BFG GeForce GTX 295 H2OC LE review test - BFG GeForce GTX 295 H2OC LE bundle and warranty

BFG GeForce GTX 295 H2OC LE

Alright, as you guys know we've handled a lot of GTX 295 reviews already and as such you should also know that there are two SKUs from NVIDIA, the recently introduced single PCB version and the original model dual PCB version. The BFG GeForce GTX 295 H2OC LE is based on that original dual-PCB design. Both versions each have their own advantages and the baseline performance between the two is frighteningly similar.

Once you want to water-cool a GTX 295... things get a little more complex, in the development path of this H2OC my bet is that CoolIT realized a bit late that a single PCB version was in the works. No biggy though as the dual PCB versions are still available in reasonable volume. As we explained on the previous page, this videocard is in fact two PCBs with a big cooler in the middle.

What BFG is doing with this product is a little special though, they deliver a maintenance-free, self-contained liquid cooling unit that never needs refilling or installation of any additional components, and sports some specifications that will definitely impress you. Everything, including tubing, is nicely prefitted, and coolant is already inserted into the unit for you. The coolant is a mixture of 25% Propylene Glycol with a comprehensive anti-corrosion package to ensure there will never be any performance reduction due to build-up or inter-metallic reaction.

Sitting in-between the BFG GTX 295 is a liquid cooling block that originates from CoolIT. Since this package is a self-contained unit, the tubing and everything up-to the coolant is pre-installed. So attached to the GTX 295 you'll notice this black pump/radiator combo with a 120mm fan. The idea is as simple as the implementation, you seat the graphics card into your PCIe x16 slot, you secure the cooling unit to the 120mm rear fan location with four screws, connect the fan to your motherboard for some juice and bingo... that's all you need to do to get this running, you literally will have this kit up and running in 5 minutes.

BFG swears that both cards are completely maintenance free, with the GPUs kept around 20 to 30°C cooler under load as compared to standard air-cooled models.

Now another HUGE deal with this product is that it comes pre-overclocked. And I say huge deal here as NVIDIA in the past did not allow the GTX 295 cards to be pre-overclocked slash faster clocked. And that made BFG shed tears, as they just love to deliver pre-overclocked products to you guys. Especially when they are water-cooled, the potential is enormous with their products. But let's analyze the clock frequencies on the H2OC LE.

Reference GeForce GTX 295 clocks:

• Core frequency: 576 MHz (Texture and ROP units)
• Shader processors: 240 per GPU, 480 in total @ 1242 MHz
• Memory: 1792 MB (896 MB per GPU) at 2000 MHz

BFG GeForce GTX 295 H2OC clocks:

• Core frequency: 675 MHz (Texture and ROP units)
• Shader processors: 240 per GPU, 480 in total @ 1458 MHz
• Memory: 1792 MB (896 MB per GPU) at 2214 MHz

And there we go, that massive pre-overclock from BFG instantly makes this graphics card the fastest one in the world.

Packaging and accessories then, included in the box you'll find:

• GeForce GTX 295 H2OC LE model
• Driver CD
• HDMI cable
• dual 6-pin to 8-pin power cable
• Manual / quick install guide
• DVI~VGA dongle
• S/PDIF cable
• 4 screws

A pretty okay bundle. All you need to do is hook up the water-cooled card to your PC, mount the cooling unit on the rear 120mm fan grill and connect a 3-pin power cable to the motherboard. After that you are good to go.

Anyway, also included is a small S/PDIF cable. You hook it up to your mainboard/soundcard S/PDIF lead, then connect the wire to the S/PDIF input on the card and you'll now have multi-channel audio over HDMI. Touching on the topic of HDMI, BFG includes a HDMI cable with all cards that have an HDMI port. Classy, I like that very much.

Complex product or not, BFG's after-sales remains very classy:

Warranty
BFG will intro this product with the luxuries that they always offer. Inside the USA you'll receive a full life-time warranty, which is just a really nice feature. Outside the US you are limited to 10 years warranty; which is still bloody fantastic. Mind you that if you purchase a BFG product then please register yourself at the BFG website within 30 days in order to activate that warranty.

Trade-Up program
BFG has a Trade-Up program. Up to 100 days after the purchase of a new BFG graphics card you are eligible to trade in your graphics card for a newer model, you only pay the difference in cost.

Small side-note you need to be aware of, the value of the BFG graphics card you trade in will be based off of the pre-determined MSRP of the card in question at the time you apply for the trade-up so the value of your BFG product will probably be worth less after a few months.

Again, bear in mind that if you purchase a BFG product then please register yourself at the BFG website within 30 days in order to activate that warranty & right for the Trade-up program. As mentioned, this is a new policy recently introduced.