Zaključak

Za preporučenu cijenu od oko 130 USD, Nvidija je ponudila sasvim solidan mainstream proizvod koji dozvoljava pristojno igranje na nižim rezolucijama, sa uključenom fizikom i testelacijom. Treba li što više kupcima sa 16×10 monitorima? Vjerojatno ne, ali Nvidija ima problem. On se zove HD5770 koji je sa cijenama na razini GTS450, a u ponekim naslovima ima čak i bolje performanse. Kako lošoj karmi ne bi bilo kraja, AMD će Nvidiji dodatno zapapriti predstavljanjem novih HD6750 i HD6770 koji će po specifikacijama biti znatno brži. Dakle, GTS450 da, ali samo ako vam je fizika nešto bez čega ne možete.

Što se Gigabyteovog proizvoda tiče on je u vrhu klase. Hlađenje je riješeno odlično, a i sistem protiv prašine je zgodna novotarija (barem da se još ne moramo sa jumperima igrati). Overclocking razina ovog OC modela je solidna, a za pohvalu je i žestoka OC2 verzija čiji taktovi su vrlo visoki. Overclocking potencijal testiranog modela je solidan, pa svi koji su vični tome zapravo i ne trebaju kupovati OC2 model. Bundle je kao i uvijek kod Gigabytea prosječan. Uz to dolazi i vrlo konkurentna cijena od oko 125 € u Njemačkoj pa se Gigabyte ne mora brinuti za uspjeh na tržištu. Ukoliko želite GTS450, ovo će biti odličan izbor.

Sapphireov model s druge strane košta oko 150 € što je znatno više, ali ovu će karticu ionako kupovati korisnici koji ciljaju na podršku za četiri monitora u Eyefinityu, tj. njih čak tri koje je moguće spojiti preko DVI-a. Stvar funkcionira odlično i za svaku je preporuku. Performanse HD5770 modela su kao što smo vidjeli još uvijek vrlo konkurentne, premda je na zalasku karijere.

 

Conclusion

For a recommended price of 130 USD, Nvidia has offered a good product to the mainstream market. GTS450 allows smooth gaming performance on lower resolutions with PhysX and tessellation enabled. Do 16×10 monitor users need more? Probably not. But, there is a problem and it’s called HD5770. It is priced similar like GTS450, and in some cases it outperforms it. Even more bad karma is on the way; AMD will soon launch a HD6750 and HD6770 which will be significantly faster (according to leaked spec.). So, should I buy a GTS450? Yes, but only if PhysX is your game.

Gigabyte`s model is among the best on the market. Cooling system is great – effective and silent enough. Anti dust system is a great addition, but if only we didn`t have to play with jumpers. Factory overclocking level is ok, and we liked the fact that they have an OC2 version which is really fast (930MHz for the GPU). But, OC potential of tested model is also great, and anyone who knows how to do it don`t need to bother with buying the OC2 model. Bundle is average, as always with Gigabyte, and with that comes the fair price of 125 € (in Germany), so Gigabyte doesn`t need to worry about market success. If you want GTS450, this Gigabyte board is a great choice.

Sapphire`s HD5770 Flex is priced around 150 €, and it is a quite expensive alternative. However, it does come with a special feature. Ability to connect to 4 monitors in Eyefinity, and even still 3 monitors with DVI is simply great. So, anyone interested in that will not find its price high, as the entire thing works perfectly. Gaming performance is still good, though it is at the very end of its career. HD5770 can keep the pace with GTS450, and in some cases even outperform it.