Asus ARES: Is This The One Graphics Card To Rule Them All?

Features
By Don Woligroski
published

Asus' new ARES immediately earns bragging rights as one of the fastest single graphics cards ever created. We put the beast through a gauntlet of tests to measure this product's true power. At the end of the day, we answer whether it's worth four digits.

Benchmark Results: Aliens Vs. Predator

The Asus ARES performs excellently here, matching the same performance level as two Radeon HD 5870 cards in CrossFire.

Note that we use WHQL-certified drivers for our benchmarking tests whenever possible, and the AvP benchmark doesn't seem to work with SLI when using the latest WHQL-certified 257.21 GeForce drivers. For curiosity's sake, we also tested the beta 258.96 drivers from Nvidia's Web site, and SLI worked very well with them, achieving 104.4 FPS at 1920x1080 and 51.6 FPS at 2560x1600. GeForce users running an SLI configuration will want to install those beta drivers if AvP performance is a part of their gaming diet.

Don Woligroski
126 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Tamz_msc
    I want that briefcase!
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    On the second page, that should be Radeon 5970, not Radeon 5890. There isn't any card on the market as 5890.
    Reply
  • jasonz001
    it actually looks quite small
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    BTW, it would be really cool to see a 5890, for that would give the GTX 480 a run for its money, something it is already not earning! :D
    Reply
  • thedreadfather
    This card is so overkill for most of us, but so awesome. :D
    Reply
  • Maziar
    Great review,
    However i agree with Tom's about that there are better options in terms of price/performance ratio.This card looks good and packs lots of power but i wish that it had a lower price.
    Reply
  • anamaniac
    I was excited, but after reading the article, I'm dissapointed.
    Maybe they set the bar too high when they made the MARS, a $1200 GTX285x2.
    I wish the MARS/ARES came with waterblocks though.

    Sounds like the card needs some better drivers.
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    Well, the card is heavy, power consuming and expensive, but its performance is truly great. BTW, they could have kept the Sapphire Toxic 5970 in the benchmark tests for the sake of immediate comparison. Anyway, this is a great review.
    Reply
  • rohitbaran
    Lets see if Southern Islands top offering can take on this monster.
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN
    Where's the Radeon HD 5970 Crossfire?
    Reply