At the center of every new technology is purpose, and NVIDIA has designed their Fermi GF100 GPU with an end-goal of redefining the video game experience through significant graphics processor innovations. Disruptive technology often changes the way users interact with computers, and the GeForce GTX 480 graphics card is a complex tool built to arrive at one simple destination: immersive entertainment. Priced at $499, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 empowers DirectX-11 video games to deliver unmatched geometric realism. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests 3D frame rate performance of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480, and demonstrates how well Fermi architecture fits in with GeForce 3D-Vision.

The XFX Radeon HD 5830 is one of many new Cypress-based DirectX 11 video cards released by ATI partners in the last few weeks, to great anticipation in the marketplace. Each of the HD5830 cards was designed by the individual AIB partners and there really are no two that are alike, except for minor variations sold side-by-side by a few companies. The high clock rate of the HD-5830 GPU, and its 2 billion plus transistor count, made this design a challenging one for many of the suppliers. The HD-583X-ZNFV graphics card from XFX uses some new power supply technology and a classic cooler design to simplify the Radeon 5xxx design a bit and cut costs, without sacrificing quality or performance. Benchmark Reviews has a retail sample in our lab; let's see how well XFX executed on their strategy.

Most of the discussion surrounding the Radeon HD5830 video card has been about its performance relative to its two nearest neighbors in the ATI lineup. People are falling over backwards trying to get a fix on its which side of the fence the 5830 belongs: closer to the HD5770, or nearer to the HD5850. In Benchmark Reviews' recent evaluation of the HD5830, we compared it to a wide variety of video cards, including several that are not compatible with Microsoft's DirectX-11. Our DirectX-10 testing provided a level playing field for all the video cards, so we could make a fair comparison with older graphics cards that readers may currently be using, and the current models from NVIDIA that are limited to DX10. Still, gamers are itching to see how the new crop of cards would fare with DX11 enabled. So then, let's find out, shall we?

Ever since the introduction of the ATI Radeon HD5770, PC gamers and enthusiasts have been looking at the wide gap between the HD5770 and the HD5850 and knew that it would only be a matter of time before ATI plugged the hole in their product line. ATI is taking a slightly different approach with the Radeon HD5830 video card; selling only the ASIC chips to their Add-In-Board (AIB) partners. In this article Benchmark Reviews is going to demonstrate a prototype ATI Radeon HD 5830 video card, and our benchmark tests are going to put an end to the rumors about the specifications and graphical performance of this highly anticipated GPU.

With this latest release, ATI is doubling back to fill some gaps in its wildly successful Radeon HD5xxx series of video cards. The previous release, the HD5450, was the logical terminus of their GPU bisecting act. In fact, they got a little carried away, and lopped off almost all the Stream Processors, in order to reduce the power requirements down to the lowest possible level. This time, the goal was to create the best performing low-profile HTPC card they could. The HD5570 is the first in a series of HD55xx video cards, and for now, it will probably be the top card in the group. Loaded up with the Redwood GPU from the HD5670, 1 GB of GDDR3 memory, and an all copper active GPU cooler, the HD5570 looks to be the King of the low-profile world, without the attendant King's ransom. Follow along with Benchmark Reviews as we see how it stacks up against its siblings.

NVIDIA and ATI dominate the market for gaming-oriented video cards. But neither company sells video cards directly to the consumer; rather, they produce "reference designs" that are manufactured by a number of "partners". Most partners simply produce the reference design and slap an identifying sticker on the card's cooler; although some might replace the reference design cooler with a quieter or more powerful solution, with few exceptions there's little to distinguish one partner's version of a specific card from another partner's version of the same card. EVGA breaks out of this rut with their EVGA GTX 275 CO-OP PhysX Edition, model 012-P3-1178-TR, which combines NVIDIA GTS250 and GTX275 GPUs on the same card, and Benchmark Reviews takes it around the block to see what it's got.

Just when I thought they had finished cutting halves, ATI has taken the 40nm Cypress architecture to a new low. Low power, that is. In a brand new design, unlike anything they have released with this architecture, ATI is going after the Home Theater PC market with their heat sinks blazing. OK, I exaggerate; the Radeon HD5450 video card actually runs pretty cool, which is the point, really. It's silent, too, with a large and lovely red heatsink sitting atop the tiny GPU, sans fan. Follow along with Benchmark Reviews as we investigate an early sample of ATI's new standard bearer for low-power HTPC applications.

NVIDIA and AMD build such great products that it's not always easy for their partners to improve upon the initial design. A perfect example is the ATI Radeon HD 5850, which has earned accolades from consumers and critics alike. While the original ATI design worked well, there's always room for improvement. Offering a robust PCS+ (Professional Cooling System Plus) feature that adds better thermal management over the Cypress GPU, the PowerColor Radeon HD5850 is designed with overclocker enthusiasts in mind. Delivered with a factory overclock, Benchmark Reviews tests the HD5850 PCS+ AX5850-1GBD5-PPDHG model against the original reference ATI design, and a large collection of competing graphics cards.