NVidia GeForce 8600 GTS graphics card: review, specifications, prices

The representative of the initial game segment, video adapter on the GeForce 8600 GTS chip is quite an interesting solution for many users who like to play non-resource toys and want to buy a budget class device. In the race for high productivity, many buyers prefer powerful game solutions, striking out of the budget segment. And only after a while, users understand that for their favorite games enough simple and inexpensive solution.

In this article, the reader will get acquainted with a graphics accelerator, whose potential is quite enough for most gaming applications with minimal requirements for computer resources.

Specifications GeForce 8600 GTS

The graphic core G84, created by the out-of-date technical process of 80 nanometers, hints to the future owner that to expect high potential from the video adapter is not worth it. To reduce the price of the product, the manufacturer used the old technologies, providing the device with GDDR3 memory, which operates on a 128-bit bus. There are limitations and the amount of RAM graphics memory - 512 Mb look a bit strange when compared with more expensive accelerators.

For a video card on a GeForce 8600 GTS chip, the characteristics of the graphics core are only acceptable - 675 MHz is enough for performing complex tasks. It will please owners and work of shader units - 1450 MHz is a worthy indicator in the market of gaming devices.

Chip Technology

The budget representative of the market supports the work of the API set of functions DirectX 10. This indicator limits the use of the GeForce 8600 GTS chip in resource-intensive dynamic games. Let the graphics card work on the PCIex16 bus with full support for anisotropic filtering, and it has a shader version 4.0, and passes 16 textures per clock, you can not run a modern game that works with DirectX 11 or higher libraries.

An interesting feature of this product is the presence of a video output S-Video for connecting all kinds of displays and TVs. Support for HDTV and HDCP signals at resolutions up to 2560x1600 dots per inch creates excellent competition for an expensive HDMI interface. Do not forget that most users on TVs do not have a modern interface. Accordingly, the video card is an excellent and inexpensive solution for fans of watching movies on a large diagonal in high quality.

Representative of the plant nVidia

As befits most of the manufacturer's products, the GeForce 8600 GTS graphics accelerator on the world market in retail trade is presented only under the brands of companies that work under the contract with nVidia. The original samples, created in the laboratory of the manufacturer, never entered retail. But, as many test labs of the world say, nVidia company provided its products for review and experiments not only for professionals, but also for enthusiasts.

The tests carried out on the reference device are quite interesting. All conclusions are almost identical - the installed 128-bit GDDR3 memory and the number of stream processors limit the potential of a good graphics accelerator. The same representative of the gaming segment GeForce 8800 GTS outperforms the considered chip several times, although in price it differs only by 20-30%. Therefore, all the hopes the user will have to entrust to the end manufacturer of the video card on the GeForce 8600 GTS chip.

Video adapter requirements for the system

The established opinion that every video adapter on the market corresponds to a certain computer configuration is completely justified. To maximize the potential of a video card on a nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS chip, the characteristics of the workstation should be as follows:

• The processor should be with two physical cores, but not above the Core 2 Extreme x6800 line from Inlet (or Phenom II X4 905e from AMD);
• The amount of free RAM in the computer should be 2 GB (respectively, the system should be 3.2-4 gigabytes);
• The hard disk must work on the SATA300 interface;
• The power supply is not less than 450 watts (the video adapter itself requires 60 watts per hour).

As practice shows, such characteristics are possessed by the majority of computers of domestic users who do not wish to pass to a new, expensive platform. It is quite possible to install GeForce 8600 GTS and on more productive systems, however, the efficiency of the video adapter will not be higher from this.

Favorite overclocker video card

The graphics accelerator based on the GeForce 8600 GTS 512Mb chip from ASUS immediately attracted the attention of the overclockers. Visually, without any testing, you can see that the manufacturer was worried about future owners. After all, the installation of branded batteries and decent cooling is not done for fun at the factory of the Taiwan representative.

Installation of electrolytic capacitors of high quality is the key to successful overclocking for all users. The frequency of the graphics accelerator can be raised without problems by 100 MHz. It was not without the replacement of memory modules: fast modules of the well-known Samsung brand are perfectly amenable to overclocking - 2350 MHz on the bus. All this is blown by the proprietary cooling system. However, due to the height of the aluminum radiator, the video card occupies two slots in the system unit.

Silence is the guarantee of health

Video card nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS with passive cooling from the same manufacturer ASUS will appeal to users who are used to working in silence. The company's technology used a similar motherboard with proprietary capacitors in the power system. But the cooling system has undergone significant changes. The entire video adapter is closed by an aluminum radiator grille.

As the owners note in their reviews, there are shortages in this accelerator. Firstly, the cooling system is too cumbersome, since it claims 3 slots in the system unit, and its weight is a little embarrassing. After all, the whole system is held in the body with just one screw. There are also disadvantages for memory modules: the manufacturer has reduced their volume twice, and 256 MB look somehow poor even for a budget representative.

Parody of video game adapters

The well-known manufacturer of motherboards, the company Biostar, also decided to surprise its fans and presented the market with the accelerator nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS with a capacity of 256 megabytes. Bribes the users of the cooling system - the fan with the turbine and the protective cover of the radiator at the first acquaintance hint to the buyer on the game capabilities of the video adapter. That's only in testing, such an innovation could not convince anyone with its performance.

Small memory capacity and constant overheating (80-90 degrees Celsius) do not apply to overclocking to the advantages. It will not be possible to achieve high performance even after replacing the proprietary cooling system. All the fault - the regular power system nVidia. By the way, many owners claim that substandard capacitors due to strong heating are inflated and disable the device.

Strange device from a serious brand

Within the walls of the company EVGA decided that the reference device nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS does not need further development and even the cooling system is ideal. Technologists just pasted the logo on the radiator's radiator casing. Questions to the manufacturer from the owners of the video adapter have accumulated a lot: overheating in the default settings, a terrible buzz of the fan and the impossibility of overclocking.

Having studied the opinions of owners and professionals on the EVGA product, many overclockers came to the conclusion that the problem of overheating in cheap electrolytic capacitors, which simply need to be replaced by branded analogs. If you solder only 7 electrical containers, the video adapter does not get very hot. But even after making changes, there is no expectation of a large potential from the video card (700 MHz for the core and 2220 MHz for memory is the limit for this device).

Leader of sales

Apparently, for the product Gigabyte nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS performance characteristics of the video card have become the main criterion. A well-known Taiwanese brand decided to make a video adapter for the initial game level from a budget representative. By installing branded batteries and replacing memory chips, the manufacturer did not stop and realized the dream of all potential buyers by installing a huge passive cooler.

Aluminum radiator is permeated through copper tubes to remove heat throughout the perimeter. The video card from afar resembles the legendary device Gainward Phantom. However, because of the large dimensions, the video adapter claims to occupy as many as three slots in the system unit. The design is held by two screws, for this the manufacturer provided its child with an additional mounting plate, as it is implemented in expensive video cards.

Fire Dragon

Pleased the market and MSI representative with its product nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS, the price of which does not exceed 2000 rubles. Packing alone causes respect for all potential buyers. The dragon logo on the packaging display, a detailed description of the features and a rich package of the device will appeal to all users. The box contains all necessary interface cables, screws for mounting the video card into the computer case and a cable for connecting several video adapters in SLI mode.

The GeForce 8600 GTS will also appeal to customers. On the printed circuit board of a fiery red color, the branded batteries are placed in a separate unit, and not scattered throughout the video adapter, as is done by competitors. The owners will also like the passive cooling system - it is made in the form of a clothespin covering the graphic core on both sides with an aluminum radiator.

Interesting symbiosis

Disappeared for a while from the video card brand Palit returned to service, taking with it the best manufacturer of cooling systems in the world. The product GeForce 8600 GTS, whose characteristics are better than all competitors, has a branded cooler Zalman. Professionals in the field of IT in their reviews assure that there is no question of overheating of the video adapter, which means that the accelerator should expect an excellent potential in overclocking.

On the test bench, the video card demonstrates high performance even in the default settings. The increase in the frequency of the graphics core to 777 MHz, and the memory to 2333 MHz practically does not affect either the noise or the temperature. This video adapter is the most productive on the computer market among analogues. Confuses only the amount of video memory - 256 megabytes will obviously not be enough for game lovers.

Destroyer of stereotypes

The product of the company XFX GeForce 8600 GTS, the price of which goes beyond budget devices (from 3000 rubles), is difficult to name successful. The manufacturer has its own idea of a video game adapter, which differs from the opinion of many users. High performance and huge overclocking potential do not work well with the terrible noise of the cooling system. As the owners of the video adapter say, a branded cooler with a turbofan requires replacement immediately after purchase, since the roar of the device in the system unit is unbearable.

In the standard mode, the graphics core runs at 730 MHz, and the memory at 2260 MHz. Overclocking without any obstacles is performed up to 795 MHz on the core and up to 2488 MHz on the memory bus. The temperature of the video card does not exceed 70 degrees Celsius. Many owners do not understand why the cooling system is so loud (perhaps factory marriage). This is what stops many buyers.

Finally

As practice shows, the video card GeForce 8600 GTS from the company nVidia fell in the heart of many famous manufacturers of gaming devices. True, in the pursuit of profit, many well-known brands did not bother to make a revision of the chip and install decent cooling. The approach in the form of reducing the amount of memory up to 256 megabytes is also embarrassing. Even for a budget class, this video card does not look very attractive. But, as always, choice for the buyer.