* Update: Just found that FiringSquad did a roundup on some 8800GTS 320MB, it’s a nice read. Foxconn video card eh.. I haven’t seen it around here but shops here are already selling Foxconn motherboard so I’m sure they can get the video cards if you asked.

The GeForce 8800GTS 320MB comes with the same spec as its cousin the 640MB version.. with less RAM of cause, and alot cheaper than 8800GTX. Ok fine, USD299 is not cheap, but it’s by far the cheapest for a DirectX 10 card. Unless you’re gaming with a huge 24-30inch monitor and demand maximum quality/AA/AF at resolution of 1920×1200 onwards, you should be very happy with what the 320MB version has to offer.

As always, most people would love to overclock their cheaper version of the card but always find it risky to do so. But why risk it when you can buy it overclocked from the manufacturer ? With warranty too !! As far as I know there are 4 brands in the market currently that has a reputation for just that, Gainward, BFG, XFX and EVGA. Well we can forget about Gainward and BFG as it seems they would never make it into Malaysia. XFX is gaining ground here, originally from HongKong and establishing themselves worldwide. EVGA, currently headquarted in USA, is little known here but actually the number one selling brand in USA. Well sure they cost abit more but trust me it’s well worthed. Here’s some review results, for XFX from Guru3D, and for EVGA from VR-Zone.

Reliability ? Speaking from experience, I previously owned a BFG 6800GT OC (got it from USA) and currently using a EVGA 7800GT CO edition. BFG ran for 3 years on my 24/7 PC, EVGA has been running for 1 year plus. Both never give me any overheating problems, no dead fan problem (unlike alot of typical brand that I see my friends encounter). BFG is currently running in my cousin’s PC, I’m still using the EVGA but the EVGA 8800GTS is starting to look interesting :P. If you guys in Penang are interested, I see XFX being sold by GadgetZone and SwissPac, while Pristine Wireless is selling EVGA cards, you can ask them for stock availability.