ELSA GLADIAC GeForce 2 GTS

Conclusion

Being the first card on the shelf has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. As far as advantages, you could be the first person on your block with a GeForce 2 GTS- what more could you ask for? The disadvantage is the high premium you will pay to be that kid on your block. With respect to GeForce 2 GTS cards, the ELSA GLADIAC seems to be a very strong and powerful card. Although it lacks some advanced features found on soon to be released cards, such as extraordinary cooling like on the new Guillemont card, it makes up for these lost features by not only being the first GeForce 2 GTS card available but also including other perks, such as a 6 year warranty and a neat video-in upgrade. Also, as was the case with the ELSA ERAZOR X series, the 2D image quality of the GLADIAC is very good.

An additional perk that is very pleasant to see is the way that the software bundle works. Rather than package essentially useless games into the box, ELSA has decided to take the route introduced by Absolute Multimedia. ELSA will offer the "Best Select" software bundle with the GLADIAC, which is a custom software bundle. Upon purchase of the card, you are presented with coupon that entitles the user to 2 of the 10 "hottest titles of the season" as chosen by ELSA. In addition, up to 3 additional titles can be purchased at OEM cost, ranging from around $5.50 to $7.50 a game. We are yet to see which games will be chosen for the Best Select package, but we have been told to expect a few EA Sports games as well as games featuring advanced T&L scenes. Sounds good to us, as long as the software choices are actually useful in nature. The only downside is the fact that the games will be shipped, via snail mail, to the consumer. If you are going to be the first one to rush out and buy this card, you are probably not too happy about waiting too long for anything.

One feature of the GLADIAC that ELSA continuously harps upon is the fact that it will support their 3D REVELATOR glasses right out of the box. While this may seem like a selling point, we have yet to be impressed by this feature. First off, the VR effect created by the glasses is not extremely remarkable. Secondly, while ELSA claims that REVELATOR support for the GLADIAC will be great, the truth of the matter is that after 2 weeks every GeForce 2 GTS card on the market will be able to support this feature.

By the time you are reading this, Fry's Electronics in the San Francisco area should have the ELSA GLADIAC cards on their shelves. By the 2nd, 1 day from today, the card should be available at all Electronics Boutique stores nation wide. All this power for a retail price of $349 (hey, they did say it would be "under $350). Although it is the first card to hit the market, the ELSA GLADIAC neither lacks features nor sacrifices quality for speed. Any company willing to put a 6-year warranty on their cards is certain of the strength of the card. . The VIVIO TV-input option is very attractive, being that it will only cost about a one tenth of what the card costs. Unfortunately, this upgrade will most likely not be available until early June. By increasing their market presence, being the first to hit the market, and remaining feature and quality rich, the ELSA GLADIAC makes for a very strong buy. If you are in the market for the fastest card available, the GLADIAC is currently the one to choose, even if simply due to the fact that no other GeForce 2 GTS cards are on the market yet. You can rest assured, however, that the ELSA GLADIAC will continue to be one of the top GeForce 2 GTS cards.