Elsa's New Graphics Speed Champ

Never mind the race toward a faster CPU: If you're a gamer, the performance competition you're watching is in graphics processors. The first boards based on NVidia's new GeForce2 GTS chip set are arriving in stores now, and new boards using 3dfx's VSA-100 chip shouldn't be far behind. We tested a prerelease version of Elsa's Gladiac, the first available graphics board built around the GeForce2 GTS.

This beta version of the $349 Gladiac doesn't exactly blow the current generation of GeForce 256 boards out of the water, but it is clearly the fastest graphics board we've seen yet. In tests using Elsa's most recent drivers, the Gladiac churned out 80 frames per second in Quake III using 32-bit color at a resolution of 800 by 600--nearly 12 percent faster than the score posted by Elsa's GeForce 256 board, the Erazor X2. The difference became more striking at higher resolutions: At 1280 by 960, the Gladiac managed 45 fps in 32-bit color, which is 19 percent faster than the Erazor X2's performance at that resolution. Informal testing using 16-bit color yielded an even more dramatic difference, especially at the highest resolutions. Unreal Tournament, tested at 1280 by 1024, also showed an advantage for the Gladiac (about 19 percent faster than the Erazor X2), although lower-resolution tests resulted in a virtual tie.

Extras, Extras

The Gladiac ships with 32MB of Double Data Rate memory, and can support video-in and video-out through an optional daughter board.

Elsa's software bundle includes a software DVD decoder and enhanced drivers that make choosing custom resolutions and refresh rates for your monitor easy. Rather than bundle games with the board, Elsa has partnered with an online vendor to provide you with your choice of two free games from a list of ten popular titles; you can also opt to buy up to three more at discount prices.