How
It Rates
Please note
that the score given is a comparison between the Creative Labs 3D Blaster
Annihilator 2 and other GeForce 2 GTS cards on the market. This is not meant
to reflect how GeForce 2 GTS cards compare to other video cards on the market
processor wise. To find this information, please see our NVIDIA
GeForce 2 GTS review. Also keep in mind that a score of five indicates
standard performance. To learn more about our rating system, please click
here.
AnandTech
Video Card Rating
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|
Rating
(x/10)
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Performance
Use of the
reference design limits the extent by which the Creative Labs
3D Blaster Annihilator 2 can dominate its competition. All cards
based on the reference design perform nearly identically. The
performance of the card did increase greatly, however, when the
card was overclocked. This resulted in the fastest video card
to have ever entered the AnandTech lab.
|
7.0
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Price
With a retail
price of $299, the Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 is out
on a seek and destroy mission. This card, which demonstrated exceptional
performance in the lab, is $50 less than any competing card, allowing
the GeForce 2 GTS to stoop down to levels that are becoming more
affordable.
|
8.0
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Drivers
By packaging
two different drivers, the FastTrax for the power user and the
3D Blaster Control drivers for those more interested in interface,
Creative Labs pretty much ensures that you will find some drivers
that you like. Plus, there is that cool overclocking utility.
Too bad the maximum speed feature is a bit hidden.
|
7.5
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Features
Here is where
the 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 gets hurt. By basically producing
a reference design board (with high quality pieces), Creative
Labs was able to keep price down but does not have some of the
more useful advanced features, such as hardware monitoring.
|
3.5
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Retail
Availability
Of all the
video cards that come and go from the lab, Creative Labs products
are always some of the easiest to find. Having shelf space at
nearly every retail electronics store as well as being readily
available online, finding the 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 should
be no problem. Plus, more places selling it means more competition
and even lower prices.
|
9.0
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Documentation
& Software Bundle
The documentation
included with the 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 is nothing special
and does not include some of the advanced descriptions we have
seen in other packages. It is, however, in hard print so that
the guide can be consulted if the computer is not working.
The software
bundle on the Annihilator 2 is almost nonexistent. This is something
we have seen more and more of in less expensive cards, but it
is just a matter of priority.
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5.0
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Overall
Rating |
8.0
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Note: The
Overall Rating is not an average of all of the categories
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