NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 465: Cheaper Isn’t Always Better

Meet Zotac’s GeForce GTX 465

Unlike the GTX 480/470 launch, NVIDIA is not seeding the press with reference cards. Instead that task has been left up to the vendors, who are selling identical cards that we believe all come from NVIDIA. For our review Zotac was kind enough to send over their GTX 465, our first Zotac video card here at AnandTech.

click to enlarge

As we said previously, the GTX 465 is built upon the same PCB/cooler as the GTX 470, so the cards are indistinguishable except for the Zotac branding and identification stickers on the card. Internally things are also the same, with Zotac’s GTX 465 using the same 5-pipe heatsink that we’ve seen on the GTX 470. NVIDIA’s own cooling recommendations also remain unchanged, with NVIDIA suggesting to space GTX 465 cards as far apart as possible when using them in SLI.

With the reuse of the GTX 470’s PCB, the layout of the card remains unchanged. For drawing power in is a pair of 6-pin PCIe power sockets, while driving the outputs are 2x DVI-I ports and a mini-HDMI port. Length also remains unchanged at 9.5”.

For pack-ins, Zotac is shipping the card with a pair of dual-Molex to PCIe 6-pin power adaptors, a DVI to VGA dongle, and a mini-HDMI to HDMI dongle. The included documentation is composed of the usual English-language generic user’s manual and an equally generic  multilingual quick installation guide.

The software pack-in is composed of a CD containing NVIDIA’s 197.75 drivers, and trial versions of Badaboom, vReveal, Super LoiLoScope, and bitDefender. Our copy did not include Just Cause 2 since it arrived before NVIDIA’s last-minute inclusion of the game, however we have confirmed that the actual retail cards will include it. This will be a coupon to download it from a digital distribution service, rather than a pressed disc.

Finally, Zotac is offering a lifetime warranty on their GTX 465 (registration required). As you may recall in our GTX 480/470 review we were left uneasy by the cards’ high temperatures and recommended a lifetime warranty – the GTX 465’s operating temperatures are similar enough that we would make the same recommendation, so this is right up that alley.