Considering the GeForce GTX 295 is already the fastest graphics card money can buy, you might be wondering why Nvidia has decided to re-release the product in a new single-PCB configuration.

The answer to this question boils down to a single factor; cost. ATi's last few dual-GPU solutions have all been single PCB cards with two graphics processors positioned in line with each other. Nvidia, on the other hand, has favoured a sandwich configuration whereby two PCBs house a single chip each.

This has enabled ATi to slash the costs of its Radeon 4870 X2 cards whilst still retaining profitability, forcing Nvidia to respond by reducing the cost of its own flagship to a level where partners are not making enough money. Clearly something had to be done to prevent the card's already-poor availability from diminishing yet further.

The Zotac we are testing here is the first single-PCB GTX 295 to arrive in our labs so we were keen to compare its performance, power consumption and thermal characteristics to the original card. On paper, the specifications are still exactly the same, with the GPU architecture being a slight mish-mash of the GTX 280 and GTX 260.

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The processing capabilities are lifted straight from the former, with 240 shaders per GPU, whilst the 448-bit memory bus is identical to the latter. Overall this adds up to performance roughly equivalent to a pair of GTX 275 cards in SLI; certainly nothing to be sniffed at.

Performance from the GTX 295 remains outstanding with the card providing peerless results across our benchmarks. FarCry 2 was silky smooth when running at maximum detail with full FSAA on our 30-inch Dell monitor, whilst the same was also true for Crysis Warhead, where even the intimidating “Enthusiast” detail levels were handled with aplomb.

We also saw class-leading performance in Call of Duty: World at War, whilst Hawx and Left 4 Dead were also peerlessly smooth at 2,560 x 1,600. We only felt limited by the incredible demands of GTA IV, where the allocation of just 896MB per GPU greatly restricted our detail levels at higher resolutions. Nevertheless, this is a peculiarity of the way this game has been coded rather than a caveat you will run into on a regular basis.

As before, a branded 700W PSU will be required for a single GTX 295, whilst those with a wad big enough for two cards in Quad SLI will need something approaching a kilowatt of power. Taking our readings at the wall we saw an identical full-load power draw between this card and its dual-PCB precursor, whilst idle consumption was slightly more frugal when using the newly designed variant.

Thermals between the two cards were also very close, with the impressive new cooler keeping the two cores just below 80 degrees Celsius at full load; a result slightly more effective than the dual PCB design at a generally equivalent noise level.

Zotac has provided a truly exceptional bundle with this particular GTX 295. Whilst other manufacturers only provide you with the bare minimum, here you get a plethora of adaptors and TV out cables, two printed manuals and an HDMI cable. The software package is equally impressive, with a full copy of 3DMark Vantage and the excellent driving game GriD being provided alongside the usual driver disk.

Overall the GTX 295 single PCB card is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary product. As Nvidia promised; it provides the same performance, noise and thermal credentials as its predecessor in a package we have already seen for around £30 cheaper. Availability has also been greatly improved, finally opening up this exceptional flagship card to those hungry for the best performance available.

The revamped single-PCB GeForce GTX 295 is essentially a minor update over the previous dual-PCB version, but it offers the same performance and quality for less money. This Zotac model is a superbly well-rounded package with impeccable presentation, a great bundle and a generous 5-year warranty. If you need some serious graphical grunt, Nvidia's finest remains the fastest card money can buy.