MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Reviews - Albatron Gigi FX5900XTV 128MB Video Card Review

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The custom copper fan mount is secured to the Gigi FX5900XTV by two white plastic clips located around the GPU socket. By removing the clips from the bottom of the PCB reveals the FX5900XT GPU and a fair portion of thermal paste. The specifications of the Gigi FX5900XTV rate this card slightly lower than the existing GeForce FX 5900 Ultra and GeForce FX 5950 Ultra. The Gigi FX5900XTV uses a 256bit memory bus controller and has a engine clock speed of 390MHz. The Samsung 2.8ns DDR ram modules are both rated at 400MHz each. Despite the slower clock speed, the Gigi FX5900XTV does include all of NVIDIA's chipset features such as Intellisample High-Resolution Compression Technology and CineFX 2.0 Engine support.

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The 60mm translucent fan which cools the GPU is powered via a 2-pin header that is connected directly to the PCB. The Gigi FX5900XTV requires an additional 4-pin Molex connection for power. Consumers will want to make sure that their existing power supply can handle the power requirements of this card.

Overclocking:

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The bundled driver CD included with the Albatron Gigi FX5900XTV does provide a small overclocking registry hack called NVTweak.reg. This file allows you to adjust frequency of core and video memory provided that you use the enclosed Detonator Drivers. As an alternative, there are a number of third party applications also available for those individuals looking to boost the performance of the card. The popular Power Strip v3.49 by EnTech Taiwan is regarded as one of the best overclocking applications for video cards. Using Power Strip, I was able to get the Albatron Gigi FX5900XTV very close to GeForce FX 5900 Ultra and GeForce FX 5950 Ultra levels for a maximum stable overclock of 446MHz for the engine clock and 770MHz for the memory. I did notice that the passive heatsinks were very warm to the touch. Consumers should be able to push the performance of this card by moving to a better high-end cooling solution such as water cooling.