Gigabyte GTX 465 1GB (GV-N465UD-1GI)

Introduction

When the GTX 400 series cards launched in March 2010, consumers were greeted with a new architecture that met our expectations, and Nvidia lovers finally had an alternative to the ATi HD 5000 series. Nvidia stole back the single GPU performance crown, also made their footprint on tessellation with very impressive results. CUDA cores were increased, overall performance was increased, now Nvidia lovers finally had a DirectX 11 card to purchase. Aside from power draw and heat output, the only real negative trait the GTX 400 series had was pricing.

With the GTX 470 going for $349 MSRP and the GTX 480 going for $499 MSRP, Nvidia was lacking a Fermi powered card in the mainstream $250 price range. ATi has a $239 MSRP HD 5830, and Nvidia had nothing to answer with. However, things were looking great for Nvidia because hardcore enthusiasts finally got the card they had waited over 6 months for and the performance crown was back in Nvidia’s camp. Unfortunately for budget gamers, they were left without any Fermi offering to purchase. Now, a full two months after Fermi’s appearance, Nvidia released the GTX 465, which has an unexpected launch MSRP of $279.

Using four heatpipes, two 80mm fans, and Ultra Durable VGA+ technology, Gigabyte's GTX 465 offers lower temperatures and quieter operation in comparison to a reference GTX 465. This means better performance, a cooler operating card, a cooler running system, and more overclocking headroom. Gigabyte is known for making high quality products that perform well, so we are eager to test their GTX 465 and see how it competes.