Albatron releases low-profile PCI GeForce 8 cards

Oh yeah, read that again ... PCI based graphics cards, not PCIe. Not a bad idea actually. Albatron released a threefold card deck today, the PCI8600GT-256X, PCI8500GT-256X and PCI8400GS-256. Low-profile GeForce 8600 GT, 8500 GT and 8400 GS cards feature active cooling, 256MB of on-board memory and offer DVI and TV-Out connectors.

Albatron Technology recently unveiled three new "PCI" graphics cards at Computex 2008. You read it right - "PCI" and not "PCI Express"! The PCI8600GT-256X, the PCI8500GT-256X and the PCI8400GS-256 are all VGAs that retrofit recent GeForce 8 Series graphics onto older PCI technology. These cards all offer a significant graphics boost along with dual monitor capabilities for an entire generation of integrated-graphics, PCI-only mainboards.

It's a little known fact that there have been millions of Mainboards mass produced in the last 7 years with AGP and PCI Express slots left off in favor of integrated graphics only. Although these mainboards have the traditional PCI-slots, they have been deprived of a chance to upgrade to the latest graphics technology which is almost exclusively for PCI Express these days. The best alternative to experience the latest graphics was for a complete systems overhaul - that is, until now.

Albatron has answered the call with its PCI based VGA cards featuring recent NVIDIA GeForce 8 Series graphics technology. These cards allow these mainboards a chance to make a significant jump from integrated graphics without investing time and money in a whole new system. As mentioned, these PCI graphics cards, with their multiple video adapters, can allow a system, with an integrated GFX mainboard, to configure dual monitors. But it can also give single-PCIe-VGA mainboards (can do up to 2 monitors only) a chance to add on a third or fourth monitor - who needs it you say? You'd be surprised at how you can make use of the extra real estate when you have 3 or 4 monitors. There are applications that can make use of more than 2 monitors such as flight simulation and tracking multiple stock exchanges. But from a more practical perspective, imagine watching a DVD in one screen, browsing the internet in another and doing your work on a third, all without shuffling between overlapping pages or searching your task bar for a program that you have open. Most recent VGA cards can get you dual monitors at best, but add on that third monitor with a PCI graphics card and you've got one very wide virtual panel.