HotHardware reviews MSI NX8600GT T2D256E, Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H with Silent-Pipe III cooling, and MSI NX8500GT TD256E video cards
The premium graphics card market is in a lopsided state. NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 series is still relatively unchallenged in the high-end space, a position which has been futher solidified with the addition of the 8800 Ultra. By giving the GeForce 8800GTX a nominal speed bump, NVIDIA continues to maintain its lead. ATI, on the otherhand, is still trying to get their R600 on store shelves in mass quantities, after receiving a lukewarm reception at launch. The Radeon HD 2900 XT we recently reviewed turned out to be a decent performer, but is nowhere near the challenger to the GeForce 8800 as we all thought it might be. While "who's the fastest" may be the most popular and exciting topic, it's also the least likely to affect the masses, as it's safe to estimate the majority of us don't shell out upwards of $599 or more for a superfast video card.
Today, we're going to stay grounded, evaluating several lower cost video cards designed to strike a balance between price and performance. What we have on tap are two models based on the GeForce 8600, the MSI NX8600GT T2D256E and the Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H with Silent-Pipe III cooling. Lastly we have the MSI NX8500GT TD256E which brings basic DX10 gaming performance to those on a strict budget. In the pages ahead we'll have the three go head-to-head-to-head to see how each stacks up, then we'll throw in comparison scores from a similarly priced GeForce 7600GT and ATI Radeon X1950 Pro for good measure. Think you can guess which was the best performer? Well, it may not be as obvious as you might think. Before we get started, let's take a moment to break down the retail packaging that complements each of these cards...
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