Overview
Today marks the launch of the latest graphics card from NVIDIA called the 9600 GT. We are going to take a look at a stock clocked 9600 GT from XFX today and see how well the first 9000 series graphics card from NVIDIA performs. Read on for all the details.

Hands-On Review

Features & Specifications
The XFX 9600 GT has a core clock speed of 650 MHz, a shader clock of 1625MHz and a memory clock of 1.8GHz. the card is compatible with PCI-E 2.0 and uses 512MB of DDR3 RAM. The memory bus for the card is 256-bit. The card is a single slot design like the 8800 GT that did so well for NVIDIA. The minimum PSU required for the card is 400W and the XFX 9600 GT requires one 6-pin power adapter.

Outputs on the card include HDTV out and a pair of DVI outputs. The card supports a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1600 digital and 2048 x 1536 analog. The single slot design and HDCP compatibility will make the card a viable option for gamers looking for a card for a HTPC system. The XFX 9600 GT will carry a MSRP of $179.99.

Test Machine
The test machine I am using for the XFX 9600 GT has the following specifications:

• CPU- Intel QX6850
• Mainboard- XFX 680i
• PSU- PC Power and Cooling 1KW
• Display- Dell 30-inch
• OS- Windows XP Pro
• RAM- 2GB DDR2 PC6400

Benchmarks & Testing
To test the XFX 9600 GT I will be using my standard test suite consisting of 3DMark06, Crysis, Bioshock, and Quake Wars. The first test up for the XFX 9600 GT is 3DMark06.

3DMark06
I ran 3DMark06 at default settings in the application and default settings in the NVIDIA control panel. The XFX 9600 GT scored as follows in 3DMark06:

• Total 3DMarks- 11397
• SM2.0- 4665
• HDR/SM3.0- 4403
• CPU- 4707
• Return to Proxycon- 37.492
• Firefly Forest- 40.252
• Canyon Flight- 39.817
• Deep Freeze- 48.244
• CPU1- 1.565
• CPU2- 2.264

To compare the PNY NVIDIA 8800 GTS 512MG graphics card I recently tested scored 13905 3Dmarks, the XFX 8800 Ultra XXX scored 14378 3DMarks, and the XFX 8800 GT 512MB XXX scored 13546 3DMarks.

Quake Wars
The next test up was with Quake Wars, which I ran at a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 with all settings on high and 2x AA. I used Fraps to record frame rate data on a single player Africa refinery map. Fraps recorded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 44 fps
• Avg- 59.697 fps
• Max- 63 fps

Bioshock
Next up was Bioshock, which I ran at a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 with all settings on high. I used Fraps to record frame rate data at the Fontaine Fisheries level where you have to leave your weapons in the Pneumo. Fraps recorded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 25 fps
• Avg- 40.674 fps
• Max- 69 fps

Crysis
The final test up for the XFX 9600 GT was Crysis. I ran Crysis at a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 with 4x AA and all settings on medium. I used Fraps to record frame rate data from the initial beach insertion to the fight with the first enemies on the beach. Fraps recorded the following data:

• Min- 9 fps
• Avg- 16.802 fps
• Max- 40.674 fps

Final Thoughts
In the end I was impressed with the performance of the XFX 9600 GT given its stock clock speeds and low price. The XFX 9600 GT may well be the next big thing in affordable and attainable graphics performance from NVIDIA.

Verdict

Pros

• Good performance
  Low price

  Cons
  

  • No game bundle

  Verdict
  Gamers shopping for a good graphics card, here it is. The XFX 9600 GT performs very well at stock clock speeds. If you have been waiting for DirectX 10 video cards to drop in price and improve performance before you buy, the XFX 9600 GT may be the card you have been waiting on.

  I4U Rating: 9.0/10
  
  

  
  Review Photos