There’s the need of using a very good power supply with this graphic card, at least a 550W supply with 6 and 8 pin PCI-E connections and at least 40A, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises. All the GeForce GTX280 proposed on the market by nVidia’s partners are based on the reference design developed by the Californian producer, except for some solutions that present a different core or RAM frequency, or a different cooling system. Hence, the version used on this review doesn’t go far from the standard design developed by nVidia itself.

The box is rather large, but it brings all the main card’s features with all logos being very visible and recognizable. The Gainward GeForce GTX280 follows nVidia’s reference design; the only visible customization is the logo’s sticker on the main plastic cover. The card weighs 1.6kg, and the PCB is locked inside a resistant metal case, which gives a better protection against damage and a rather good acoustic comfort. The card is rather big, in fact, it might have the size of two full slots when it comes to its thickness.