Overclocking
Although GLH is already overclocked by about 75MHz, an additional 75MHz core overclock was a piece of cake. We managed to push the card to 725MHz, and found that the “+” in the name is obviously not there just for kicks. Additionally, we gave memory a push as well, by 50MHz.
This additional overclock resulted in Left 4 Dead’s additional 9% performance, as if the results weren’t great already. In the end we noted up to 24% better results compared to the reference card.
Temperatures
After our overclock, the temperatures increased by 4°C, where our maximum measured temperature measured 70°C. Note that reference GTX260 can hit as high as 77°C when working.
Consumption
We see that the GLH card consumes about the same as the overclocked HD 4870 card, which is great considering this card is faster. Idle mode will result in some 10W lower consumption compared to the HD 4870.
Conclusion
Gainward GTX260 896MB GS GLH is one of the fastest GTX 260 cards out there, and its core ticks at 75MHz higher frequencies than on the reference card. That, coupled with 1200MHz memory (2400MHz effectively), resulted in scores higher by about 13% on average. Gainward’s dual-slot cooling handles temperatures well, and is at the same time quieter than reference cooling.
GTX260 Golden Sample – Goes Like Hell is a faster version of GTX260 Golden Sample card we’ve tested and awarded earlier, here. We checked the availability of GTX260 GLH card and the card is available for €238, here.
A €238 price point would’ve been great if you wanted this card few months back, but GTX 260 prices have in the meantime dropped. At the time of our testing, Gainward’s GTX260 GS was priced at €215, which is a bit more than you’ll have to pay for the reference card. The cheapest GTX 260 now however, is priced at €160, and the aforementioned GTX260 GS can be purchased for €190.
Gainward GTX260 GS GLH scores great in our gaming and overclocking tests, and we wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a great card for gaming, despite its somewhat high price compared to the rest of GTX 260s.