MSI has really done a nice job with this card. I really like it when a card deviates from the reference board in a good way, as MSI did with their TOP cooling technology. The cooling on the 5700 Ultra just looks different and serves a useful purpose. Another nice feature of the 5700 Ultra is the heat sinks covering all of the memory modules, to keep the memory warm.

Performance wise, the MSI 5700 Ultra fits in exactly where it should. It performs nearly identically to the BFG 5700 Ultra and nearly so with the competition, the Radeon 9600XT. As a $199 MSRP card, this makes the 5700 Ultra an excellent performer for it’s price class. One note about pricing, Nvidia and ATI’s partners have started pricing the 5900 Non-Ultra and 9800 Non-Pro at the same price range as the MSRP of this card. Both of these cards are heads and shoulders above the 9600XT or 5700 Ultra.

The bundle of the MSI 5700 Ultra really needs to be updated to their nBox standard. Had the bundle included Command And Conquer Generals, Unreal II, and Battlefield 1942, I would feel much better about the bundle. As it is, the games and demos MSI includes with their listed 5700 specifications are getting long in the tooth. With the exception of Morrowind, the other games in the bundle just aren’t worth playing. Note that my board came in without a retail package, so the contents are subject to change and may get better.

So what don’t I like about the card? MSI only provides the card with a 3 year manufacturer’s warranty. With most other video card manufacturers providing at least 3, if not more years warranty (ATI, BFG, PNY), that means this is a sorely lacking feature. The other thing I don’t like, was already enumerated on with the bundle.

All in all MSI has done a great job with their 5700 Ultra. As a mid-range card, the bundle, performance, and price make this an excellent buy today. Contrast the MSI and BFG cards, and you’ll notice that the differences are: bundle (MSI has included games to play on your card and useful, though dated utilities), support (BFG has lifetime warranty and 24/7 toll-free telephone support, MSI has a 2 year warranty). Compared to an Asus 9600XT, it’s a harder contest, as Asus’s bundle is so superior and performance is relatively equal.

Performance - 7 Features - 9 Compatibility - 10 Price - 8 Availability - 9 Setup - 10 Overall Value - 9 Ease of Use - 10 Support - 8 Software - 8 Total: 88