ECS presentation, bundle and warranty considerations
Again, another picture courtesy of ECS. The new-style packaging is a little more svelte and attention grabbing than the one we were presented with.
If we were looking for differentiation in the two bundles we're kind of out of luck. ECS' production hardware bundle is, for all intents and purposes, the same as OCZ's, or vice-versa, depending upon how you look at it. ECS doesn't include the phono cable, though.
| Items |
2 x DVI dongles 2 x PEG-to-molex power connectors HDTV-Out (component) cable with S-Video-Out connector integrated S-Video extension cable Driver CD (not shown, sample was on CD-R, incomplete) |
|---|
We expect ECS to add in a quick-start documentation, matching OCZ's, but that's about it. Differentiation of these two GeForce 8800 SKUs won't be on the basis of card characteristics and bundle, then.
Warranty considerations
ECS's graphics cards are backed up by a 2-year warranty that begins on the date of purchase.We like the fact that the warranty is transferable should the card be sold on during the time it's covered. Warranty claims are taken care of by the retailer that the card was originally purchased from, so, as always, buy from reputable sources whose customer service extends past taking your money and delivering the card. Inevitably, it will be up to them how the warranty claim is handled; you could receive a new card from their stock or it could be sent back to ECS for repair. Wait times will vary accordingly.
During the second year of the warranty, ECS will attempt to repair all faulty boards. Should that not be possible, it will be replaced by a SKU that is at least equal to the purchased product's specification.
Summary
The bundle is nothing special but the warranty is reasonably good. The quality of the cover is reliant on just how efficient the retailer you purchased the card from is, though.In terms of availability, the ECS N8800GTX-768MX card is slated for retail release next week, priced at £375, including VAT.
