in the usual place.
It's a shame eVGA changed the fan in some respects. NVIDIA make serious note that reference 7900 GS, while seemingly retaining the exact same cooler as 7900 GT and 7600 GT, certainly isn't as irritating on the ears as those parts are. Fan control has been revised so that pitch changes are less noticeable, making the cooler easier to live with an, so NVIDIA claim, whisper quiet.
The cooler eVGA use is much quieter than reference 7900 GT and 7600 GT, but whether it's quieter than the supposed new reference cooler for 7900 GS remains to be seen. When we find out we'll let you know.
It slides into a vacant PCI Express Graphics 16X (PEG16X) slot on your mainboard, and, err, that's pretty much it. Sorry we can't show you reference hardware.
