Conclusion:

The ASUS ENGTS250 1GB GTS 250 video card looks cool and stays cool even under a heavy load. The heatsink is unique and not only gives the card a different look, but also makes it appealing in situations where low noise and low heat production are a must. I can see it being a good fit in a desktop or an HTPC setting where decent 3D performance may be desired, but where serious game play is not a priority. While one of the DVI outputs can be converted to HDMI (with the use of an adapter), I feel the appeal of this card for use in an HTPC would be increased if it included an onboard HDMI port.



Performance wise, I was a bit surprised to see that a previous generation 9800 GTX+ (with just 512MB of GDDR3 memory) was able to consistently outperform this GTS 250. I gave it ample opportunity to beat its older relative by reinstalling drivers, trying different drivers, and even trying different operating systems, but it just wasn't meant to be.

A look around the Internet finds this video card on sale at a variety of popular online retailers. Newegg.com offers it for $149.99 with free shipping, or $129.99 after a $20 mail-in-rebate gets processed. Compared to other 1GB GTS 250 cards it is on the higher side of the price range, but of more interest to me is how it compares with the 512MB Sparkle GeForce 9800 GTX+ card that outperformed it in most tests. Newegg.com carries that card as well, but at $119.99 without any rebates, it appears to be the better deal.

While checking out all of the other 1GB GTS 250 cards at Newegg.com, I also noticed that most have memory set to run at 2200MHz, while the Dark Knight's memory runs at 2000MHz. While I doubt the extra 200MHz would have helped it do all that much better in testing, extra speed couldn't hurt.

The extremely low noise operation of the ASUS ENGTS250 1GB GTS 250 "Dark Knight" video card earns it the Bigbruin.com "Whisper Quiet" award.



Pros:

» Runs cool and quiet - even when stressed
» The heatpipe cooler just looks cool
» Relatively energy efficient
» Single 6-pin PCI Express power connection

Cons:

» Memory runs 200MHz slower than many other comparable 1GB cards
» Was outperformed by a 512MB GeForce 9800 GTX+
» Costs more than the same 512MB GeForce 9800 GTX+
» Would have greater HTPC appeal with a built-in HDMI port

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