ASUS V6800 Deluxe DDR GeForce

Running at a rather steep suggested price of $339, the ASUS V6800 Deluxe is not for everyone. Keep in mind, however, that ASUS knew this would be the case and thus targeted a select group with the production of the V6800 Deluxe. Let us look at the reasons to buy this card or to purchase a less expensive GeForce card.

The features that really sets the V6800 Deluxe apart from the rest of the cards available are its advanced video input and output functions. In fact, these features almost single handedly result in the large price of the card, as can be seen in price of ASUS's V6800 Pure (the same card without video functions) which runs about $50 cheaper.

While these video features are great to have on the card, they are meant to be used for recreational purposes only, a fact which can be seen with the image capture quality and features of the card. The card is great for editing home movies and storing them in a digital media, but it is not of sufficient quality to pass as a commercial editing board (which could easily cost twice as much). ASUS's goal here was not to produce a commercial quality board but rather add some additional features for the high end gamer to play with.

Along with the video functions of the card, the ASUS V6800 Deluxe also holds the spot of fastest performing GeForce card we have seen yet. The speed of the card leaves nothing to be desired, except for maybe more powerful games to take full advantage of the outrageous speed. This once again reiterates the fact that the video features of the card are added only as an additional toy, as it shows that ASUS did not set out with the goal of producing the best capture card but rather the fastest gaming card.

The bundle included with the ASUS V6800 Deluxe is nearly identical to the bundle found in the V6600, with the addition of ASUS's own Video Security software. What this software allows you to do is monitor an area via the included S-Video or composite input found on the card. The software actually monitors the area and looks for any movement or disturbance. If the image that the input source sees differs from the user-defined normal scene, the software can be set to record the incident, write a log to Microsoft Access, send an e-mail notification, or even dial a phone number to notify you of the disturbance. This feature is useful mostly for people running a business, but we do not see a $339 gaming card being used in place of conventional video security in many businesses. It would be a nice feature, however, if you can afford the high cost. The Video Security software also provides a fun toy to monitor your room or apartment with. The software bundle also includes ASUS DVD for software DVD playback (very nice if you have a television close to you computer as the DVD image from the computer can be displayed to the television), Unlead's Video Studio SE for additional video capture functions, two full games (Darkan and Rollcage) and a demo game CD that includes 12 demos. This complete software package was necessary to take full advantage of the video features of the V6800 Deluxe, thus ASUS made a good decision here. Finally is the 2D image quality of the card. Just like its SDR sibling, the V6800 Deluxe provides sharp text and clear graphics all the way up to 1600x1200 when in 2D mode, a necessary feature for those out there with larger monitors.

When it all pans out, the ASUS V6800 Deluxe is the best GeForce based graphics card on the market albeit a very high price. The included VR features of the card are a plus, but the glasses remain useless after the gimmick factor wares off (unless, of course, you need some cool shades to sun bathe in). The high overclocked speed of the card says a lot about the quality of ASUS products, as inferior cards have never been able to reach these speeds. The need to buy this card depends on the person. If you would like a good gaming card with video features but are not willing to spend $339 after the holiday season, the lower priced ASUS V6600 Deluxe, which uses SDR RAM, is most likely the best card for you. If you are looking for a great game performer with few additional features, almost any DDR card will do. If you are looking for a great game performer with video features, the V6800 Deluxe is the card for you, even with such a high price tag.