12-Way NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB Shootout

The Illusion of Choice

Given that our article today is a blockbuster of a shootout involving up to twelve graphics cards, you may be slightly bemused by our choice of title. Yes, despite the variety of NVIDIA's GeForce 8600 GTS cards we have gathered for this article, ranging from the standard to overclocked versions and featuring disparate cooling solutions (though many are reference models), there's this nagging feeling that there really isn't much of a choice when it comes to mainstream DirectX 10 graphics cards. As most of you are aware, ATI has not yet launched its competing DirectX 10 products, meaning that for the last six months at least, NVIDIA has had virtually no competition when it comes to DirectX 10 compatible graphics cards.

Perhaps this lack of competition explains the less than convincing value that the GeForce 8600 series represents. Our recent showed the newcomer struggling against older but competitively priced models like the ATI Radeon X1950 PRO. The obvious advantages offered by the GeForce 8600 GTS - its DirectX 10 pedigree and the new HD processing engine - is quickly offset by its limited 128-bit memory bus and predictably unattractive launch prices.

Nevertheless, if you are shopping for a new mainstream graphics card now to tide over the next couple of years and have become impatient with ATI's numerous delays, there are few viable choices besides the GeForce 8600 GTS, but all are from NVIDIA. It also helps that NVIDIA has been excellent at meeting demand for its new graphics cards. GeForce 8600 GTS is another example of a hard launch, with massive quantities of the cards available in retail. Which particular brand/vendor should you go for? That's the question that we hope to answer with our 12 cards shootout today. Starting from the alphabet A, we have Albatron to kick off:

Albatron GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB

Our first contender from Albatron is your standard GeForce 8600 GTS. NVIDIA's familiar green is preferred for the cooler shroud and the PCB, with Albatron stamping its own brand via a simple cooler decal. Clock speeds too are typical, with the core running at 675MHz and the DDR3 memory at 2000MHz DDR. Finally, the bundle reflects its mainstream segment; there is no game or applications included, though the minimum expected accessories are present.

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component dongle
• Quick installation guide
• Driver CD

ASUS EN8600GTS TOP 256MB

ASUS has been bundling 'big name' games with its graphics cards for some time now. We have had King Kong and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter in the past. The recipient this time round is an oft-delayed but widely anticipated first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadows of Chernobyl. As usual, ASUS uses the box art of the game on its decal, which is a welcome change from the bland green of the reference card. This being a TOP edition, the clock speeds are also much faster than the standard GeForce 8600 GTS, with the core at 745MHz while the memory too has been boosted to 2290MHz DDR. This also gives it the distinction of being the highest pre-overclocked card in our roundup. However, ASUS has kept to the standard cooler instead of outfitting it with its own design. Accordingly, ASUS states that the higher clock speeds will result in a 10% boost in 3DMark06, something that we'll find out shortly.

The ASUS EN8600GTS TOP 256MB card comes with the following bundle:-

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component dongle
• Leather CD wallet
• Driver CD
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl (full game)

Chaintech GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB

Another vendor that has gone the overclocking route is Chaintech. Again, the cooler for its GeForce 8600 GTS is the standard issue single slot version and this, despite the fact that its core comes at 745MHz while the memory chips are running at 2200MHz DDR (the second fastest in this roundup). It also comes in a rather large and eye catching red packaging, the better to hold the decent collection of accessories included. The only complaint is perhaps the lack of any applications besides the disappointing choice of Adobe Photoshop Album.

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• Composite extension cable
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component dongle
• User manual
• Driver CD
• Adobe Photoshop Album

ECS N8600GTS-256MX

Almost every vendor it seems, has a GeForce 8600 GTS up its sleeves and Elitegroup Computer Systems or ECS for short, has its own version for sale. Besides the addition of the ECS decal, we could hardly distinguish it from the many generic looking GeForce 8600 GTS in the market. The clock speeds too are ordinary at the default 675MHz (core) and 2000MHz DDR (memory). Though we didn't receive the full retail version for this review, at the time of publishing, we still weren't able to ascertain from ECS the exact bundle with the card. However judging from our past experience, you should expect the bare standard accessories to accompany this card. Below, we list the probable items you can expect to find with this card:-

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component dongle
• User manual
• Driver CD

Foxconn GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB

Getting into the thick of the graphics business only in 2006, Foxconn's profile in this competitive industry has risen quite dramatically over this short span of time. No longer content with staying in the background, the world's largest contract manufacturer has ambitions for its graphics cards and not surprisingly, it has jumped into the fray with its GeForce 8600 GTS offering. There is nothing special about the hardware though, with the standard design and clock speeds. The bundle shows more promise with two interesting applications and sufficient accessories to satisfy most users.

• 2 x DVI-to-VGA adaptors
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component/Composite/S-Video dongle
• User Manual
• Driver CD
• RestoreIT 7.0
• VirtualDrive Pro 10

Gainward Bliss 8600GTS PCX Golden Sample

Legend has it that Gainward's Golden Sample cards have specially handpicked cores capable of extreme overclocking. Whether that is really true is not for us to say but there is no doubt that these cards are definitely overclocked. The latest incarnation is the Gainward Bliss 8600GTS PCX Golden Sample, with a core overclocked to 725MHz and memory modules at 2200MHz DDR. To complement its high clock speeds, Gainward uses a custom two-slot cooler (which has appeared in previous Gainward graphics cards like its Radeon X1950 PRO) with a meshed plastic shroud that's just a natural dust collector. There's also a respectable bundle too, with CyberLink's suite of DVD utilities the main highlight.

The complete list of bundled accessories are as follows:-

• 2 x DVI-to-VGA adaptors
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component/Composite dongle
• Quick installation guide
• Driver CD
• CyberLink DVD Solution 4

Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H

The surprise package of the shootout is undoubtedly Gigabyte's entry. The GV-NX86S256H is the only passively cooled GeForce 8600 GTS and uses the company's newest Silent Pipe 3 cooler. It comprises of a massive chunk of metal and heat pipes that covers most of the card and takes up two expansion slots. To our astonishment, Gigabyte has somehow managed to do away with the external power connector found on the GeForce 8600 GTS and rely purely on the PCIe interface for its energy needs. We are uncertain if the removal of an active fan cooler allowed such a move but there seems to be no disadvantage to doing so. In case you're still concerned, this Gigabyte card is actually slightly overclocked out of the box (685MHz core and 2100MHz DDR memory). Additionally, Gigabyte has included an A-list game title - Supreme Commander, together with its own custom overclocking utility, V-Tuner 3. In short, this offering from Gigabyte stands out from the competition for both its hardware and bundle.

The complete list of bundled accessories for the Gigabyte graphics card are as follows:-

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 9-pin mini-DIN to S-Video/Component dongle
• Driver CD (including V-Tuner 3)
• User Manual
• Supreme Commander (full game)

Leadtek WinFast PX8600 GTS TDH

While Leadtek's Extreme series of their GeForce graphics cards have traditionally captured the limelight due to their high pre-overclocked states, these special editions usually take a while to be available to the public. Hence, Leadtek's GeForce 8600 GTS entry to our shootout is a standard clocked version that is identical to the reference card but with a Leadtek decal. The bundle is also typical of Leadtek in its thoroughness. There are two games and a DVD playback application but there are no distinctly outstanding titles among them. Despite that, for a mainstream graphics card, it's none too shabby overall, especially compared to some of its competitors.

Here's a list of accessories the accompany the Leadtek card:-

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to S-Video/Component dongle
• Driver CD
• User Manual
• Joint Task Force (full game)
• Serious Sam II (full game)
• CyberLink Power DVD 7.0
• Orb

MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-HD-OC

Not one to be modest in its marketing, MSI's box packaging tells you clearly what to expect from its GeForce 8600 GTS. In its case, it's overclocked and comes with the usual MSI utilities like Dynamic Overclocking Technology (D.O.T), StarOSD and Dual CoreCell. The overclocking is not too extreme, with the core just hitting 700MHz while the memory is set at 2100MHz DDR. The cooler however is MSI's own design, a two-slot solution that looks similar to some of the popular cooling solutions available now. In testing, it felt a tad more audible than the reference cooler of the GeForce 8600 GTS, but it's bearable. As for the bundle, MSI has provided an ample handful of cables and accessories. No game or other third-party applications are included, which is quite surprising for an upper mid-range card coming from MSI.

The bundled items are as follows:-

• 2 x DVI-to-VGA adaptors
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to S-Video/Component dongle
• S-Video extension cable
• Driver CD
• User Manual

Sparkle GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB

We haven't seen much of Sparkle in the past but they have graced us with a dazzling white package for its GeForce 8600 GTS. Despite its ordinary and standard exterior, this card comes overclocked with a very competitive core clock of 729MHz and a memory frequency of 2214MHz DDR. The included accessories are more than adequate but the lack of any applications or games makes it a very lean package that may appeal to some consumers. Or it could turn some off some prospective buyers looking for a more wholesome package.

The bundled item list for Sparkle is as follows:-

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component dongle
• S-Video extension cable
• Driver CD
• User Manual

XFX GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB XXX Edition

Most of us are familiar with XFX's many editions of a particular graphics chipset, with clock speeds that vary from mildly to extremely overclocked. The XXX Edition is not too be sneered at since the core is at 730MHz and suitably complemented by memory operating at 2260MHz DDR. It is fast and XFX knows it, since it has paired the card with a popular and fairly recent first person shooter like Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, the better to showcase the card's graphical prowess. The other accessories in the package are also useful though it does seem to lack the Component cable dongle commonly bundled with graphics cards .

The accessories that accompany the XFX graphics card are as follows:-

• 2 x DVI-to-VGA adaptors
• S-Video extension cable
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• User manual
• Driver CD
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (full game)

XpertVision GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB

Given its past record of delivering value for money products that are both price and performance competitive, we expected more of the same with XpertVision's latest GeForce 8600 GTS. It turned out not to be the case, since the variant we received is the company's normal GeForce 8600 GTS and not the Sonic and overclocked version. Hence, the clock speeds on this XpertVision are the standard 675/2000MHz that you will find on most stock GeForce 8600 GTS cards. XpertVision did make quite a few changes to its card, with a custom two-slot cooler and a redesigned board layout. There are no surprises when it came to the included accessories and the single SpellForce 2 game should provide some entertainment for users.

The full list of included accessories is as follows:-

• 1 x DVI-to-VGA adaptor
• 6-pin PCIe Molex power connector
• 9-pin mini-DIN to Component/Composite dongle
• Quick installation guide
• Driver CD
• SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars (full game)

Test Setup

For this comparison, we used a system based on Intel's Core 2 Duo E6700 processor and its D975XBX 'Bad Axe' motherboard. This configuration was supplemented with 2GB of low latency Kingston HyperX DDR2-800 memory modules running in dual channel mode. A Seagate 7200.7 SATA hard drive completed the system, on which we had installed Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 and DirectX 9.0c.

With no DirectX 10 applications so far, we naturally tested all the GeForce 8600 GTS on older games and benchmarks. The different clock speeds of the cards are listed below, along with the recommended local retail prices where possible.

All the cards were tested with ForceWare 158.16 drivers (which is exactly similar in performance to that of the current ForceWare 158.19 driver set available for end-user download) and the following benchmarks were used:-

• Futuremark 3DMark05 (ver. 120)
• Futuremark 3DMark06 (ver. 102)
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (ver 1.3)
• FarCry (1.4 beta)
• F.E.A.R
• Company of Heroes (ver 1.3)
• Quake 4 (ver 1.2)

Results - 3DMark05 Pro & 3DMark06 Pro

Predictably, the overclocked GeForce 8600 GTS cards took the lead, with the ASUS EN8600GTS TOP justifying its 'TOP' status by emerging as the fastest of all. Chaintech, Sparkle and XFX were the other overclocked cards that made an impression. Meanwhile the other cards were all clustered together and indistinguishable from each other.

Results - Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory & FarCry (DirectX 9 Benchmarks)

The ASUS was again the fastest overall in both games, though the difference between it and the other overclocked cards were practically negligible. In many cases, it could be debatable whether it was worth getting an overclocked variant since the performance gain seemed very minor. The GeForce 8600 GTS cards generally faltered in FarCry at 1600 x 1200, with even the overclocked versions unable to maintain more than 30 frames per second and for Splinter Cell, this threshold was reached at 1920 x 1440.

Results - F.E.A.R (DirectX 9 Benchmark)

F.E.A.R was another graphically intensive game that revealed the weakness of the GeForce 8600 GTS. With anti-aliasing enabled, all the cards including the overclocked ones failed to achieve 30 frames per second at 1600 x 1200. Generally, overclocking gave the GeForce 8600 GTS a slight boost of a few frames. Considering that at some resolutions and settings, the frame rates weren't too impressive, the extra frames may come in handy. The ASUS EN8600GTS TOP was again the fastest, though at times, its advantage was merely a single frame over the competition.

Results - Company of Heroes & Quake 4 (SM2.0+ Benchmarks)

In Company of Heroes, the GeForce 8600 GTS is probably a little put of its league, though without anti-aliasing, even the standard GeForce 8600 GTS could manage a minimum of 30 frames per second. Overclocking helped on paper but the differences were hardly convincing and we doubt users would notice the 1 - 2 frame improvements. Meanwhile, Quake 4 was easily handled by all cards and having an overclocked card here meant an increase of more than 10 frames/sec at lower resolutions.

Temperature Testing

With a glance, it was obvious that the passively cooled Gigabyte card registered the highest temperatures in our tests. That was only expected considering its design. Other overclocked cards like Sparkle and XFX also had higher than average readings. However, the fastest GeForce 8600 GTS, the ASUS EN8600GTS TOP did rather well, with temperatures that were comfortably below the 50 degrees Celsisus mark. MSI, Gainward and XpertVision also did better than their peers, which perhaps justified their custom cooling solutions.

Overclocking

By an extremely slim margin, the best overclock went to the ASUS EN8600GTS TOP. It narrowly edged out both the Gainward and Leadtek in terms of 3DMark06 scores though. Overall, it seems that all the GeForce 8600 GTS we have seen are capable of around 750MHz for the core overclock. The weakest card is predictably the passively cooled Gigabyte, but given its characteristics and overclocking performance, it's pretty good in our opinion.

Conclusion

Finding a GeForce 8600 GTS is just the easy part. By now there are so many models and brands on retail shelves that the twelve cards covered here are by no means comprehensive (though we were close). There are some notable brands missing though eVGA, Elsa and BFG weren't available in time for our shootout and they should be worth considering if you manage to get your hands on them. Prices quoted here are the local retail prices in Singapore where possible so there could be discrepancies depending on your location. Overclocked variants seem to be quite popular but you are more likely to find the reference design with the standard clock speeds. The most unique card so far has to be Gigabyte's version with the new Silent Pipe III cooler. However, that could change in the future as vendors start customizing them to differentiate themselves in such a crowded field. The usual suspects like Leadtek and XpertVision are probably in the process of releasing overclocked versions as we speak.

Personally, we would hold out just a bit longer to compare against ATI's offerings before deciding on a GeForce 8600 GTS, but if history repeats itself, you could be waiting for a while before they show up. If you're set on a DirectX 10 mainstream graphics card now, there's only NVIDIA at the moment. Here are our summarized thoughts about the twelve GeForce 8600 GTS cards that have passed through our labs:

• Albatron's sparse GeForce 8600 GTS package offers the bare essentials and nothing much. If you're satisfied with just the graphics card and the standard accessories, Albatron is as good (or rather as average) as any. As of writing, we're unable to get the official retail price but you shouldn't pay more than NVIDIA's recommended retail price of around US$199 for this.

• With the highest default clock speeds, the ASUS EN8600GTS TOP certainly tops our benchmarks all through. This card also impressed us in our temperature test segment and in overclocking. Together with the new S.T.A.L.K.E.R game, the ASUS EN8600GTS TOP looks to be a solid choice for those who desire all the bells and whistles. Therefore on the merit of overall product quality and capability, this card gets our 4.5 Stars seal of approval among the GeForce 8600 GTS class. The only real downside to this lavish package is that it's understandably selling at a premium price of S$409. Hence, in terms of value, it suffers from being priced a little too close to that of a GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB, which offers far superior performance. However, its early days yet and as competition from AMD (ATI) springs into action, market dynamics will cause price cuts to take place in due time where the ASUS EN8600GTS TOP has a chance to be better positioned.

• Another interesting offering is the GeForce 8600 GTS from Chaintech, which is an overclocked version that emerged as one of the faster cards in our benchmarks. The extras and other accessories however are pretty plain and ordinary. At least you can expect top class performance out of this card. We couldn't get the recommended retail price but going by its strong showing, it should be a good (and lean) choice.

• With such a deluge of GeForce 8600 GTS cards flooding the retail channels, it's very easy to be lost among the many brands out there. ECS's GeForce 8600 GTS is one of these anonymous cards that seems destined to be overshadowed by fancier models. This is another card that we are unable to get the retail price so we'll have to recommend that you don't pay more than the standard recommended price of US$199 for such a generic offering.

• Foxconn has been aggressively expanding its graphics card lineup and the GeForce 8600 GTS offers the company a chance to claim a place in the mainstream segment. While there is nothing particularly special about the hardware, Foxconn did produce a decent package with two applications. And with a competitive price tag of US$189, it's definitely worth considering.

• Gainward's Golden Sample version of the GeForce 8600 GTS is predictably overclocked and the performance boost put its among the top ranks of our benchmarks. Featuring a custom and quiet two-slot cooler, this card also performed very well in our temperature test segment despite its overclocked state. It also has a decent bundle to go along and while we have again no hint of the retail price, it should priced reasonably for its capabilities from our previous encounters of Gainward's Golden Sample cards.

• The most interesting GeForce 8600 GTS has to be Gigabyte's GV-NX86S256H, the card that does away with the auxiliary power connector and replaces the reference cooler with a new passive cooler, the Silent Pipe III. Despite the passive cooling, this card is overclocked out of the box though that means the Gigabyte recorded the highest temperatures in our tests. On the bright side, it does come with a hot new title, Supreme Commander and best of all, an extremely attractive price of S$349 puts it ahead of other rivals. For daring to be different and providing excellent value, we have decided that the Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H is the Winner of our shootout.

• The Leadtek WinFast PX8600 GTS TDH we received is not the company's Extreme and overclocked edition but rather, a standard version that's targeted at the budget consciousness crowd. However, it did quite well in our overclocking segment so consumers should have no trouble pushing this card to Extreme levels. The price too is rather attractive at S$339 and though the bundled applications and games show distinct signs of ageing, they are decent nevertheless and reasonably useful still.

• The MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-HD-OC is another overclocked contender that comes with its own custom two-slot cooler. It may be a tad noisy compared to the standard cooler but it redeems itself in our temperature tests. In the end, it's a compromise and you'll have to decide which is more important. Although the usual MSI proprietary applications are present (including the new StarOSD), the lack of any applications or games is a drawback, especially when you consider that it carries a retail price of S$375.

• Sparkle's overclocked GeForce 8600 GTS looks like it may slip under the radar due to its nondescript appearance. However, beneath its reference exterior, we found a fairly high overclock that should guarantee better performance than the majority of GeForce 8600 GTS. There wasn't anything in the bundle besides the standard accessories but we aren't complaining, not with its price tag of S$340.

• XFX's GeForce 8600 GTS XXX Edition is typical of the vendor - aggressively overclocked but at a price. This XFX graphics card is among the more expensive ones in our roundup at $399, though it has a relatively new game like Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter to soften the blow. If you're paying that kind of price however, there are other alternatives as well.

• The XpertVision GeForce 8600 GTS we tested is the normal edition and not the popular Sonic, overclocked version from the vendor. The cooler takes up two-slot and the bundle included is decent if not the latest. The competitive pricing of S$339 (and even lower in street price) makes it quite the deal, especially if you're just looking for the cheapest possible GeForce 8600 GTS.

<img src="https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/hardwarezone/eb8282d69978513b3f5f3462e549e267cea4fc6e4ce5f2ae23095891bb4500fe" title="The Chaintech GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB. " alt="">
<img alt="" title="Foxconn GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB. " src="https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/hardwarezone/25d0d08057eb44444ac520f6449bee2f15a0814b8242814ff3873f7c43409f58">
<img alt="" title="The Leadtek WinFast PX8600 GTS TDH. " src="https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/hardwarezone/5cead9ae1dfe616108a90cfd302077f2bed10d8fd4628628fa4b2a98dbdb2df9">

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