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Power Usage

At stock-clocks, the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro requires a bit more juice than the Asus EN8800 GTS.

We tested the power draw by using a P3 International Kill a Watt enery-usage monitor. We created our 'load' environment by testing during a particularly demanding part of 3dMark 06.

Conclusion

The PowerColor HD 2900 Pro is a good deal at it's standard clock speeds -- but if you are inclined to bring overclocking into the picture, the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro transforms into a nothing less than an exceptional deal, in comparison to other video cards on the market today.

At stock speeds, up against the Asus EN8800 GTS 320 MB, the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro fairs quite well. Without AA enabled, the HD 2900 Pro wins most of the battles against the generally more expensive 8800 GTS 320 MB, but not every battle. However, once AA is enabled (x4), the tables tilt in favor of NVIDIA's offering. This lackluster AA performance from an ATI video card, in comparison against similiar products from NVIDIA, has been a small trend as of late, and it was not a surprise to see same the situation with the HD 2900 Pro.

For many, it may be a bit of a toss-up between two options. On one hand, you have the 8800 GTS (320 MB) which offers better performance when AA is enabled, compared to the HD 2900 Pro (on average). On the other hand, when AA was disabled, the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro often out-muscled the Asus EN8800 GTS. So it just might come down to which situation you'd prefer: a bit higher AA-less framerates, or playing with AA enabled. But even irregardless of the underwhelming AA performance, it seems likely that everyone should still be satsified with the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro's performance.

However, once again, once you bring overclocking potential into the picture, the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro becomes a very good deal indeed. For under $300 dollars you can get a whole lot of horsepower, if you're willing to raise those clocks. For exceptional overclocking performance on top of an already fine product, we have no qualms whatsoever in recommending the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro. And for one of the best overclocking potentials I've seen in a video card, the PowerColor HD 2900 Pro is a hands-down winner of our Overclocker's Choice award. 

One thing to be aware of though, is that the HD 2900 Pro's won't last long in stores. Once your local (or online) retailer runs out, there is a good chance they won't be getting anymore. We've been told by reliable sources that the 2900 Pro is literally a "limited run" edition card, and once gone, you likely won't see it again.  Ever.  So, that being said, if you are in the market for a new video card this October and the HD 2900 Pro looks to be what you're after, you might want to act fast, as this stellar deal might vanish as quietly, and as suddenly, as it appeared.