Product Listing

GeCube GC-XHD2600XTG4-D3 (Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB GDDR4)

By Vincent Chang - 24 Jul 2007

Conclusion

Conclusion

Being in the business as long as we have, it's safe to say that we have seen all sorts of marketing gimmicks thought up by companies to attract consumers. Naturally, with all this exposure, we are more cynical than your typical consumer, which is eventually to your benefit since ideally we have all done the homework, tested the product thoroughly and hence we are able to reveal the truth behind the marketing doublespeak. At least that's the theory. Of course, not every business is out to fleece their potential customers and we get to hear their side of the story too.

However, there are times when even after knowing the entire story, the actions of some remain a mystery to us. GeCube's decision to market this Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB GDDR4 card with a large golden 'OC Edition' logo is clearly one of these occasions. From the moment we took it out to test, it was obvious that this was a standard card and further conversation with GeCube's representative ensured that we didn't get this part wrong. Even the model name - GeCube GC-XHD2600XTG4-D3 is identical to a non-overclocked version on display at GeCube's website. By all accounts, this card's unique feature is the X-Turbo II cooler, which we have to say, does provide slightly better cooling at the expense of an expansion slot. It is however, anything but overclocked.

The X-Turbo II cooler seems interesting and certainly gives some improvements over the reference but this 'OC Edition' is really not what we bargained for since there is really no overclocking. Beneath the marketing, this GeCube card is a decent if unexciting Radeon HD 2600 XT.

According to GeCube's official marketing speak, the OC Edition is meant to show that it is made to be overclocked, but not overclocked per se in the factory. We are sure that you can see how this can be misleading, especially when the packaging will surely make an impression on the consumer. Nevertheless, that seems to be GeCube's strategy for this special edition and we'll let the market decide whether it's acceptable. However, it's our job to inform and hence our thoughts on this matter.

As for the graphics card at the heart of this, it is actually a decent one with reference clock speeds and an above average custom cooler. Temperatures are slightly lower than the reference model but any hopes of any outstanding overclocks are mere speculation at the moment. Finally, there is the inevitable price hike associated with any 'special' editions from any vendor and in this case, the GeCube is selling at around US$165 - 169, as compared to the US$149 launch price of the reference card. We reckon that the cooler and the addition of a new DirectX 10 compatible game are worth the extra cost. However, this probably may not be any more attractive than the competition and there are other alternatives out there that we are more inclined towards for this price category. Don't get us wrong, it's a good card for a Radeon HD 2600 XT GDDR4 part, but when viewed in the big picture, it isn't outstanding for what it offers and what it costs.

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.