As nobody took an initiative, lemme start it. Hopefully others will pool in and correct me (I use ATI). Anything posted here is OPEN SRC, under no license, not even GNU...use it to make better reviews, polish it, edit it, canablize it...all welcomed
<b>the way I would choose</b>
BFG(upgrade to water cooled) ~ Gainward Power Pack >= BFG > Gainward ~ eVGA > MSI ~ Gigabyte ~ Asus ~ Leadtek > Chaintec ~ XFX ~ Aopen ~ Abit >= PNY
<b>Abit</b>
They have a good reputation on motherboards, but are not much of Nvidia VGA card makers. As a matter of fact they havent even got the latest 6 series in Nvidia. So one can expect cheaper prices for older models.
<b>ASUS</b>
They have a good reputation for their motherboards and ATI cards, and though feature wise their Nvidia graphics card line up isnt all that different from say MSI, Gigabyte but they do incorporate features like TD/TVD/Deluxe (another name for VIVO) and have wierd non-standard naming systems. They do have a very good hardware/software bundle and usually cards come with a free webcam. The board layout and design is simple and neat. As mentioned in the ATI section, they are decent overclockers, specially the ones with dual fans. They provide 3 years of warranty but do have a bad reputation for their support. Personally I think the higher level of support you get from them, the better support they provide. Cost wise, they are slightly, more expensive than the usual Geforces.
<b>BFG Technologies</b>
BFG (Big F*cking Gun) live up to their name. Company comprises of a bunch of hardcore gamers producing cards for gamers. They are the top card producers for NVIDIA, and excel in service and quality. For comparison, BFG can be compared to HIS (for ATI) with an extra edge. They OC their cards and then guarantee that. How many manufacturers do such a thing? Their cards have life time warranty, and the company provides 24/7 customer service. The only drawback is that their products are priced relatively higher than other OEMs. But that makes sense as they give lifetime warranty on over clocked stuff. If you have the money, this is where your shopping cart should stop. Cureently BFG is selling all the cards from the last 6 generations of Nvidia GPUs with the exception of the latest 6600 series. Also BFG offer a few other gaming goodies including upgrades for the graphics card like water cooling. Note: before buying make sure you meet power requirements, as these guys OC their cards, u dont want to fall behind.
<b>Chaintech</b>
To keep it short and simple, they are Gigabyte wannabes. Take a few unique features out of a gigabyte, make it a bit cheaper, give same or worse warranty and we get a Chaintec. Not that its bad, there are better alternatives like Gigabyte, MSI and Asus.
<b>DFI</b>
Havent seen much of their cards around and might not be for sale in the Americas. They entered into the retail market for motherboards only recently and because of their colors and geeky designs have scored points among the enthusiast community. They are more of a bulk OEM, so the cards they are making might be in those brand names computers you buy.
<b>EPoX</b>
Havent heard of these in the retail segment and not sure if they are available in the US for sale. Like DFI, these guys also make for brand name computer manufacturers.
<b>PNY Technologies</b>
PNY have been Nvidias best bud. Have been loyal to them ever since making both desktop and workstation cards. Their desktop series are not at all outstanding. They are the simplest version of a stable Nvidia card one can get. they are might be a bit cheaper than most of the others and are a good choice for a tight-on-budget user, or a non-enthusiast not interested in pushing graphics limits to extreme. They often have value promotions and give out bags n stuff with their cards. They do offer a lifetime replacement warranty on 1-2 cards, but only guys with burnt PNY cards can tell what do they actually mean by lifetime - apparantly what I have heard it ranges between a few weeks to maybe an year depending on the mood of the tech person. On others something like a 1-3 year warranty based on conditions(make sure you see all the *). As others have told me, PNY isnt that good a choice.
<b>eVGA</b>
eVGA are another big name in NVIDIA OEMs. They make good cards and provide decent service. (dunno abt their warranty customer service – maybe somebody can tell)
They have an all rounder web site and provide a number of attractive features. Seldom they have games and give away cards. Apart from their technical support, they have a community where News/help can be obtained. They have intensive documentation on the website with troubleshooting utilities. They also host a marketplace where one can sell old cards, trade etc. Another attractive feature that they provide with their cards is the “Step-up program” wherein you would be allowed to upgrade your graphics card (bought after Feb. 2004) within 90 days of purchase, to their latest card for one time only. I.e. they buyback your old card for the full price and apply it to the new card. Before you buy, look into the terms/conditions of this feature. Their prices are more attractive than BFG, but cards are at stock speeds. Quality wise the cards look pretty much the same as other OEMs, though these guys give games like Doom 3 free with certain cards. eVGA will definetly be in my top 5 list if I ever plan to buy a Nvidia.
<b>Gainward</b>
Though they don’t have a fancy site like others, Gainward makes some serious stuff. They are among the famous OC cards and come in two main different flavors. The coolFX series are the competition to BFG. These are OCed cards; water cooled and come with utilities to OC further and supported just like the BFG. Though these are quite expensive. The other not so expensive flavor also have massive heat sinks on them for the over clocker, but they aren’t water cooled or OCed by the company. On the other hand they don’t have much documentation on their website about the products and or troubleshooting steps. Few websites also sell Gainward cards with single slot heatsinks for those who dont have enough space. warranty ??Final summary is that card is designed for the OCing enthusiast as well as performance user.
<b>Gigabyte</b>
Just like their ATI cards, the Nvidia cards are bundled with games and software. They also include the gigabyte exclusive V-Tuner II overclocking utility with good hardware monitoring. Some cards have a fanless heat pipe based cooling system, hence making no noise. They do mention OCing along with their card specs so one can safely assume that there products are designed to OC. They have an extensive website and have heard no complaints about their service.
<b>Leadtek</b>
They are another OEM for Nvidia, an old one. Nothing too exceptional about their cards, which could make them totally stand out. However they use their own HSF design, something called the 3 Air-surround cooling system. According to reviews the design looks pretty good and solid and covers both sides of the board, but how efficient that would be for overclocker can only be told by a Leadtek user. I have read 1-2 articles of successfull OCing. Few of their high end section cards come with dual DVI connectors. They might be available for a bit (just a bit) cheaper than the bunch. They provide warranty upto 3 years.
<b>MSI</b> :- same as ATI one maybe
As said in the ATI cards section, MSI is known to produce quality components. Their motherboards are still considered one of the favorites and one can expect a similar reputaion in their graphics cards. MSI also is supposed to have a very good service. Along with a detailed website, they also have MSI forums wherin problems can be discussed. They give a handsome software bundle with their cards too. One attractive feature of their cards is the implementation of DOT (dynamic oversclocking, which when enabled can overclock the card from 2-10%. Though not a feature for enthusiasts, but good for an average user who doent want to overclock manually. As they talk a lot about OCing on their website, one can say that these cards will do well among OCers. They are price competitive with other OEMs.
<b>XFX</b>
They are another fancy board OEM, make fancy boxes and fancy websites. Few cards have dual DVI and are upto date with Nvidia chipsets. They will be in the same price range as others. FOr warranty, they ask you to contact Pine, whaever that means.
<b>AOpen</b>
They dont have a big name in graphics as others, but do have some good looking Nvidia lineup of cards. Pricewise they are pretty much the same as others, cheaper if not more expensive. Their lineup goes under the name of Aeolus and geforce for older cards. Aopen is upto date with Nvidia chipsets. Few of their cards feature double DVI connectors. Would recommend these over PNY and same category as chaintec, leadtek types. They also have a good documented website.
<b>albatron</b>
<b>Elsa</b>
<b>others heard of, but not recommended</b>
Not recommended bcos not many reviews about these. Dont know even if they are surviving. No info on availibility, features or warranties. Some of them might have heard of but maybe not w.r.t VGA cards.
Shuttle
Soltek
SOYO
<b>Unheard brands</b>
the reason for not hearing about these might be bcos of their retial availibility in the US. They might be like DFI and Epox OEM bulk sellers. Non of these are recommended.
Compro Personal Cinema
FIC
I/Omagic
Jaton
Palit/Daytona
Prolink
Biostar
<i> :tongue: <font color=blue>I don't suffer from insanity.</font color=blue><font color=red> I enjoy every minute of it.</font color=red> :tongue: </i>
<b>He who laughs last thinks slowest!</b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by priyajeet on 09/23/04 10:25 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
<b>the way I would choose</b>
BFG(upgrade to water cooled) ~ Gainward Power Pack >= BFG > Gainward ~ eVGA > MSI ~ Gigabyte ~ Asus ~ Leadtek > Chaintec ~ XFX ~ Aopen ~ Abit >= PNY
<b>Abit</b>
They have a good reputation on motherboards, but are not much of Nvidia VGA card makers. As a matter of fact they havent even got the latest 6 series in Nvidia. So one can expect cheaper prices for older models.
<b>ASUS</b>
They have a good reputation for their motherboards and ATI cards, and though feature wise their Nvidia graphics card line up isnt all that different from say MSI, Gigabyte but they do incorporate features like TD/TVD/Deluxe (another name for VIVO) and have wierd non-standard naming systems. They do have a very good hardware/software bundle and usually cards come with a free webcam. The board layout and design is simple and neat. As mentioned in the ATI section, they are decent overclockers, specially the ones with dual fans. They provide 3 years of warranty but do have a bad reputation for their support. Personally I think the higher level of support you get from them, the better support they provide. Cost wise, they are slightly, more expensive than the usual Geforces.
<b>BFG Technologies</b>
BFG (Big F*cking Gun) live up to their name. Company comprises of a bunch of hardcore gamers producing cards for gamers. They are the top card producers for NVIDIA, and excel in service and quality. For comparison, BFG can be compared to HIS (for ATI) with an extra edge. They OC their cards and then guarantee that. How many manufacturers do such a thing? Their cards have life time warranty, and the company provides 24/7 customer service. The only drawback is that their products are priced relatively higher than other OEMs. But that makes sense as they give lifetime warranty on over clocked stuff. If you have the money, this is where your shopping cart should stop. Cureently BFG is selling all the cards from the last 6 generations of Nvidia GPUs with the exception of the latest 6600 series. Also BFG offer a few other gaming goodies including upgrades for the graphics card like water cooling. Note: before buying make sure you meet power requirements, as these guys OC their cards, u dont want to fall behind.
<b>Chaintech</b>
To keep it short and simple, they are Gigabyte wannabes. Take a few unique features out of a gigabyte, make it a bit cheaper, give same or worse warranty and we get a Chaintec. Not that its bad, there are better alternatives like Gigabyte, MSI and Asus.
<b>DFI</b>
Havent seen much of their cards around and might not be for sale in the Americas. They entered into the retail market for motherboards only recently and because of their colors and geeky designs have scored points among the enthusiast community. They are more of a bulk OEM, so the cards they are making might be in those brand names computers you buy.
<b>EPoX</b>
Havent heard of these in the retail segment and not sure if they are available in the US for sale. Like DFI, these guys also make for brand name computer manufacturers.
<b>PNY Technologies</b>
PNY have been Nvidias best bud. Have been loyal to them ever since making both desktop and workstation cards. Their desktop series are not at all outstanding. They are the simplest version of a stable Nvidia card one can get. they are might be a bit cheaper than most of the others and are a good choice for a tight-on-budget user, or a non-enthusiast not interested in pushing graphics limits to extreme. They often have value promotions and give out bags n stuff with their cards. They do offer a lifetime replacement warranty on 1-2 cards, but only guys with burnt PNY cards can tell what do they actually mean by lifetime - apparantly what I have heard it ranges between a few weeks to maybe an year depending on the mood of the tech person. On others something like a 1-3 year warranty based on conditions(make sure you see all the *). As others have told me, PNY isnt that good a choice.
<b>eVGA</b>
eVGA are another big name in NVIDIA OEMs. They make good cards and provide decent service. (dunno abt their warranty customer service – maybe somebody can tell)
They have an all rounder web site and provide a number of attractive features. Seldom they have games and give away cards. Apart from their technical support, they have a community where News/help can be obtained. They have intensive documentation on the website with troubleshooting utilities. They also host a marketplace where one can sell old cards, trade etc. Another attractive feature that they provide with their cards is the “Step-up program” wherein you would be allowed to upgrade your graphics card (bought after Feb. 2004) within 90 days of purchase, to their latest card for one time only. I.e. they buyback your old card for the full price and apply it to the new card. Before you buy, look into the terms/conditions of this feature. Their prices are more attractive than BFG, but cards are at stock speeds. Quality wise the cards look pretty much the same as other OEMs, though these guys give games like Doom 3 free with certain cards. eVGA will definetly be in my top 5 list if I ever plan to buy a Nvidia.
<b>Gainward</b>
Though they don’t have a fancy site like others, Gainward makes some serious stuff. They are among the famous OC cards and come in two main different flavors. The coolFX series are the competition to BFG. These are OCed cards; water cooled and come with utilities to OC further and supported just like the BFG. Though these are quite expensive. The other not so expensive flavor also have massive heat sinks on them for the over clocker, but they aren’t water cooled or OCed by the company. On the other hand they don’t have much documentation on their website about the products and or troubleshooting steps. Few websites also sell Gainward cards with single slot heatsinks for those who dont have enough space. warranty ??Final summary is that card is designed for the OCing enthusiast as well as performance user.
<b>Gigabyte</b>
Just like their ATI cards, the Nvidia cards are bundled with games and software. They also include the gigabyte exclusive V-Tuner II overclocking utility with good hardware monitoring. Some cards have a fanless heat pipe based cooling system, hence making no noise. They do mention OCing along with their card specs so one can safely assume that there products are designed to OC. They have an extensive website and have heard no complaints about their service.
<b>Leadtek</b>
They are another OEM for Nvidia, an old one. Nothing too exceptional about their cards, which could make them totally stand out. However they use their own HSF design, something called the 3 Air-surround cooling system. According to reviews the design looks pretty good and solid and covers both sides of the board, but how efficient that would be for overclocker can only be told by a Leadtek user. I have read 1-2 articles of successfull OCing. Few of their high end section cards come with dual DVI connectors. They might be available for a bit (just a bit) cheaper than the bunch. They provide warranty upto 3 years.
<b>MSI</b> :- same as ATI one maybe
As said in the ATI cards section, MSI is known to produce quality components. Their motherboards are still considered one of the favorites and one can expect a similar reputaion in their graphics cards. MSI also is supposed to have a very good service. Along with a detailed website, they also have MSI forums wherin problems can be discussed. They give a handsome software bundle with their cards too. One attractive feature of their cards is the implementation of DOT (dynamic oversclocking, which when enabled can overclock the card from 2-10%. Though not a feature for enthusiasts, but good for an average user who doent want to overclock manually. As they talk a lot about OCing on their website, one can say that these cards will do well among OCers. They are price competitive with other OEMs.
<b>XFX</b>
They are another fancy board OEM, make fancy boxes and fancy websites. Few cards have dual DVI and are upto date with Nvidia chipsets. They will be in the same price range as others. FOr warranty, they ask you to contact Pine, whaever that means.
<b>AOpen</b>
They dont have a big name in graphics as others, but do have some good looking Nvidia lineup of cards. Pricewise they are pretty much the same as others, cheaper if not more expensive. Their lineup goes under the name of Aeolus and geforce for older cards. Aopen is upto date with Nvidia chipsets. Few of their cards feature double DVI connectors. Would recommend these over PNY and same category as chaintec, leadtek types. They also have a good documented website.
<b>albatron</b>
<b>Elsa</b>
<b>others heard of, but not recommended</b>
Not recommended bcos not many reviews about these. Dont know even if they are surviving. No info on availibility, features or warranties. Some of them might have heard of but maybe not w.r.t VGA cards.
Shuttle
Soltek
SOYO
<b>Unheard brands</b>
the reason for not hearing about these might be bcos of their retial availibility in the US. They might be like DFI and Epox OEM bulk sellers. Non of these are recommended.
Compro Personal Cinema
FIC
I/Omagic
Jaton
Palit/Daytona
Prolink
Biostar
<i> :tongue: <font color=blue>I don't suffer from insanity.</font color=blue><font color=red> I enjoy every minute of it.</font color=red> :tongue: </i>
<b>He who laughs last thinks slowest!</b><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by priyajeet on 09/23/04 10:25 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
:tongue: 
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