Generic NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 1792 MB

Launched during the first week of 2009, the GeForce GTX 295 is the highest-performing card in the NVIDIA 200 series. But it uses two graphics chips to increase framerates in games. Is it really the ultimate card for 3D Vision?

Size, noise and heat generation

While it's not as big as a GeForce GTX 285, the 295 measures 26.7 cm (10.5") in length. The cooler is the double-decker type, sandwiched between the two PCBs (the cards the components are on). Unlike ATI, who use a single PCB for both chips on the Radeon HD 4870 X2, NVIDIA uses two cards mounted one opposite the other.

There may not really be a better solution, but one thing is sure: the GTX 295 is noisy. At idle, we measured 48.9 dB(A), which is already loud enough to be an annoyance. In intense activity, the noise level went all the way to 60.6 dB(A)! It's like sitting next to a turbine. Best to keep the beast in a separate room, or the people around you will have to use headphones to watch TV. Temperatures were fairly moderate in 2D use, at 49°C, and very high in 3D – 93°C.

Energy consumption

Generally speaking, energy consumption was quite high. We measured 129 W at idle and 442 W in intense 3D activity. These numbers are for the entire computer and not only the graphics card. It uses two PCI-E connectors, one 6-pin and one 8-pin.

Gaming performance

At the time of writing, this is the card we'd have to advise you to get if you want to use stereoscopic glasses (3D Vision). Overall, its gaming performance is identical to that of the ATI Radeon HD 5870. However, that card has the advantage of using a single graphics chip, with all that that implies – much lower power consumption and noise. Also, the ATI model is compatible with DirectX 11 and 10.1, whereas the GTX 295 has only DirectX 10.0. So what it all boils down to is that if you really want to use 3D glasses, this is the most suitable model. If not, look elsewhere.


With that in mind, here are a some stats: with Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X, at 1920 x 1200 with filters enabled, the 295 scored an average framerate of 98 fps while the Radeon HD 5870 topped out at 75 fps. The results were reversed, though, with ArmA 2, with the NVIDIA card scoring an average 28 fps compared to 41 for the ATI model. It was practically a draw with BattleForge, with 34 fps for the 295 and 36 fps for the 5870.