Right
now, the GeForce 6600GT GPU is easily one of the hottest items in the computer
world. It's a mainstream GPU that doesn't have the same
level of pizzazz as the Geforce 6800 Ultra or
Radeon X850XT-series, but you really can't beat the value a 6600GT offers up so
inexpensively. Industry and consumers have caught on, and so it is no surprise that there are hundreds
of different variations of PCI Express & AGP8x 6600GT videocards floating around to choose
from!
Since
competition has always been a deciding factor with mainstream
videocards, manufacturers are really pulling out all the stops to
differentiate their 6600GT-based cards. The standards are pricing,
flashy colours, lights, silent cooling set-ups, or even an occasional
software package. MSI has pretty much done all of this.
The MSI NX6600GT-VTD128SP AGP 8X videocard is actually physically identical to the NX6600GT-VTD128 PCSTATS reviewed previously, the
differences are found in the memory and the software bundle. MSI has used 1.6ns
DDR3 memory and clocked it to 1000MHz, 100MHz faster than stock for the
6600GT. This card also comes a full version of 'The Chronicles of
Riddick Escape From Butcher Bay', which is supposed to be one of the hottest 3D games out
this spring. Extras comprise a couple of system utilities, CyberLink Software suite, a driver
CD, a nuclear green S-Video cable & TV/Component output break out box, and a DVI
to analog converter.
The
NX6600GT-VTD128SP AGP 8X videocard makes use of a custom copper plated extruded-aluminum heatsink to
cool the NV43 GPU and the PCI Express-to-AGP HSI bridge microchip. The fan that
cools the GeForce 6600GT core is very quiet, and the small HSI bridge chip does
not need active cooling.
Additional Power Requirements and
extras
For a long time now, the AGP slot has been unable
to fully meet the power demands of high performance videocards. The
NX6600GT-VTD128SP card requires an external power source through the molex power
connector on the top right hand corner, so be sure to plug it in before starting
up the PC.
Watching a movie on the
computer is ok when you're by yourself, but it's not as fun as watching one on
a large TV screen with friends and family. The NX6600GT-VTD128SP videocard
can be hooked up to both a regular TV or HDTV, thanks to a VIVO cable.
MSI
include a S-Video to S-Video cable but no extra component
cables. I can understand the reasoning behind this, since the quality of
the component cables makes a big difference in picture quality. By not including
them, MSI can save users a few dollars, and let users get what they need
later.
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