GIGABYTE GeForce 8600 Video Card Review
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Written To Better Inform Our Visitors Regarding These Deals: • GIGABYTE GeForce 8600 256MB Video Card [MAIL IN REBATES] |
When it comes to picking the right video card for your computer, there are literally thousands of choices out there. It can be pretty tough to figure out which one is actually right for your needs. There is a huge variation when it comes to price and capability, but there are a few market leaders that make the choice a lot less stressful. Let’s see if this new GeForce card is one of those cards, or if you should pass it by.
The price point and the features for the GeForce card puts it right into the middle range. It’s not quite a beginner’s card, and it’s not as expensive as a top of the line model. It fits right into that middle area where it is suitable for novice gamers, hard core gamers and those looking to get as many features as they can while still saving money. This is probably the best niche for a manufacturer to be in, since the card has a wider appeal, more capabilities and more users can benefit from it. We were impressed with the pricing for this card and with the features that were available for the money.
Unless you’re getting a special package that has a game included with the card, you’ll be greeted by the card itself, two DVI-to-D sub adapters and a dongle if you decide to use the card on your television. It was nice to this added on, since more people are trying this now. You’ll also get the driver for the card in the packaging.
Installing the card was very simple, and pretty much anyone with experience in switching out video cards should not have any problems. However, if you have never installed a new card on your computer or you do not feel comfortable opening that CPU up, it’s best to have a pro do it for you. There really isn’t much room for error here, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution if you are unsure of your abilities.
The card itself is actually quite small and will not take up more than one slot. We liked that, especially since many of today’s video cards will hog two slots. The most impressive feature we noted just by looking at the card was the cooling system. It has what is called a heatpipe solution and this routes the heat away from the graphics core. This was a great feature and one that is perfect for those that experience a lot of overheating with their units.
Once we had the card installed and everything put back together, we fired up the CPU and got started. The new card was automatically recognized, but we decided to go on the safe side and install the driver as well. That will give you a little more control over the settings on the card and ensure that everything will work properly. Older machines will definitely need to have the driver installed.
The software will walk you through the entire process, and we found the GUI to be very easy and self explanatory. Even if you’ve never put a new video card into your computer, you should not have any problem getting this to work.
The card is RoHS compliant, which was very nice to see. In addition, it features SLI Technology. What this means is that the card can deliver twice the performance of a typical video card. We immediately noticed the difference, particularly when it came to the performance of the card on graphic intensive games. There were a few where the card wasn’t able to keep up, but overall, we found that it could handle just about everything we threw at it and it still performed well.
The PureVideo feature means that the card will be able to handle all sorts of new video formats, so you won’t have to keep upgrading in the future. The nView Multi Display Technology feature is terrific for those that prefer to use more than one monitor. Again, not many cards in this price point can do this as well as this one, so once again, the GeForce edged out the competition.
It supports Microsoft Direct X, has a core clock of 600 Mhz, with a memory clock of 1400 Mhz. The included 80nm Process Technology feature will help increase that speed and deliver some great results.
With a price of less than $120, this card is a steal. Granted, it may not be the best solution for those that have really intense graphic needs, but for the majority of gamers and graphic professionals, it’s just about perfect. You can’t beat the price, or the level of performance that this card brings to the table.
The new heat distribution technology is by far one of the best features we’ve seen on a video card in many years. Plus, we found that the card was nearly silent. We can’t stand high noise video cards, where it sounds like you’re sitting on the tarmac at your local airport. This card was a pleasant surprise and we found ourselves waiting for the high noise levels to kick in. That didn’t happen. Based on this feature alone we’d definitely recommend this card to anyone. In addition to being quiet, it doesn’t suffer from the lack of a high noise fan. The card didn’t overheat even at the highest levels of our testing.
Bottom line – if you’re looking for a cheap video card that can get the job done, this is a definite must-by. It’s quiet, efficient and very capable. It performed well in all of its tests and clearly beats out the competition, especially those in this price point. We can’t say enough nice things about this card and while it is not perfect, for the money, it comes pretty close. If you’re in the market for a new video card, this one should be moved to the top of your list.
GeForce 8600 First Thoughts
The price point and the features for the GeForce card puts it right into the middle range. It’s not quite a beginner’s card, and it’s not as expensive as a top of the line model. It fits right into that middle area where it is suitable for novice gamers, hard core gamers and those looking to get as many features as they can while still saving money. This is probably the best niche for a manufacturer to be in, since the card has a wider appeal, more capabilities and more users can benefit from it. We were impressed with the pricing for this card and with the features that were available for the money.
Out of the Box
Unless you’re getting a special package that has a game included with the card, you’ll be greeted by the card itself, two DVI-to-D sub adapters and a dongle if you decide to use the card on your television. It was nice to this added on, since more people are trying this now. You’ll also get the driver for the card in the packaging.
Video Card Installation
Installing the card was very simple, and pretty much anyone with experience in switching out video cards should not have any problems. However, if you have never installed a new card on your computer or you do not feel comfortable opening that CPU up, it’s best to have a pro do it for you. There really isn’t much room for error here, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution if you are unsure of your abilities.
The card itself is actually quite small and will not take up more than one slot. We liked that, especially since many of today’s video cards will hog two slots. The most impressive feature we noted just by looking at the card was the cooling system. It has what is called a heatpipe solution and this routes the heat away from the graphics core. This was a great feature and one that is perfect for those that experience a lot of overheating with their units.
Once we had the card installed and everything put back together, we fired up the CPU and got started. The new card was automatically recognized, but we decided to go on the safe side and install the driver as well. That will give you a little more control over the settings on the card and ensure that everything will work properly. Older machines will definitely need to have the driver installed.
The software will walk you through the entire process, and we found the GUI to be very easy and self explanatory. Even if you’ve never put a new video card into your computer, you should not have any problem getting this to work.
GIGABYTE GeForce Features
The card is RoHS compliant, which was very nice to see. In addition, it features SLI Technology. What this means is that the card can deliver twice the performance of a typical video card. We immediately noticed the difference, particularly when it came to the performance of the card on graphic intensive games. There were a few where the card wasn’t able to keep up, but overall, we found that it could handle just about everything we threw at it and it still performed well.
The PureVideo feature means that the card will be able to handle all sorts of new video formats, so you won’t have to keep upgrading in the future. The nView Multi Display Technology feature is terrific for those that prefer to use more than one monitor. Again, not many cards in this price point can do this as well as this one, so once again, the GeForce edged out the competition.
It supports Microsoft Direct X, has a core clock of 600 Mhz, with a memory clock of 1400 Mhz. The included 80nm Process Technology feature will help increase that speed and deliver some great results.
Overall Opinion
With a price of less than $120, this card is a steal. Granted, it may not be the best solution for those that have really intense graphic needs, but for the majority of gamers and graphic professionals, it’s just about perfect. You can’t beat the price, or the level of performance that this card brings to the table.
The new heat distribution technology is by far one of the best features we’ve seen on a video card in many years. Plus, we found that the card was nearly silent. We can’t stand high noise video cards, where it sounds like you’re sitting on the tarmac at your local airport. This card was a pleasant surprise and we found ourselves waiting for the high noise levels to kick in. That didn’t happen. Based on this feature alone we’d definitely recommend this card to anyone. In addition to being quiet, it doesn’t suffer from the lack of a high noise fan. The card didn’t overheat even at the highest levels of our testing.
Bottom line – if you’re looking for a cheap video card that can get the job done, this is a definite must-by. It’s quiet, efficient and very capable. It performed well in all of its tests and clearly beats out the competition, especially those in this price point. We can’t say enough nice things about this card and while it is not perfect, for the money, it comes pretty close. If you’re in the market for a new video card, this one should be moved to the top of your list.
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