Now we will look at the two XFX cards in this roundup: the 8600 GT and the 8600 GTS.
Let's start with the GT. Of the six cards in this roundup, this card is the smallest. Not only is it lacking the massive cooler present on the other GT in this roundup, the Gigabyte GT, but the actual printed circuit board (PCB) itself is shorter. Additionally, the XFX 8600 GT sports the smallest cooling fan of the bunch. The black PCB and green DVI ports gives the board a slick, low-profile look to it. Featuring more capacitors than the majority of 8600 GT's currently available, as well as a EMI-reducing copper coil (seen on the top-right), the XFX 8600 looks like a lean and mean little machine.
One thing to be aware of: if you are looking to purchase a XFX 8600 GT, be aware that they have 2 models which are similar in every way but price and performance. The PVT83JUDD3 XFX 8600GT has about 15% higher clock-speeds, and sells for a about 20$ dollars more than it's brother card, the PVT83JUDF3 XFX 8600GT. We are reviewing the faster card, the PVT83JUDD3 model.
As for the XFX 8600 GTS, it looks like it stayed pretty close to the reference board design. Only two things
differentiate the XFX 8600 GTS from the ASUS EN8600 GTS in appearance: the sticker on the cooler, and a black plastic ridge that runs along the top of the card. Like the XFX 8600 GT, the GTS comes in three editions that look the same, but have different clock speeds and prices: the
PVT84GUDF3, PVT84GUDE3, and the PVT84GUDD3. The PVT84GUDD3 is the fastest card of the three, clocking in with a 730 MHz core, and 2260 MHz memory speed. The PVT84GUDD3 also comes with great FPS
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, while the other editions do not.
The GTS bundle also includes a DVI to VGA adapter, a molex to PCI-E power cable, and a S-Video cable. The GT does not require a power connection, so the bundle lacks the power cable. The GT also does not have
Ghost Recon. The GT card retails around the $135 mark, whereas the GTS is around 200$.
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