It's these kind of factors that will plague any 9800XT model. Hercules' is a sound one. It does exactly what it says in the box and is quiet in doing so. If you've got a spare £370 or so and absolutely must have the best consumer-level graphics card, the Hercules 3D Prophet 9800XT Classic isn't a bad choice. However, it doesn't do anything special to make it a must-have product. It'll sell, but there's plenty of manufacturers who now want a piece of the high-end pie. A good, solid card that's a little boring.