Single page Print  Nvidia's GeForce GTS 450 graphics processor
A year later, some competition for the Radeon HD 5700 series —
11:00 PM on September 11, 2010  Generally, we'd open a review
like this one by reminding you of the recent history of video
cards and graphics chips like this one, setting the proper
context for everything that comes next. Today, though, I have a
plane to catch, and I anticipate writing a lot of the commentary
on the following pages from an oddly crouched position in a
coach-class seat while stale air tainted with the faint smell of
farts blows in my face.  The source of our rush is a long,
intense week spent with Nvidia's new graphics card, the GeForce
GTS 450. Priced at around $130, this card is Nvidia's answer to
the Radeon HD 5700 series—if you can call it an "answer" after
the competition has been on the market for a full year.
Regardless of the timing, though, the GTS 450—and the GPU behind
it—is a potentially attractive proposition for those who lack
the resolve and (display) r