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Leadtek WinFast GeForce 256 DDR

This is a first-generation GeForce 256 DDR board, but it's a reasonably quick performer.

  

WHAT'S HOT: Leadtek's WinFast GeForce 256 DDR exhibited good frame rates in our test games. Although the WinFast was slower in Quake III than other GeForce 256 DDR boards and the GeForce2 GTS boards, it was as fast or faster in Unreal Tournament and Viper Racing. In Quake III, the WinFast produced excellent lighting effects with nice highlights on the guns, but too much contrast on the sky. Like the Hercules 3D Prophet II GTS, the WinFast offers DVD hardware acceleration, which should give you better video playback on monitors or TVs.

WHAT'S NOT: No games are bundled with the board. In Unreal Tournament, reflections were a little flat and some textures appeared fuzzy. It's also a bit pricey for an older-generation board.

WHAT ELSE: Though the WinFast board includes no games, it still ships with a nice software bundle, including a software DVD player, E-Color's 3Deep and Colorific, Web and video producers, and other utilities. Leadtek offers tech support for 9.5 hours each weekday (though you'll pay any toll charges).

BEST USE: If you want to save a few bucks off the cost of a GeForce2 GTS board, the WinFast GeForce 256 DDR is an option. But for about $40 less, Gainward's CardExpert GeForce 256 DDR is a better deal. And if your budget is really tight, Hercules's 3D Prophet II MX offers fine performance for about $100 less.


SUMMARY
Leadtek WinFast GeForce 256 DDR


4X AGP, 32MB of DDR SGRAM, NVidia GeForce 256 chip, 350-MHz RAMDAC, optional DVI interface and TV-out connector, DVD hardware acceleration; bundled Web authoring tools, digital video editing application, and color- and video-calibration utilities.

$249
888/532-3835
www.leadtek.com

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