Offering a mammoth 1GB of GDDR3, the 7950GX2 graphics card has broken the 512MB limit and looks set to take the PC gaming community by storm. The specifications read like something from NASA!

With its 500Mhz core clock, 600Mhz memory clock, Dual, dual-link DVI HDTV Out and HDCP Support, the 7950GX2 is certainly an impressive piece of kit. Want one? Who wouldnt!

NVIDIA's GeForce 7950GX2 is a dual PCB adaptor that is directly derived from the GeForce 7900GX2, which was already derived from the GeForce 7900GTX ASIC. GeForce 7950GX2 takes two GeForce 7900GTX boards, and joins them via 32 PCIe lanes. 16 additional lanes are routed to the motherboard out to the PCIe adaptor. The Gainward GeForce 7900GX2 was designed specifically for OEM system builds and as a result nothing was compromised for performance.

NVIDIA HAS BEEN TALKING publicly about Quad SLI for half a year now, and Quad SLI configs have been shipping for a few months in a select number of ultra-high-end PCs. Today, at long last, NVIDIA is unveiling a consumer version of its Quad SLI component card, the GeForce 7950 GX2. A single GX2 plugs into one PCI Express slot, but it actually has a pair of printed circuit boards, two GPUs, and two sets of memory chips onboard.

By itself, the GeForce 7950 GX2 is an SLI setup on a stick, a dual-GPU powerhouse that fits into the same space as any other high-end graphics card with a dual-slot cooler. Slide two of these puppies into a system side by side, and you have the potential for Quad SLI?but not the reality, apparently, if you're just a lowly DIYer.

The 7950 GX2 features newer GPUs and revised PCB designs that not only make the cards physically smaller, but more power efficient and ultimately more compatible with existing platforms. Though Quad-SLI may or may not be ready for prime time in the mainstream just yet, the GeForce 7950 GX2 is being targeted by NVIDIA as the fastest single graphics adapter on earth currently -- a single graphics adapter with dual GPUs.

NVIDIA plans to target the Radeon X1900XTX with the 7950GX2 launch. Both cards are approximately the same size and both consume two expansion slots in a standard chassis. The marketing marterial bundled with the 7950GX2 claims that a full system using a Radeon X1900XTX requires just under 400W during peak operation, while a 7950GX2 system will only consume 358W and still provide greater performance. Unfortunately, you will still need an SLI capable motherboard to run the GeForce 7950GX2, since the single board is still technically running in SLI mode.

If you are looking for a top-class graphics card, thats simply a world beater, then the 7950GX2 is for you. Fullstop!