Geforce 8600GTS: too good to be true?

I'm looking for a video card for my bro's new computer. It'll be use for vista ultimate 64-bit, watching HD movies, and some light gaming. I want it to work well with Aero. I won't be overclocking it at all. The system will have an Intel E7200 and 4GB of 800Mhz RAM.

I was looking into a Geforce 8600GT or 8600GTS. The GTS seems like a really overclocked GT. Is the 8600GTS really as good as the specs make it look at (675 Core/1450 Shader/2000 Mem)? Is there any other major difference? What is the performance change? Which would you recommend?

Difference between GT and GTS:
135Mhz higher Core Clock
600Mhz higher Memory Clock
260Mhz higher Shader Clock


The 8800's are out of my price range, but I could get a 8500GT if that would make more sense.

Better off with the 9600GSO or the HD4670. The 8600GTS is pretty much a 9500GT that requires a power connector.

An 8600GTS is pretty weak. At the very least get a Radeon 4670, or if you can spend a few more bucks a 9600GSO.

He mentioned "Light gaming." I think an 8600GT will be just fine. Cleeve's latest hierarchy chart doesn't have the HD3300 on it, but if it is fully two tiers better than the HD3200 (which IS on the chart), the 8600GT is three full tiers better than that. The HD3300 will play Guild Wars with most eye candy turned on at 50 FPS on a 1440x900 monitor. Guild Wars isn't super demanding, but neither is "light gaming."
Sure, the HD3850 would be better, but if the budget doesn't allow it, the 8600GT will be just fine. A 9500GT is one tier better (like the 8600GTS), but also does not need an auxilliary power connector.

4670: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161249

4550: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102799

4350: not on newegg yet. It will be any day.

8600GT was good in 1985.

The 4670 will spank it all over the place.

The 8600GTS would be OK, but that deal is not that great.

This deal has since died, but if you are not in a rush, it gives you an idea of what you can get in your price range..........

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showt [...] 0&t=936549

8800 GT >9600 GT >ATi Radeon 4670/9600 GSO >8600GTS >8600GT
I'd recommend getting the 8800 GT or the HD 4670.
If you're stuck on the damn 8600 GTS,then don't tell us you are,and go buy the thing(granted that it's half the speed and costs 10~ dollars less than the listed HD 4670.)

Where is your 8800GT and HD4670 for $60 (without rebates)? I'm "stuck" on the 8600gts, because people keep suggesting cards that cost over twice my budget. I understand that the GTX280 would be better than all these cards, but that doesn't help me.

He needs a card around $50, a $90 4670 is not $50 people. At $50 a 8600GTS is about all there is worth buying.

any 8600xx is not that bad it's about the same as the 7600xx agp,i even played crysis with that wasn't that bad either,and it only had 256 ram not 512 like most 8600's,Dougx,nevermind us gaming freaks with our overclocked/overpriced/overpowered [small nuclear power plant required ] video cards,,for what you have in mind almost any 8600xx with 512 ram will fill your needs,and if it is not pushed beyond it's strengths will do nicely..

I'm having a hard time finding anything about the 4550 online. Does anybody know the specs of this card? Newegg has one without much of specs, ebay's got none of them, and there aren't reviews of them anywhere.

Dokk2 brought up that I should have 512mb. Does that make a large difference over on the 8600 cards, the 9600gso, or the 4550? I thought that 512+ of vram was only for enthusiast cards.

They used to sell a few 512mb 8600GTS's, but good luck finding one brand new. Newegg only sells one 256mb, ZipZoomFly dosent sell them at all anymore, and TigerDirect sells three overpriced (Typical TigerDirect prices) 256mb ones.

Its really hard to find something worth buying for a brand new system in the $50 range, and its also really hard to susgest somebody buy a 8600GTS or say its what he/she should buy. I understand you got a budget here, but in the best interest of your money and your bro I susgest finding some way to cut corners in the system or come up with some more $$. I can almost guarantee you that he will not be happy with the 8600GTS, its on par with a 7900GS (I owned both these cards, exactly the same FPS in every game I played them with).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814141076 9600 GSO for $80

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814500019 factory OCed 9600 GT for $105.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127381 factory OCed 9800 GT for $107 after MIR

Ebay is also an option, ive sold several cards up there easily, including my old 8800GT with a thermaltake DuoOrb cooler for around $85. A quick glance over a search and I see a few 8800GT's, even some first gen 8800GTS's for around $60-$75. Just make sure you go with sellers with 95%+ feedback if they have really high numbers (800+), or 100% if they have low numbers (fewer than 50).

All those cards are considerably better than the 8600GTS, I know the budget, but like I said if you can find some way to cut corners in the build or coax more cash out of him, this should be stuff you are looking for. Raising the bar to around $100 will expand your options tenfold over a $50 budget. Just something to think on.

Between the two get the 9800GT. Considering the price difference which is very, very minimal, there is no reason to get the 8 over the 9.

And yes, the difference between the 8600 and a 8800/9800 is preety damn large.

9600 gso: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121251 $65

weekend deal only $70 free shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130362

i know these are more than $50 but for just a little more you can do so much better. and if you're on such a tight budget drop the 4 gigs of ram down to two. few ppl actually need 4 gb's. that'll get you a much better overall system.

If hes got a budget then hes got a budget, its not your money roadrunner and it probably isnt his since its his brothers system. If everything was as easy as you make it out to be then we wouldnt need your divine advice.

Back on topic and to things that actually matter, if you want to deal with MIR then the GSO shoota linked is a great deal.

Well then in that case you mighnt as well go with the 8600GTS. I don't think you'll get a better deal for that price. You could always try and bid on someones used card, at your own risk of course.

I just took an MSI 8600GTS OC out of my system yesterday. It has been a great video card for the money. I've been able to play HL2, Crysis, Bioshock, Stalker, Prey, Oblivion, etc. at 1440x900 or 1680x1050 (with some of the eye candy turned down), and get playable frame rates. It's not the fastest thing around, but for $50 it's a good card.

4550 is a bad idea. Performing below 8600gt, for around the same price.
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/ [...] 550/9.html

If you're willing to use rebates (takes several weeks for them to pay up), then there's 9600gso.

Factory oced for $55 ar.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130361

If not, 8600gts.

256mb is enough for casual gaming. For serious gaming, you'll need more.

It's okay for older games, but CoD4 is questionable. See fps chart.

WOW. Finally someone with some sense. Great minds do think alike!

I vote for 4670 and only 2gb of ram.

Its HDCP, but its optional. Just like memory sizes it had to be provided by the OEM. Like I already said, its hard enough finding a 8600GTS brand new, and even then who knows if it has the HDCP EEPROM.

I have to agree with frozenlead here. I used a 2600XT in a microATX machine I used on a 690G board with a 4200+ X2 Brisbane. It gave me good enough FPS in Lord of the Rings Online, I think about 50-65 with high settings, that was on a 19" widescreen @ 1400 x 900. But there is no denying its outdated and overall junk. But if what you have works with what you play then there is no reason to swap.

I know its a reputable site, but think about it.

A 2600 to a 3870/4670 is a hell of a jump. Do you really think that setting a few things to high as opposed to medium is supposed to make that much of a difference on the hardware? It just isn't logical.