We received two different versions of this card during our testing, with the only difference being the housing and cooler system used.

We were sceptical of the ability of the second cooler to work as efficiently as the reference design, due to the fact the whole replacement card was enveloped inside a metal chassis. On the contrary, we measured the idle and heavy load temperatures of the card in a down-to-the-wire head-to-head comparison with the reference GeForce FX 5900 Ultra on the second testbench, and found it was surprisingly effective.

One fan sucks in cool air with the other blowing out the warm air. One concern might be the build-up of dust over time, but this shouldn't be a problem in a clean, well-ventilated case.

We also simply couldn't go past this card for it's amazing benchmark results. It's also great value when you consider how much card you're getting for your hard-earned dosh. It was neck and neck with the MSI FX 5900, and just managed to pip the fastest of the RADEON 9800 PROs.

Granted it's not the greatest gaming accessory package ever, it does include the raunchily named Big Mutha Truckers and Gun Metal games.

It was a closely run race between the Leadtek and MSI FX 5900. The Leadtek just managed to get the edge due to its lower price and excellent cooling system. Given that, if you don't own the software and games that come with the MSI, it could be well worth the extra $100.

Alternatively, if you want to save a little more money and sacrifice a little speed, then opt for a RADEON 9800 PRO.

At the end of the day though, the stunning performance, multitude of connectivity options and very competitive price make the Leadtek definitely one to check out if you're in the market for the fastest consumer graphics card on the planet.