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Review: ECS GeForce 8800 GTS 320 graphics card - yours for £180

by Tarinder Sandhu on 13 March 2007, 08:16

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qah3n

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Presentation, bundle, warranty







ECS believes in large packaging. Let's take a look what's inside.

Items Driver and manual CD
Quick install guide
2 x DVI dongles
1 x PEG-to-molex power connector
HDTV-Out (component) cable with S-Video-Out connector integrated
S-Video extension cable






Reinforcing the value proposition, ECS doesn't include a game with the package. Everything else, though, is supplied.

Warranty

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.

Pre-benchmark summary

Priced at £182 the ECS N8800GTS-320MX is the cheapest GeForce 8800 GTS 320MiB we've seen. The reference design is good enough not to require tinkering with, and ECS adds to the attractiveness with a slight core speed increase, too. So far so good.