Introduction

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 is based on two GT200b cores that are produced in a 55 nm process. With the "old" 65 nm GT200 it was not possible to create such a dual card because of the higher power requirements and heat output. The basic thermal design of the card follows the one introduced with the 9800 GX2 which uses a heatsink sandwiched in between two PCBs which each have their own GPU and memory.

In order to achieve the performance target, the GeForce GTX 295 uses SLI to make both GPUs work together. However, as end user you will not notice anything of that. You just install the GTX 295, install the driver and it works - without ever mentioning SLI.

Packaging & Contents

The Zotac package comes in the well known orange theme, yet it looks a bit dull. On the front most of the product information is displayed, so it will be easy for a potential buyer to find out if this card is right for him. Further details can be found on the back, even in multiple languages.



You will receive:

• Graphics card
• Documentation + Driver CD + Racedriver: Grid full game + 3DMark Vantage full
• HDMI Cable
• 2x PCI-E power cables
• SPDIF audio cable
• DVI Adapter

The Card

Unlike the 9800 GX2, NVIDIA has chosen not to cover the back PCB with a metal cover. This is certainly to help reduce cost. As expected the card occupies two cooling slots in your system, so there should be enough space left for another one in case you plan to go SLI.


The card has two DVI ports and one HDMI output. The two DVIs come from one card and the HDMI comes from the other. In case you need an analog VGA output, you can use a DVI adapter (included). Zotac even includes an HDMI cable to make connecting of your big TV screen very easy. Just plug in the cable on both ends and turn on your equipment - done. The HDCP output features the usual HDCP+Audio, which allows easy setup of a media PC. For HDMI Audio, NVIDIA requires you to feed an external audio source, for example from your motherboard's on-board audio, to the card via SPDIF cable (also included). AMD on the other hand has integrated a sound device inside their GPUs which is the easier solution for most users.





Here are the front and the back of the cards, high-res versions are also available (front 1, front 2, back 1, back 2). If you choose to use these images for voltmods etc, please include a link back to this site or let us post your article.

Card Disassembly

Since the disassembly of this card is so complicated we decided to give you one extra page with step by step instructions. Assembly is done the same way in reverse.

Compared to the 9800 GX2 the disassembly process is considerably easier. Especially those dreaded plastic tabs that like to break quickly are gone. Still, you should be extremely careful while disassembling this card.


You start by releasing the screws on both sides of the top cooler assembly.


With the screws gone you can lift the top off. This requires a bit of force since there is a nudge that has to be pulled over the cooler base. Look at this feature, try to understand how you need to move the cooler top to get it off and you should be fine.


Now we can see how the GTX 295 is assembled. A central heatsink, cooling assembly is sandwiched between two PCBs which have their own GPU, memory and other components.
Both PCBs are interconnected by plastic flat wire cables (second picture) that act as an SLI bridge.


Now comes the hardest step unless you have the right tools. See all those screws with attached springs? On one side they are colored black and on the other side they are silver. They require a very small screwdriver and are screwed down very tight. If you can't find a screwdriver in that size the easiest way is to grab a pair of pliers and VERY CAREFULLY unlock the screws, then use a bigger screwdriver to get them out. Don't slip or you will end up with a nice NVIDIA Paperweight.


In the next step you have to remove the PCI slot cover. This is a two step procedure. Remove the two screws as shown in the pictures above.


Next, remove the two black screws fixing the front plate and the four screws fixing the DVI outputs to the front plate.


Now you can pull the two PCBs off the central cooler assembly. Start by applying force near the edges and work your way towards the GPU. Once there you will need a considerable amount of force to get over the suction power of the thermal paste. Again, be careful and don't rush things - take your time. Mission accomplished!


To give you an idea how complex the disassembly is, here is a photo of all the parts that were removed during the card disassembly.