How do you tell a difference of a same display card but under different manufacturer?

Question

For example, I have seen a GeForce 8800GTX with a different name. There is a XFX GeForce 8800GTX XXX and there is also a BFG GeForce 8800 GTX OC, does the "XXX" and "OC" make the two cards different?

Answer 1

Usually the manufacture prints it's name on the pcboard and there is another sticker that will tell you the model. XXX and OC are probably just abbreviations added by the manufacturers to boost sales. OC (over clocked?) or XXX could likely mean that the manufacturer has tweaks some part of the reference design and is using a higher rated CORE and/or Memory Clock than what is recommended by nVidia, who makes the chipsets these cards are using. That will make it slightly faster than cards which are using the recommended 575/1350MHz Core clock or 900Mhz memory clock. Best you check the manufacturers website for core/mem clock info to make sure.

http://www.bfgtech.com
http://www.xfxforce.com

The Geforce 8800 GTX part indicates what chipset the card is using. This gives the best indication of performance, although some manufactures can push performance a bit higher than the reference design, while others can make other adjustments to make the card a little bit cheaper ( and slightly slower). Percentage figures will differ but if it's a 8800 GTX it's fast tweaked or not.

If the card is already installed in the PC there are many programs that can tell you who made the card.