Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


BiggusDoggus

391 posts

Ultimate Geek


#19012 1-Feb-2008 15:29
Send private message

Last annoying question on my long drawn out saga of my PC upgrade, I promise!!!

A Google search has a number of comparisons, all of which are quite old from the US. The general consensus seemed to be that the extra US$55 for the 8600GT back then wasn't worth it.

However, now:

 http://www.xpcomputers.co.nz/views.asp?hw_id=1474

$179  for the 7600GT vs

http://www.xpcomputers.co.nz/views.asp?hw_id=1901

$138 for the 8600GT.
 
So now it looks like the 8600GT is actually cheaper than the 7600GT.

Does that mean the 7600GT is better? I know the 7600 is DX9, while the 8600 is DX10, which you would think would mean the 8600 would be the better option. But is it?




Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries


Create new topic
heavenlywild
5060 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #108001 1-Feb-2008 15:50
Send private message

I think 7600GT may out-do the 8600GT, not by much if it does. 

Anyway, I would always go for new technology, the 8600GT.



BobW
90 posts

Master Geek


  #108004 1-Feb-2008 16:05
Send private message

The "Tom's Hardware" site provides a useful tool for comparing graphics cards, CPU, etc.  See the "latest charts" section of www.tomshardware.com

Their comparison puts the 8600GT slightly above the 7600GT, though both are way below the latest and greatest cards.

With the cheaper price, the 8600GT looks to be a much better deal.

BiggusDoggus

391 posts

Ultimate Geek


#108008 1-Feb-2008 16:09
Send private message

BobW: The "Tom's Hardware" site provides a useful tool for comparing graphics cards, CPU, etc.  See the "latest charts" section of www.tomshardware.com

Their comparison puts the 8600GT slightly above the 7600GT, though both are way below the latest and greatest cards.

With the cheaper price, the 8600GT looks to be a much better deal.


Although both are far higher than the 9550 I currently have!!! lol




Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries




BobW
90 posts

Master Geek


  #108016 1-Feb-2008 16:37
Send private message

Have a look at the Graphics section of www.pricespy.co.nz and you'll see the 512 MB version of the 8600 GT for $140 incl GST, which is better than the 256 MB one you're looking at $138 ex GST ($155 incl. GST).

BiggusDoggus

391 posts

Ultimate Geek


  #108018 1-Feb-2008 16:40
Send private message

Yup - saw that one but it's only DDR2 not DDR3, and it's a Palit, which (correct me if I'm wrong here, people) is a lower quality brand.

The really strange thing is the 8600GT's on TradeMe are generally a lot more expensive than 7600GT's. Confusing.




Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries


dnb4life
312 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user


  #108088 2-Feb-2008 00:11
Send private message

where's bradstewart when you need him?! he knows all about the geforce cards.

i also wouldn't rely on trademe's pricing for comparing graphics cards as its usually all over the place due to it having new product, used products and used products that people post as new! you'll usually find a better variety and cheaper deals on pricespy i find.

bradstewart
4335 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #108097 2-Feb-2008 04:08
Send private message

dnb4life: where's bradstewart when you need him?! he knows all about the geforce cards.

i also wouldn't rely on trademe's pricing for comparing graphics cards as its usually all over the place due to it having new product, used products and used products that people post as new! you'll usually find a better variety and cheaper deals on pricespy i find.


You called?

The 8600GT comes in several flavours. 256MB DDR3, 512MB DDR3 and 512MB DDR2. The 512MB DDR2 version offers only a slight performance increase over the 256MB DDR3 version. Both of which are quite a bit better than the 256MB DDR2 7600GT.

I would pick the 8600GT (any version) over the 7600 everytime. If you are buying you need to be careful what you are getting especially when shopping on pricespy. If I was buying then I would be looking at the 512MB DDR3 edition, something along the lines of these:

http://www.pcgear.co.nz/product.php?productid=5493 and http://www.pcgear.co.nz/product.php?productid=5497

 
 
 

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.
BobW
90 posts

Master Geek


  #108107 2-Feb-2008 08:36
Send private message

 If I was buying then I would be looking at the 512MB DDR3 edition, something along the lines of these:

http://www.pcgear.co.nz/product.php?productid=5493 and http://www.pcgear.co.nz/product.php?productid=5497


The second of these cards looks especially attractive because it is silent.  Having a large heatsink, instead of a noisy fan, would IMHO be well worth the extra cost.

BiggusDoggus

391 posts

Ultimate Geek


  #108256 3-Feb-2008 08:29
Send private message

thanks guys - really appreciate the advice. 8600GT it is then...




Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries


BiggusDoggus

391 posts

Ultimate Geek


  #108528 4-Feb-2008 17:38
Send private message

Sorry - one more thing. The 7800 GT - thoughts?

Pricespy has the cheapest at nearly $600, yet TradeMe has them for between $100 - $150 (yes, I know, second hand, but still - that's a hell of a difference).

And Toms Hardware actually rates it the same as a 8600GTS, which seems very hard to believe. 




Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries


bradstewart
4335 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod
Trusted
Lifetime subscriber

  #108533 4-Feb-2008 17:53
Send private message

The 8600GTS was the equvilent of the 7900GS.

The 7 series is a waste of time and money compared with the 8's

Fossie
1240 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #109126 7-Feb-2008 17:47
Send private message

Mmm directx 10. Go for the 8 series.

Create new topic





News and reviews »

Air New Zealand Starts AI adoption with OpenAI
Posted 24-Jul-2025 16:00


eero Pro 7 Review
Posted 23-Jul-2025 12:07


BeeStation Plus Review
Posted 21-Jul-2025 14:21


eero Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Products in New Zealand
Posted 21-Jul-2025 00:01


WiZ Introduces HDMI Sync Box and other Light Devices
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:32


RedShield Enhances DDoS and Bot Attack Protection
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:26


Seagate Ships 30TB Drives
Posted 17-Jul-2025 11:24


Oclean AirPump A10 Water Flosser Review
Posted 13-Jul-2025 11:05


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Brings New Edge-To-Edge FlexWindow
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Epson Launches New AM-C550Z WorkForce Enterprise printer
Posted 9-Jul-2025 18:22


Samsung Releases Smart Monitor M9
Posted 9-Jul-2025 17:46


Nearly Half of Older Kiwis Still Write their Passwords on Paper
Posted 9-Jul-2025 08:42


D-Link 4G+ Cat6 Wi-Fi 6 DWR-933M Mobile Hotspot Review
Posted 1-Jul-2025 11:34


Oppo A5 Series Launches With New Levels of Durability
Posted 30-Jun-2025 10:15









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.