The new GeForce GTX 280 is a truly very high-end card that will bring an impressive performance boost if you are a serious gamer playing the latest games at very high resolutions (i.e. 1680x1050 and above) maxing out all image quality settings controls.

In Crysis with image quality settings configured at “high”, GeForce GTX 280 was between 62% and 70% faster than Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2 and between 62% and 68% faster than GeForce 9800 GX2. In this same game with image quality settings configured at “low”, GTX 280 was between 67% and 126% faster than 9800 GX2 – here however GTX 280 and Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2 achieved the same performance level, with the only significant difference seen at 2560x1600, where this video card from Sapphire was 34% faster than GTX 280.

In Call of Duty 4 putting all image quality settings on their maximum values, GeForce GTX 280 achieved the same performance level as GeForce 9800 GX2, being between 39% and 60% faster than Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2.

In Quake 4 with image quality set at “ultra”, GTX 280 was between 13% and 78% faster than 9800 GX2, but achieving the same performance level as Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2, with this model from Sapphire being 5% faster at 2560x1600.

In the new 3DMark Vantage with image quality set at “performance” GeForce GTX 280 was between 10% and 22% faster than GeForce 9800 GX2 and between 26% and 49% faster than Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2. When we increased image quality settings to “extreme”, GTX 280 was between 25% and 35% faster than GX2 and between 68% and 77% faster than X2.

In Half-Life 2: Episode Two maxing out image quality settings GeForce 9800 GX2 was between 6% and 58% faster and Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2 was between 41% and 51% faster. Setting image quality to their lowest settings GTX 280 achieved the same performance level as Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2, with GTX 280 being 12% faster than this card at 2560x1600 and with the reviewed card being between 11% and 16% faster than GX2.

But on 3DMark06 both GX2 and X2 were faster than GTX 280. With low image quality settings the performance difference wasn’t enormous, with X2 being between 5% and 9% faster and with GX2 being between 5% and 11% faster. When we increased image quality settings the performance difference increased, with GX2 being between 11% and 14% faster and Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2 being between 34% and 41% faster than GeForce GTX 280.

As you can see, GeForce GTX 280 wasn’t the fastest card all the times, especially when we ran an older simulation (3DMark06). Many can argue that the best way to benchmark video cards is with real games and not with simulations. This is true, but 3DMark is a very interesting tool nevertheless. Also, GeForce 9800 GX2 and Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2 were faster than GeForce GTX 280 on Half Life 2: Episode Two when we set image quality settings to their maximum. This may indicate that GTX 280 is optimized for DirectX 10 games.

Many could also criticize our methodology saying that we didn’t include enough games. This is a valid constructive criticism and we know that we could add more games. Unfortunately we couldn’t add more due to the little time available we had to collect data, analyze data and write this review in time for posting it today, the day the embargo on this video card is over.

As we mentioned, GeForce GTX 280 is clearly targeted to gamers playing the latest titles at very high resolutions and that will crank up image quality settings.

GeForce GTX 280 is coming with a sour USD 650 MSRP. Unless you are rich, we give you two options: wait for the price to come down or buy another video card. Both GeForce 9800 GX2 and Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 X2 are good options if you don’t have USD 650 and the patience for waiting the price of GeForce GTX 280 to go down and, at the same time, want a very high-end video card.

We are now even more curious to see the performance of GeForce GTX 260, as it will reach the market costing “only” USD 400. We hope to get one very soon. Stay tuned!