Strengths: Powerful GPU for the latest DirectX 9 gaming in Windows XP and DirectX 10/10.1 in Windows Vista. Built on the latest 55nm technology so runs cooler. MSI cooling solution is quiet and attractive.

Weaknesses: The fan is loud during initial boot up and until drivers are installed. The card and cooler take up 2 expansion slots but the cooling benefits outweigh the loss of the 2nd slot.

Summary: I was unhappy with my SLI setup because the cards as well as the nVidia chipset ran very hot (~80C and ~70C) and the fan noise was very annoying. I decided to purchase this card and run CrossFireX with a 3850 card on an Intel chipset and I am absolutely delighted with the setup. Both cards run extremely quiet and cannot be heard over the rear and top exhaust fan on my case which are now set to low instead of high setting to help keep the SLI setup at acceptable temperaturs. Also after hours of continuous burn-in/stress testing the video cards and chipset were ~60C and ~45C. I give it 4 stars since it cannot outperform nVidia cards in the same price range but it is perfect for my personal needs!