EVGA GeForce 8500 GT 256MB PCIe
Redefine your gaming reality with the EVGA GeForce® 8500 GT 256MB PCI Express
graphics card featuring the world's first DirectX® 10 GPU and a powerful unified
architecture that delivers an incredibly true-to-life gaming experience. Power
through games at record speeds and charge through game maps with vividly realistic,
sun-up to sun-down HDR lighting effects while steering clear of mind-blowing
physics effects such as explosions, fire, and smoke. Crank up 16x full-screen
anti-aliasing without missing a beat - no jaggies, no worries. And relax watching
your favorite movies with NVIDIA PureVideo™ technology.
Note: SLI is accomplished through software.
Before you buy - make sure your motherboard is
compatible with this video card. For example, PCI Express video cards won't
work with motherboards designed only for AGP or PCI video cards, and vice versa.
Please read the specifications carefully or call us for expert advice.
NVIDIA
GeForce 8500 GT
Value-priced NVIDIA® SLI™-Ready GeForce® 8500 graphics processors
are essential for accelerating the Microsoft® Windows Vista™
experience, powering Microsoft® DirectX® 9 and DirectX 10 games,
and watching HD movies on a PC.
NVIDIA
SLI (Scalable Link Interface)
NVIDIA SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) technology is a revolutionary
approach to scalability and increased performance. NVIDIA SLI takes advantage
of the increased bandwidth of the PCI Express™ bus architecture,
and features hardware and software innovations within NVIDIA GPUs (graphics
processing units) and NVIDIA nForce4 MCPs (media and communications processors).
Together the NVIDIA SLI patent-pending technologies work seamlessly to
deliver heart-pounding PC performance. And depending on the application,
NVIDIA SLI can deliver as much as 2x the performance of a single GPU configuration
for unparalleled gaming experiences.
NVIDIA
Unified Architecture
Fully unified shader core dynamically allocates processing power to geometry,
vertex, physics, or pixel shading operations, delivering an incredibly
true-to-life 3D graphics.
NVIDIA
Lumenex™ Engine
Support for 128-bit and 64-bit floating point HDR with up to 16x anti-aliasing
delivering vividly realistic lighting effects while obliterating ‘jaggies’.
NVIDIA
Quantum Effects™ Technology
Advanced shader processors architected for physics computation deliver
amazing performance and visual effects such as smoke, fire, and explosions.
Shader
Model 4.0 Technology
Get your box geared up for the future of games with blazing fast shader
performance and watch your characters sweat with Shader Model 4.0.
NVIDIA
PureVideo HD Technology
Available on HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs, high-definition movies are bringing
an exciting new video experience to PC users. NVIDIA® PureVideo™
HD technology lets you enjoy cinematic-quality HD DVD and Blu-ray movies
with low CPU utilization and power consumption, allowing higher quality
movie playback and picture clarity.
High
Dynamic Range (HDR)
High dynamic-range(HDR) lighting effects bring environments to life for
a truly immersive experience. It takes advantage of the subtle light,
texture, and color intricacies to create incredibly realistic environments.
NVIDIA
ForceWare It takes a powerful suite of software to complement these complex
processors. NVIDIA ForceWare™ unified software environment (USE)
is the key to unleashing the full power and features in NVIDIA’s
desktop, platform, mobile, and multimedia products. Delivering a proven
record of compatibility, reliability, and stability with the widest range
of games and applications, ForceWare ensures the best out-of-box experience
for every user and delivers.
Windows
Vista Ready
Windows Vista is the first operating system to require a GPU (Graphics
Processing Unit) to realize the best experience possible.
PCI Express
Support PCI Express is a new Intel bus architecture that doubles the bandwidth
of the AGP 8X bus, delivering over 4 GB per second in both upstream and
downstream data transfers.
Specifications
GPU/VPU:
NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT
RAMDAC:
Dual 400 MHz
Additional Features:
Vista Ready
HDCP Enabled
SLI Ready
OpenGL 2.0
DirectX 10
Maximum Resolution:
2560 x 1600 (Digital)
Video Memory:
256MB
Memory Type:
DDR2
Core Clock:
450 MHz
Memory Clock:
800 MHz
Memory Bandwidth:
12.8GB/sec.
Interface Type:
PCI Express
Interface Speed:
x16
Connector(s):
DVI
VGA (15-Pin D-Sub)
HDTV/S-Video
Detailed Features
Features
Full DirectX 10 Support World's first DirecX 10 GPU with full Shader Model 4.0 support delivers
unparalleled levels of graphic realism and film-quality effects
OpenGL 2.0 Optimizations and Support
Ensures top-Notch compatiblity and performance for OpenGL applications
NVIDIA Lumenex Engine
Delivers stunning image quality and floating point accuracy at ultra-fast frame
rates
NVIDIA Quantum Effects Technology Advanced shader processors architected for physics computation enable
a new level of physics effects to be simulated and rendered on the GPU - all
while freeing the CPU to run the game engine and AI
GigaThread™ Technology
Massively multi-threaded architecture supports thousands of independent, simultaneous
threads, providing extreme processing efficiency in advanced, next generation
shader programs.
NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD Technology
The combination of high-definition video decode acceleration and post-processing
that delivers unprecedented picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color,
and precise image scaling for movies and video.
Minimum System Requirements
Intel® or AMD® compatible motherboard
At least 512MB system RAM
PCI Express® compliant motherboard
A minimum 300W system power supply
50MB of available hard disk space
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Microsoft® Windows® 2000, XP or Vista
VGA or DVI-I compatible monitor
Customer Reviews and Rating
Customer Rating:
4.7
Customer Reviews:
6
Have an opinion on this product that you would like to share? If so, please take a few moments to write your rating and review.
Value
4.7
Features
4.5
Quality
4.8
Performance
4.7
Sort By:
Reviewer:
Anonymous
on
Feb 11, 2008 Customer Rating:
5.0
Value
5.0
Features
5.0
Quality
5.0
Performance
5.0
Well, after figuring out I had to disable my onboard video card, this card works like a charm. This is a great card for the price. I am very happy with my purchase. I have an Emachines T5246 and I didn't think it would work, but it works great!
Reviewer:
kenaconda8 on
Jan 28, 2008 Customer Rating:
5.0
Value
5.0
Features
5.0
Quality
5.0
Performance
5.0
Card works like a charm. Great value. Thought I would say that I upgraded from an EVGA 7300GT because the fan was pretty loud. Now that I have the 8500GT, it's really quiet. Can barely hear it. Thanks.
Reviewer:
Omega90210 on
Dec 28, 2007 Customer Rating:
5.0
Value
5.0
Features
5.0
Quality
5.0
Performance
5.0
I think this card is absolutely a fine piece of technology. This card is cheap, and it has so much to offer. This receives a 9.5/10 for me. Runs all my games on Hi Settings, and runs vista beautifully. The only downside to this product is the fan, it could be a bit quieter. Its cheap, and very effective, You wont regret this if you get it. Its also extremely easy to install, only one step, pop it in.
Reviewer:
JUGGERNAUT on
Oct 08, 2007 Customer Rating:
4.0
Value
4.0
Features
3.0
Quality
5.0
Performance
4.0
Great card for the $60.00,runs all my games like Halo, Age Of Empiers, Blitzkeiek 2 on the highest settings with out it slowing down. One thing is it has a real nosey fan. So if dont mind the nose then it is a great card for all them games. It works on my computer that is a 2gb DDR2 ram Windows vista 2.3 ghz CPU 1680 by 1050 pixel 60hz monitor.
Reviewer:
NewGuy on
Oct 06, 2007 Customer Rating:
5.0
Value
5.0
Features
5.0
Quality
5.0
Performance
5.0
This worked excellent for me. It was very easy to install the drivers and it was at a very affordable price. I highly recommend this card for anyone looking for a quality, cheap card that runs directx10.
Monitors come supporting different video connector technologies:
VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, or combinations. Not every monitor
supports these, so check the specifications carefully before making your
selection.
The Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is the
most popular high-quality digital connection for monitors (though HDMI is
quickly becoming its equal in popularity). DVI is a video interface
standard designed to maximize the visual quality of digital display devices
such as flat panel LCD computer displays and digital projectors. It was
developed by an industry consortium, the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG).
It is designed for carrying uncompressed digital video data to a compatible
monitor or projector, and is partially compatible with the High-Definition
Multimedia Interface (HDMI) standard in digital mode (DVI-D).
DVI represents a major improvement in image quality over the older VGA
standard.
The DVI interface uses a digital protocol
in which the desired illumination of pixels is transmitted as binary data.
When the display is driven at its native resolution, it will read each
number and apply that brightness to the appropriate pixel. In this way, each
pixel in the output buffer of the source device corresponds directly to one
pixel in the display device, whereas with an analog signal the appearance of
each pixel may be affected by its adjacent pixels as well as by electrical
noise and other forms of analog distortion.
Previous standards such as the analog VGA were designed for CRT-based
devices and thus did not use discrete time display addressing. As the analog
source transmits each horizontal line of the image, it varies its output
voltage to represent the desired brightness. In a CRT device, this is used
to vary the intensity of the scanning beam as it moves across the screen.
The two types of DVI interfaces are Single
Link and Dual Link. Following are the features and benefits of each:
Single Link - The Single Link interface is limited to a maximum pixel
clock of 165 Hz. It uses four (4) twisted pairs of wires (one each of Red,
Green, Blue and Clock). Maximum resolution is 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz.
Dual Link - The Dual Link interface is most common for today’s modern
LCD monitors. It provides three times as many pixels as the Single Link
interface. And its maximum clock may exceed 165 Hz. Dual Link uses six (6)
twisted pairs wires with two (2) each for Red, Green, and Blue, as well as a
pair for Clock. Dual Link’s maximum resolution is 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz. When
you use the Dual Link Interface you can use a longer cable because of its
higher bandwidth. Dual Link also provides HDCP support, which is required
for Blu-Ray playback.
If your Computer supports DVI ports, but
the Monitor does not, then a DVI to VGA adaptor is available at low cost to
solve this. Or inversely, if the Computer output is only VGA, and the
Monitor supports DVI, adaptors are available for this as well.
For our selection of Monitor Adaptors click here »
Dual Monitor
Technology
Few PC users have ever experienced the huge productivity boost that comes
from using multiple monitors on the same PC. Ironically, many of
today's PC have the capability already installed, and Windows (since 2000)
natively supports dual monitors. Configuring dual monitors is so easy: just use
the second video port (if there are two separate ports installed), or add a
second video card or better yet, a video card that has dual DVI ports.
Then plug in your second monitor, change a couple of simple Windows settings,
and you have double the Windows Desktop. This lets you have your
spreadsheet and email visible at the same time, or PowerPoint and Photoshop.
The combinations are endless. And since most of the overhead is
handled by the video card, there is little significant impact (if any) on
system performance. Dual Monitors is one of the simplest, yet most
amazing productivity boosters you can add to your PC! Optionally, you can use a dual monitor stand and recover your workspace in the process!
Advanced PC Build-It-Yourself Guide
Not too long ago one had to be eligible for the Genius IQ Club (Mensa)
in order to build a computer. That is no longer the case. Today’s computer
manufacturers have made it much easier for the enterprising do-it-yourselfer
to create a great system.
Click Here To Learn More »
PCI
Express - Delivering Dramatically Improved Graphics
Doubling the bandwidth of the AGP 8X graphics bus, the new PCI Express represents
the most profound change to desktop architecture in nearly a decade. PCI
Express replaces AGP, allowing much larger amounts of data to move between
the graphics card and the CPU, and will soon replace PCI expansion slots
as well. The PCI standard allows for a 32-bit bus with a maximum throughput
of 133MB/s. By contrast, PCI Express will run at 2.5GHz. PCI Express is
a two-way serial connection that carries data in packets along two pairs
of point-to-point data lines, compared to the single parallel data bus of
traditional PCI. Gamers will benefit from an incredible upgrade in video
quality with PCI Express, because it will allow for more powerful video
cards, inspiring developers to create more realistic environments that will
make games come alive with astonishingly lifelike colors and images. Video
enthusiasts will also benefit because PCI Express will accommodate higher-quality
video throughput (amount of data you can send per second). As network television
moves over to HDTV broadcasts, PCI Express positions the PC platform for
integration into the living room, while also allowing for HD video editing
and other bandwidth-intensive tasks. PCI Express is compatible with existing
PCI drivers and software operating systems and is designed to co-exist with
current PCI hardware.
PCI
Express - Delivering Dramatically Improved Graphics
Doubling the bandwidth of the AGP 8X graphics bus, the new PCI Express represents
the most profound change to desktop architecture in nearly a decade. PCI
Express replaces AGP, allowing much larger amounts of data to move between
the graphics card and the CPU, and will soon replace PCI expansion slots
as well. The PCI standard allows for a 32-bit bus with a maximum throughput
of 133MB/s. By contrast, PCI Express will run at 2.5GHz. PCI Express is
a two-way serial connection that carries data in packets along two pairs
of point-to-point data lines, compared to the single parallel data bus of
traditional PCI. Gamers will benefit from an incredible upgrade in video
quality with PCI Express, because it will allow for more powerful video
cards, inspiring developers to create more realistic environments that will
make games come alive with astonishingly lifelike colors and images. Video
enthusiasts will also benefit because PCI Express will accommodate higher-quality
video throughput (amount of data you can send per second). As network television
moves over to HDTV broadcasts, PCI Express positions the PC platform for
integration into the living room, while also allowing for HD video editing
and other bandwidth-intensive tasks. PCI Express is compatible with existing
PCI drivers and software operating systems and is designed to co-exist with
current PCI hardware.
What
is SLI Technology?
NVIDIA® SLI™ technology is a revolutionary platform innovation that allows
you to intelligently scale graphics performance by combining multiple
NVIDIA graphics solutions in a single system with an NVIDIA nForce® SLI
media and communications processor (MCP).
How Does SLI Technology Work?
Using proprietary software algorithms and dedicated scalability logic
in each NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU) and MCP, NVIDIA SLI technology
delivers up to twice the performance of a single graphics solution.
SLI GPU Graphics Cards NVIDIA SLI GPUs deliver powerful, elegant and super-rich graphics
for games and other graphics-intensive applications. Combining two NVIDIA
SLI-Ready certified graphics cards (with the same GPU) in a single system
with an nForce SLI MCP results in up to double the graphics performance. NVIDIA SLI-Ready GPUs feature dedicated, built-in SLI hardware logic
and take advantage of the additional bandwidth of the PCI Express bus
architecture. Connected by the SLI connector (which ships with all SLI-Ready
motherboards), each GPU has a maximized connection pathway, and can leverage
the second card for reaching top-speed performances. SLI Technology can
scale both geometry and fill rate performance for multiple GPUs and output
in both digital and analog formats for the highest image quality.
Video Card Designs
Today's high performance video cards
enable amazing graphics, and frequently come emblazoned with high-impact
graphics, or in brilliant colors. These help to enhance the appeal of
the card. However, from time to time, manufacturers do change these
designs and colors, but this has no effect on the features, specifications,
or performance of the specific video card model, and will usually retain the
same manufacturer's model and part number. The images displayed for a
video card are based upon the sample provided by the manufacturer, and the
specific visual design you receive may vary. So remember, while the
card may look cool, it's the specs that matter!
Will Your
Motherboard Support the Video Card You're Purchasing? Here's the Answer...
Before you
buy - make sure your motherboard is compatible with this video card. For
example, PCI Express video cards won't work with motherboards designed
only for AGP or PCI video cards, and vice versa. Please read the specifications
carefully or call us for expert advice.
Close-Up:
PCI, AGP, and PCI-E (PCI Express)
Check
your motherboard and make sure you are purchasing the correct cardbus
type.
There are 3 types of cardbus slots currently available:
PCI, AGP, and PCI Express (PCIe 2.0 is compatible with PCIe slot)
PCI
- The most widely used I/O bus, it provides a shared data path between
the CPU and peripheral controllers, such as network, display, SCSI and
RAID cards. Though limited in terms of performance, they are considered
the best value when you upgrade your video capabilities on a PC. The PCI
interface can be found and used in nearly any motherboard. Click
here to view our selection of PCI Cards
AGP
- The AGP slot is next in line of higher graphic performance. It was designed
especially for the throughput demands of 3-D graphics. It offers up to
8x improvement over a PCI card, is 32 bits wide and runs at 66 MHz. It
provides a direct connection between the card and memory, and only one
AGP slot is on the motherboard. The motherboard must be equipped with
an AGP bus slot for an AGP card to be compatible.(AGP 1x provided a data
transfer rate of 264 Mbytes/sec. AGP 2x is 528 Mbytes/sec. AGP 4x is 1
Gbyte/sec. AGP 8x is 2 Gbytes/sec.) Click
here to view our selection of AGP Cards
PCI
Express - PCI Express is the newest technology that
is superior to both PCI and AGP, in terms of graphic performance. It offers
performance as much as 4x faster than the fastest AGP 8X slot. PCI Express
connections can support fast data transfer rates, which can be used to
connect high-speed devices such as high-end video cards. The slots come
in different variations and speeds, such as x1, x4, x8, and x16. Presently,
most high-end motherboards meant for design, video production, or gaming
come with PCI express slots. To use a PCI Express card, your computer
must have at least one available PCI Express slot. Click
here to view our selection of PCI Express Cards
Manufactured by:
EVGA Warranty provided by:
EVGA Limited Warranty:
12 months parts;
12 months labor
Mfg Part No:
256-P2-N741-LR UPC No:
843368001018 Box Size:
( Length:
11, Width:
8, Depth:
2 )
Shipping Weight:
.9000 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
Limited Warranty: A full text version of the limited warranty
may be obtained by mailing a self addressed, stamped envelope to the
address below and requesting the warranty for item number:
E145-8500
TigerDirect.com
Warranty Information
7795 W. Flagler St. Suite 35
Miami, FL. 33144