OC3D Review: Asus 9600 GT

[Bungral]

Nice one Matt.. Been looking forward to this review just to gauge where it would drop in. Worked out to be close to where I guessed but a touch miffed as to why its not a touch better.

Anyway nice review

 

[FarFarAway]

Using MSRP price as a base to show a cards performance with very limited testing samples, is just not fair to compare ANY cards. Price in GPU nowadays have too much additional variables to counted as a good base to used as a reference.

Yeah your right, I should have only compared cards that made the 9600 GT look good, my bad!

Using a 256mb HD3850 is totally bias against the ATI card, is that the right thing to do? Personally, no I don't think so. I couldn't care less whether a product that does well is ATI or Nvidia as I have absolutely no preference for either (or indeed: any), manufacturer but I do feel strongly that a review should contain as good a representation of a cards competition as possible and this HD3850 was at the right price and performance level to be direct competition to the 9600 GT.

We rarely buy things at MSRP to begin with, and also manufacturers have LOTS of flexibility to modify their products. Those are the real things we buy. Even using the same chip core but different manufacturers, they bundles different games which worths differently, the

price means different for every single person.

I go on prices at the time of the review, there's no sliding scale - it's a snapshot in time. These cards are aimed at a specific price point in the mid-level market where price is paramount in the buying decision.

I reviewed an Asus 9600 GT which is priced at retail at £127. The HD3850 in question in the review is priced at retail at around £110 and beats the reviewed card in the majority of tests

Maybe just imo, but a review should be a comparison of performance and let consumers decide on the price value since price is a more subject to variation thing. You can give an overall average score of a card's performance, and do a price/performance chart if you want to bring out the price/performance idea.

As a reviewer I have tested the product and put all the numbers at the readers disposal.

I then give my opinion on the price/performance and anything else pertinent to the card. That's how reviews work and that's how they should do. I would not deny any other reviewer their opinion either.

I see a review as giving a reader the tools to make an informed decision. If they give credit enough to my opinion to take that into consideration then that is up to them, but I'm glad people do.

The price/performance scale is NEVER linear to begin with....

Not even sure what this means, but price does indeed fluctuate. And I said above, this is price at the time of review, doing it another way is impractical, unless Asus come back to me in a couple of days saying their product has dropped £20+, in which case I may reconsider as part of the right of a manufacturer to reply to a review.

I'm afraid we are not going to agree and if you would like to buy the Nvidia card, then that's your choice - it just wouldn't be mine

EDIT: Bungral - ta. Next time perhaps a PM? Not that I'm that bothered, I finished very late...well early this morning.

 

[MikeEnIke]

Well it was a top-end 9600GT vs. a top-end HD3850, so I have yet to see the dilemma?

 

[eeto]

I almost forgot until you mention pounds. My bad for not putting that into consideration.

That's why imo your choice of cards to do comparison review shouldn't be based on the exact price, but a range of cards because the price tags are different everywhere, just like here in North America. Your review just showed, for this amount of money in THIS store, the 3850 is of better value.

This is review of the 9-series debuting. By least should include comparisons with the lowest of 9600gt, and the best of 9600gt, along with lowest of 3850 and best of 3850. Gives you a range, the max and min of both cards can get then that will give you a better stats.

You claim that you don't want to follow other reviewers "engineered" the charts to make it look like the 9600GT's good... I agree some reviews tend to do that..... but what you did wasnt much different, just the other way round.

How about compare the price of the 3850 here in NA, vs the 9600GT there in UK? 3850 will for damn sure win by a mile.

Oh well, I dont want to pursue in the matter anymore since it's your review however I do hope you understand what I'm trying to say (i doubt tho). Regardless, thanks for the hard work.

PS. damn your graphics cards are expensive!

 

[Hatman]

Yes, yes they are

 

[NickS]

Nice review fella. Shame the card isn't much cop. Sounds like Nvidia got a bit lazy :/

It's not bad considering this is the new "8600GT." It's at least 2x as fast as the 8600GT.

 

[sabre1]

perhaps the reason they didn't go all out with the 9600 to beat the competing ATI card is that they were saving up to really give it a shot with their high end cards? i mean it may be a stupid thought but all things do take money and since ATI excells at high-end cards, perhaps nvidia's saving up to hit 'em where it hurts, lol

 

[-VK-]

Nice review Kemp

 

[Rastalovich]

perhaps the reason they didn't go all out with the 9600 to beat the competing ATI card is that they were saving up to really give it a shot with their high end cards? i mean it may be a stupid thought but all things do take money and since ATI excells at high-end cards, perhaps nvidia's saving up to hit 'em where it hurts, lol

W00t !?!?

Imo the 8800GTX/Ultra has been king of the hill since it came out. That`s ages ago... something like Nov/Dec 2006!

 

[JN]

It's not bad considering this is the new "8600GT." It's at least 2x as fast as the 8600GT.

True, but then if its not on-par/better with the current competition, it doesn't matter if it's 10x faster than its predecessor.

 

[FarFarAway]

It's not bad considering this is the new "8600GT." It's at least 2x as fast as the 8600GT.

True, but then if its not on-par/better with the current competition, it doesn't matter if it's 10x faster than its predecessor.

My view is that, Yes it's faster than an 8600 GT, but that's not what it's competing with

perhaps the reason they didn't go all out with the 9600 to beat the competing ATI card is that they were saving up to really give it a shot with their high end cards? i mean it may be a stupid thought but all things do take money and since ATI excells at high-end cards, perhaps nvidia's saving up to hit 'em where it hurts, lol

I almost forgot until you mention pounds. My bad for not putting that into consideration.

That's why imo your choice of cards to do comparison review shouldn't be based on the exact price, but a range of cards because the price tags are different everywhere, just like here in North America. Your review just showed, for this amount of money in THIS store, the 3850 is of better value.

This is review of the 9-series debuting. By least should include comparisons with the lowest of 9600gt, and the best of 9600gt, along with lowest of 3850 and best of 3850. Gives you a range, the max and min of both cards can get then that will give you a better stats.

You claim that you don't want to follow other reviewers "engineered" the charts to make it look like the 9600GT's good... I agree some reviews tend to do that..... but what you did wasnt much different, just the other way round.

How about compare the price of the 3850 here in NA, vs the 9600GT there in UK? 3850 will for damn sure win by a mile.

Oh well, I dont want to pursue in the matter anymore since it's your review however I do hope you understand what I'm trying to say (i doubt tho). Regardless, thanks for the hard work.

PS. damn your graphics cards are expensive!

I do see what you mean.

2 Points to make:

* Whilst I have a fair amount of GPU's to compare, I don't have an endless supply, I wish I did

* I didn't engineer the Nvidia card to look bad. I just compared it to a card that I personally would consider if I was buying in that price-range.

Yes, yes they are

Unfortunately the prices are very expensive in the UK , that's the way it goes. We're a UK site so we go on UK numbers.

Nice review Kemp

Thanks, that's appreciated

I don't think the card is a "bad" card and as I said in my conclusion, it could be excellent if price went down a bit and perhaps an overclocked card at the same price-point would have looked different.

I'm not anti-Nvidia, or Anti-anyone actually, I just review what is put in front of me to the best of my abilities/resources

 

[Hatman]

And then:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-083-PC

HD 3850 Pro 256MB

£88.11

HD 3870 XT

£111.61

Here come the price drops.. ATI sure are ahead on this one. £110 for a 3870x2 is unbelievable!

 

[Azza]

Palit 9600GT can be had at Scan for £117

 

[sabre1]

W00t !?!?

Imo the 8800GTX/Ultra has been king of the hill since it came out. That`s ages ago... something like Nov/Dec 2006!

well, i was watching this one thing and it mentioned how nvidia's main strengths reside in the mid-range market, was i missinformed?

 

[FarFarAway]

well, i was watching this one thing and it mentioned how nvidia's main strengths reside in the mid-range market, was i missinformed?

It has been known to be yes, but the 8 series has been sitting pretty since it came out

 

[Hatman]

Can I just bring your attention to this from expreview

I mean wth... super scaling lol....

2 of these things DESTROY a 8800GTS 512.

Idk, I guess nvidia may have done something to it. With just half the shaders it manages within 14% of 8800GT and scales MUCH better in SLI.

Can only hope the GX2 scales as well.

Link

edit: also this

So much for 9 series just being named 9 for marketing purposes...

link

 

[firefly]

Here come the price drops.. ATI sure are ahead on this one. £110 for a 3870x2 is unbelievable!

That would be pretty good - unfortunately it's for an XT.

 

[FarFarAway]

Two should beat an 8800 GTS really.

Nvidia have done a lot of R&D in the new cards to make sure SLI is really improved, especially over the 8600 GT which had appalling scaling.

 

[Rastalovich]

Begs the question for me - why would you buy 2 x 9600GT for SLI when an 8800GT would be better/as good/whatever ?

I mean - what`s the point ?

And if you want the performance - cost of 2x 9600GT can buy u a ... ?!?!

So again - why ?

 

[FarFarAway]

For people who have a 9600 GT then a few months down the line want better performance and buy another one?

Personally I like powerful single cards but I can see that angle too