The WinFast GeForce 3 TD follows the NVIDIA reference design exactly, but there are subtle differences that do set the WinFast apart. Leadtek was fortunate enough to have timed their release with NVIDIA's release of the A05 stepping of the GeForce 3 core. The 1st GeForce 3 boards released used an older A03 stepping of the core, which NVIDIA deemed as unstable.

As with all other GeForce 3 based products, the WinFast utilizes the AGP interface (2x/4x) and offers 64MB of DDR-SDRAM standard. All shipping GeForce 3 boards use 3.8ns RAM which is capable of running at up to 260 MHz (520MHz DDR), however like most boards, the WinFast is shipping with the RAM underclocked to 230MHz (460MHz DDR). These are the same timings that we originally saw with the release of the GeForce 2 Ultra, and we suspect that NVIDIA specified that the RAM run at these reduced speeds to play it safe.

Unlike most of the GeForce 3 boards that we have seen, Leadtek's board uses custom Heatsinks for both the GPU and the RAM. The WinFast TD has thick, flat RAM-sinks emblazoned with the Leadtek logo and uses an oversized CPU cooler to help improve heat dispersion. Upon 1st glance one might assume that Leadtek's RAM-sinks were less efficient than those found on boards from Visiontek and Asus and testing reveals that they do not cool quite as well. The GPU cooler has a larger surface area than the NVIDIA reference fan, but uses a smaller fan somewhat negating the effects of the larger heat-sink.

Leadtek has also done a "one up" on other GeForce 3 manufacturers by including a Conexant TV-Out component with the WinFast GeForce 3 TD. Standard TV-Out components made by Brooktree that appear on the Visiontek GeForce 3 are capable of delivering a signal as large as 800x600 to a standard TV. In comparison, the newer Conexant TV-Out module allows the WinFast to render up to 1024x768 on a TV. At lower resolutions like 800x600, the GeForce 3 has little to offer over GeForce 2 based products, but the differences become clearer as the resolution is increased. When paired with fully hardware Anti-Aliasing, 1024x768 on a 32" TV is a site to behold. The Conexant chip on the WinFast GeForce 3 TD is a definite plus.