NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT Launch and 3-Way Shootout - HotHardware

NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT Launch and 3-Way Shootout

0 thumbs up

If the blockbuster successes of games like World of Warcraft and Counterstrike, compared to the lack-luster reception of ultra-high-end titles like Crysis, have taught us anything, it is that the vast majority of PC gamers are not running games which are incredibly graphics intensive. As low-cost gaming consoles continue to steal many of these casual gamers away from the PC, component manufacturers for the PC platform are starting to think differently about how to approach the gaming market. As of late, we’re seeing a significant and refreshing shift towards lower-cost components for the mainstream market. Getting more performance for your dollar is now more exciting than getting the largest amount of raw performance, no matter what the cost.



NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT - Angled View


NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT - Top Down

This isn’t an entirely new concept, as CPU and GPU makers realize that their high-end components only make up a fraction of the total available market (TAM), and that the real money is made in large volume OEM deals for mid-range components. However, they’ve continued to push their high-end components in the same formula before, releasing high-end products first than letting the technology trickle down to varying price points over time. For this launch, something in the air might be changing, and NVIDIA feels there’s no bigger showcase of this change than the card we’re looking at today, the new GeForce 9600 GT.

The new GeForce 9600 GT is the first release of NVIDIA's GeForce 9 series that we’re taking a look at today. Typically, when NVIDIA launches a new lineup of graphics cards, we see a high-end component released first, which blows away previous benchmarks and instantly makes your current graphics card worthless. However, with the GeForce9 lineup, we’re seeing NVIDIA take a drastically different approach, releasing a mid-range card first. The first (and only) member of the GeForce9 series is, at the moment, available at a sub-$200 price point. While this certainly shouldn’t be perceived as NVIDIA giving up on the high-end of the market, the sea change we’re seeing in the PC gaming space simply cannot be denied.

The GeForce 9600 GT is a card that NVIDIA is promising will hit a sweet spot for gamers, offering excellent performance while simultaneously being easier on the wallet.  In short, this is what the vast majority of gamers perennially ask for - rather than a massive three-way SLI setup that requires a kilowatt power supply and a small army of fans to keep cool. This, in our humble opinion, is where the industry should be heading; getting the most power-efficient performance possible, while keeping price and environmental aspects as primary concerns, not afterthoughts.  Let's meet the GeForce 9600 GT.

Article Index:

1 2 Next
0
+ -

Finally somekind of a 9 Series video card is already out. They perform quite well though in SLI. I bet it would run crysis nicely in SLI mode if I can run Crysis right now with my 8800GTS 512 video card.

0
+ -

 When will the rest of the cards come out?

0
+ -

They've pushed back the other cards a bit, such as the 9800GX2 (Or whatever the final name will be) which is similar to the 7950GX2 from before. I'm hoping they hit us with a better single chip solution though so drivers won't be a problem like last time.

0
+ -

You know, I saw one of those Palit cards on eBay a week ago and thought it was some kind of scam because of how odd it looked (and the fact that I've never heard of Palit before).

I can't wait to see what Nvidia has in store for their enthusiast class cards.

0
+ -

 great deal for the price

0
+ -

I like what you guys said about performance per dollar and that is exactly how I decide on what Goes into my systems. Wether amd or intel, ati or nvidia whatever gives me the best for my money is what makes the final decision.

0
+ -

 Hi All,

Agreed. That to me as well is important.

0
+ -

Great review however being that this is a midrange card I think it should havebeen priced in that catagory.

WIth the 3800 series getting a nice price cut along with the 8800GS and 9600GT, I'm in a pickle with my upgrade decision.

0
+ -

After reading a few other reviews and based on the price of the 9600GT I think it would be much better just to get a 8800GT since you can get them for the same price and cheaper when on sale. 

1 2 Next
Login or Register to Comment
Post a Comment
Username:   Password: