Well, the mystery is solved...I called EVGA and asked them exactly what they sent me.
They said the card was not 'new', but rather 're-certified'. The tech made a point of saying it was not 're-furbished'. I asked what that meant, and he said it has been put through the entire battery of EVGA...
I'll snap a pic of the box when I get home, and can shoot you an email.
I am somewhat hesitant to break the EVGA seals on the box...as then it wouldn't be 'new'.
Recently my trusty GTX295 gave up the ghost, so I RMA'd with EVGA...and in return got a 480GTX (P/N: 015-P3-1080-AR). I already have a different vid card solution, so I will not be using the card. It is unopened and sealed from EVGA. This is not a new card, but rather a re-certified card. I...
It's funny...I've been itching to move onward from my GTX295, just because it has been 2 years, and so much has come out since I bought it. It is nice to know that this card still can hold its own for who are gaming at 1920 x 1200.
I really haven't felt held back by this card--except for Metro...