Until now, almost all the 7800GTX cards that we’ve looked at have been standard nVidia reference design- down to the cooling used on the card. However, the ASUS 7800GTX TOP that we’re looking at today is different. While the PCB layout is still identical to the reference card, ASUS uses different cooling and clock speeds on their model making it stand out amongst the other 7800GTX cards available today.

The card comes in the usual extra-large sized box that we’ve seen previously on other ASUS high-end cards. Inside the box, you find a couple of DSUB to DVI converters as well as a breakout TV output box that supports both standard and HDTV outputs.

ASUS also bundles a power cable and a nice looking CD wallet along with a decent bundle of applications that include ASUS DVD, PowerDirector, Medi@Show and Virtual Drive. On the gaming side, we found Xpand Rally, Project Snowblind, Chaos League, SecondSight and PowerDrome- none that we’re really fond of.

ASUS uses the Artic Ice solution that we’ve also seen in HIS cards and this certainly keeps the card cooler than the reference design HSF of the 7800GTX while keeping the noise level lower as well. The downside is that it used two slots, however, we’re not complaining considering the default clock speeds on this card.

As you can see from the screenshot below, the 7800GTX TOP runs at a default core speed of 486MHz and memory speed of 1.35GHz which is 56MHz higher than the reference 7800GTX in core and 150MHz (DDR) in memory. Think of the ASUS 7800GTX TOP as an “Ultra” version of the 7800GTX.

The 7800GTX TOP has a few ASUS specific features that we didn’t really get a chance to test out but they should work as advertised. Here’s whats supported

ASUS Splendid Video Enhancing Technology:
Splendid is a breathtaking innovation that brings the video viewing experience on PC to the next level. Built into the driver of ASUS graphics cards, Splendid Video Enhancing Technology detects activation and usage of video applications and automatically optimizes image quality for the best visual result.

ASUS GameFace Messenger™ :
ASUS innovative GameFace technology: real time audio/video communication feature elevates the interactive gaming experience by enabling point-to-point video conferencing functions and online gaming to take place simultaneously. Now integrated with a Instant Messenger Client to enhance communication inside and outside of the game battles.

ASUS GameLiveShow :
Just like people who share their lives and thoughts on blogs, expert gamers often want to show off their perfectly executed strategies and five-hit combinations to other gamers. GameLiveShow is another innovative feature incorporated in ASUS graphics cards that is created to allow gamers to stream broadcast their gaming experience live over the Internet. Other players can now go online to check out how you expertly beat the whole game.

ASUS GameReplay  :
Practice makes perfect, and that holds true in gaming as well. For popular LAN (local area network) party team games such as Counter Strike and Unreal Tournaments, strategy is the key to victory. GameReplay records your gaming experiences into MPEG4 video files so that your team can review all the moves and tactics later on to get better for the next tournament. The recorded files can also be used as screen savers or posted on blogs.

ASUS Video Security™ Online:
Whether you're online or not, ASUS VideoSecurity Online provides you a flexible and economical security system. It can easily turn your computer into your own security server.

ASUS OnScreenDisplay (OSD):
OSD allows you to instantly adjust various display settings in almost any PC game without leaving the game.
 
Diversified connectivity, including dual DVI-I (convertible to VGA), dual VGA, HDTV-out, Video in High-quality TV output for big screen gaming or presentations