The excellent overclockability of the GeForce 6800 GS needs to be mentioned, too. The combination of the GeForce 7800 GT printed circuit board with the 0.11-micron NV42 chip proved to be very overclocker-friendly. We managed to speed up our sample of the card from the default 425/1000MHz to the impressive 500/1360MHz. The ensuing performance gain lifted the speed of the card to the level of the more expensive GeForce 6800 Ultra and this is probably not the limit. We could have achieved higher frequencies if we had replaced the cooling system for something more efficient.

Thus, the GeForce 6800 GS is not just a high-performance solution at a relatively low price. It may become a sensation among overclocker! It’s not certain yet how much room for price adjustment NVIDIA has: the 6800 GS PCB is obviously cheaper than the PCB employed in the GeForce 6800 GT, but more expensive than the GeForce 6800 one. Theoretically speaking, the GeForce 6800 GS has some reserve for further price reduction, but considering that the NV42 is produced in mass quantities and the chip yield is high, the price of GeForce 6800 GS graphics cards may go down by a few dozen dollars in a few weeks after the release. On the other hand, NVIDIA may not want to reduce the price because of the virtual lack of competition.