i hate all the people saying the 8600 sucks... if hes got a smaller PSU, and he doesnt game at high resolutions.. then yes a low-midrange 8xxx card is good for him. from what ive seen the 8600 preforms about the same as the 7600 series, and those were pretty good cards! my roommate plays oblivion with medium settings on a 7600.. so that 8600 would work just fine for him. plus it hardly uses any power.