"While these scores may come as a surprise to some computer enthusiasts, they really shouldnt be. The XFX 8600GTS XXX Edition completely outperforms its actual predecessor, namely the 7600GT, even though it is still limited by the same 128-bit wide bus."
"The XFX 8600GT XXX is possibly the fastest GT card currently available. Because of that its performance is well above the average, often rivaling the performance of a reference 8600GTS. Although the packaging is not the best weve seen it doesnt disappoint either. XFXs decision to add HDCP support to the card will please all the HD enthusiasts out there, which will be able to watch high definition videos without choking their CPU for a relatively low price. As a whole the XFX 8600GT XXX is an excellent product that only lacks some extra goodies in the box we wont let the absence of a game prevent us from awarding it a Gold Award though... Much like the GT, XFXs card is probably the fastest GTS available at the moment. Its high speeds also make it the fastest middle-range graphics card right now our tests prove this. The closest competitor the X1950Pro is usually a bit pricier and it also has no DirectX 10 support. While this isn't critical right now it wont be long before the first batch of DX10 enabled games comes out. At that point the 8600GTS will have a clear advantage."
"Im giving the XFX 8600GTS a higher score, due to its higher clock speed, better overclocking, and price. EVGAs card is excellent as well, with the overclocking of the card making it near the reference 8600 GTS speed, but it doesnt come with the high default clock of the XFX card and is higher priced online, making both cards have a Silver award. NVIDIA set the standard with their 6600GT and 7600GT cards, and by the measure of performance in the mid-range of the new generation being higher than the previous generations high-end part, the 8600GTS and 8600GT fail. Today the best bet for price/performance ratio is the 8800GTS 320MB, as it is available online for $269.99 (note I have refrained from including mail-in rebates on all prices as it would make it even more competitive price range wise."
"In all fairness the 158.14 driver offered an instant 10-15% overall improvement in performance compared to that 101.95 driver. That's nice but thing is, and this really is my biggest issue with GeForce 8600 series, the overall performance is still lacking a little. I think everybody expected the 8600 series to perform better in games. The GT is merely 15% faster than a 7600 GT in most scenarios; with the GTS performing at roughly 7900 GS or Radeon X1950 Pro performance. A Radeon X1950 Pro or 7900 GS for example will outperform the GTS in many scenarios and is a good amount cheaper. I can pick either one of them up here in the Netherlands for 150 EUR. Sure, these cards are not DX10 compatible but I think you'll see a lot of reviews today with exactly the same sentiment. Yours truly expected more performance. The 32 Shader cores and the choice of 128-bit memory are the responsible key issues here, and NVIDIA knows this. This is why the clock frequencies on the cards are so high."
"In terms of raw performance, the ASUS GeForce 8600 GTS obtained the highest scores in most of our benchmarks thanks to its overclocked GPU. The ASUS 8600 GTS held an average advantage of 10-13% compared to other cards in its class clocked at the NVIDIA base frequencies. Obviously, the benchmarks favored the card with the higher clock. Surprisingly enought, despite its higher operating frequencies, the card ended up having one of the lowest overall power consumption scores out of its class, especially at idle."
"NVIDIA once again beats AMD.ATI to the DirectX 10 punch, this time with a pair of mainstream cards. While the 8600 GTS is a bit off the mark the 8600 GT is an excellent value."
"Slightly controversial perhaps giving the slowest card in the tests the "Gamers choice" but I feel that at around £100 the XFX 8600 GT "XXX" Edition is the best "bang for buck" in our tests and sits perfectly at a price point that people will feel comfortable going for."
"XFX has come up with a pair of excellent graphics cards for the 8600-series and their "XXX" series. The XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX offers the highest clock and memory frequencies we have seen here at PC Perspective but the XFX GeForce 8600 GT XXX stole the show with high clock speeds, lower prices and superior performance compared to other 8600 cards."
"The XFX 8600 GT XXX Edition offers excellent performance for its 169.99 price tag. Never before has so much performance been achieved for such a low price point. If you are not planning on watching HDCP protected content on your PC, plan to play mostly at 1024x768 with high AA and AF or 1280x1024 with moderate AA and AF then this is the card for you... The XFX 8600 GTS XXX Edition is a great product but its price point is very close to an even better product. Currently 8800 GTS 320 cards can be found online for a little less than 300 dollars shipped to your door. If you have already saved 240 dollars for the 8600 GTX Triple X then you are so close to the 8800 GTS 320. Honestly, if it was me I would save a little more for an XFX 8800 GTS which also offers a XFX Double Lifetime Warranty."
"...the GeForce 8600 GT is without question a nice advance over the two incumbent offerings in its price class, the GeForce 7600 GT and Radeon X1650 XT. The 8600 GT we tested is a hopped-up version from XFX that's clocked somewhat higher than stock and lists for $169. Nevertheless, this card so decisively outperformed the two DX9 cards that there's no doubt the $149 stock-clocked version of the 8600 GT is the best option at $149... The GeForce 8600 GTS is a very good product, but it's fighting above its natural weight class when it takes on the these competitors, both of which have 256-bit paths to memory. The 8600 GTS variant we tested did largely hold its own against the Radeon X1950 Pro in terms of performance, even scoring clear victories in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and 3DMark06, but the X1950 Pro had an edge overall. That's true even though we used the "overclocked in the box" version of the 8600 GTS from XFX, a card that lists for $239."
"Overall, on a whole the 8600GT seems to be a great little card. It performs most the time greater than the heavily overclocked 7600GT model we have here today and is going to be great for a gamer who does not want to break the bank and get something to accommodate that smaller screen. This is probably going to be the better bang for buck card priced at around the AU$200 (US$167) mark. The only thing we really need to confirm now is if the overclocking capability is across the board or just on the XFX. It is hard, and a little unfair, to compare overclocking on the XFX against the Gigabyte as one has active cooling and the other passive."
rated: --
published: Apr 19 2007
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"For those that want to eventually use a card like this for HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc playback, youre going to have to look elsewhere. However, as a card purely for gaming, XFXs GeForce 8600 GT XXX Edition pretty good value at around £90 (inc. VAT), as it brings reasonably good performance and DirectX 10 support to the table at an affordable price point."
"The XFX GeForce 8600 GT XXX Edition is hands down the best value in the mainstream video card market. If you are looking to get the most bang for your buck you would be hard pressed to find better in this price range."
"Gamers shopping for a cheap graphics card will be hard pressed to find a better card to spend their $169 on. The XFX 8600 GT performs well given its price tag, only takes up a single slot making it great for use in media center systems that will see gaming duties and carries the fantastic XFX Double Lifetime Warranty."
"At the end of the day the math can be summarized fairly simply. The XFX GeForce 8600 GT XXX will cost a MSRP $169.99. With the X1950 Pro and GeForce 7900 GS sometimes as cheap as $169 and $159 respectively, it is best to wait a bit until the price drops for the 8600 GT."
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4.38/5.0
