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The Bundle

The 6800 GS from EVGA comes in their classic, refreshingly simple box, clearly marked with card designation and basic specs. Opening the box reveals a folder with a driver CD, a manual, and EVGA case stickers. Simple indeed, but clean and clear, which is par for the course as far as products from EVGA go. Along with the folder comes an S-Video cable, a PCI-E plug adapter cable, a DVI-VGA adapter, and a video cable supporting multiple formats. Underneath the first layer of plastic are the striking black and green of the card.

The Card

Unlike the mermaids which graced (however unfortunate that was) the coolers of past 6800 series cards, the 6800 GS comes with a stylized black and a-little-brighter-than-usual Nvidia Green. I would call it attractive if it weren't something that's never seen anyway.

The most notable thing about the cooler on the 6800 GS (which is constructed identically to those on 6800 and 6800 GT cards) is the copper heatsink beneath the plastic top (unlike the heatsink on other 6800 cards). Seeing as this is a mainstream board, this is quite impressive as even the 7800 GTX doesn't come with a copper heatsink. This also falls in line with what I said on the previous page about production costs and manufacturing process. While a copper core is nice, and it may have something to do with ATI packaging a copper heatsink on all of their X1000 series cards, it also adds extra expense to an already (relative to usual mainstream offerings) expensive PCB design.

As we mentioned before, you can see from the photos the identical board layout of the 6800 GS and the 7800 GT, which includes the PCI-E power connector. The complex board design indicates that this board is capable of handling a large power load, which should mean strong overclocking abilities. Examining the overall design of the card, we can't help but say it resembles a Ferrari for the price of a Ford. As a mainstream offering, physically, this board is anything but the 'lean and clean' we're used to. The 6600 GT comparison shot from the last page shows this quite clearly.

Noise

We didn't take precise measurements of sound, but we grabbed some subjective observations to give a general idea of what to expect.

The card is not loud at standard fan speeds, but it is audible. The card makes a distinct whooshing noise that will more than likely add another layer of noise to most systems, and will stand out amongst quieter components.

Under heavy use, the sound of rushing air gets louder, but the fan itself does not hiss or whine. The fairly small fan does a decent job of cooling, but will more than likely be a candidate for replacement amongst quiet PC owners who buy this card.