Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 GeForce 2 GTS

AnandTech Video Card Rating

Performance

Use of the reference design limits the extent by which the Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 can dominate its competition. All cards based on the reference design perform nearly identically. The performance of the card did increase greatly, however, when the card was overclocked. This resulted in the fastest video card to have ever entered the AnandTech lab.

Price

With a retail price of $299, the Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 is out on a seek and destroy mission. This card, which demonstrated exceptional performance in the lab, is $50 less than any competing card, allowing the GeForce 2 GTS to stoop down to levels that are becoming more affordable.

Drivers

By packaging two different drivers, the FastTrax for the power user and the 3D Blaster Control drivers for those more interested in interface, Creative Labs pretty much ensures that you will find some drivers that you like. Plus, there is that cool overclocking utility. Too bad the maximum speed feature is a bit hidden.

Features

Here is where the 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 gets hurt. By basically producing a reference design board (with high quality pieces), Creative Labs was able to keep price down but does not have some of the more useful advanced features, such as hardware monitoring.

Retail Availability

Of all the video cards that come and go from the lab, Creative Labs products are always some of the easiest to find. Having shelf space at nearly every retail electronics store as well as being readily available online, finding the 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 should be no problem. Plus, more places selling it means more competition and even lower prices.

Documentation & Software Bundle

The documentation included with the 3D Blaster Annihilator 2 is nothing special and does not include some of the advanced descriptions we have seen in other packages. It is, however, in hard print so that the guide can be consulted if the computer is not working.

The software bundle on the Annihilator 2 is almost nonexistent. This is something we have seen more and more of in less expensive cards, but it is just a matter of priority.