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6600 AGP review

H

Hajime

Senior member
Not to be nitpicky, but I can only find 6600GT AGP's for around $250 - isn't that around the same price as a 6800NU?

It would have been nice to see benchmarks on both the 6800NU as well as the 6600GT I suppose - if they are both in (roughly) the same price range, it'd be nice to know how they perform against each other at stock 😉.
 
Not to be nitpicky, but I can only find 6600GT AGP's for around $250 - isn't that around the same price as a 6800NU?
Click to expand...

Yep, and the 6800nu is a better buy.
Unless they drop the price down to $180 I don't see how it could be considered the best bang for the buck video card.
 
Originally posted by: Dug
Not to be nitpicky, but I can only find 6600GT AGP's for around $250 - isn't that around the same price as a 6800NU?
Click to expand...

Yep, and the 6800nu is a better buy.
Unless they drop the price down to $180 I don't see how it could be considered the best bang for the buck video card.
Click to expand...
...you're assuming a person can spend $280+ on a video card. Not counting deals and rebates, a 6800 does not go for $200-$250.
 
Originally posted by: Cerb
Originally posted by: Dug
Not to be nitpicky, but I can only find 6600GT AGP's for around $250 - isn't that around the same price as a 6800NU?
Click to expand...

Yep, and the 6800nu is a better buy.
Unless they drop the price down to $180 I don't see how it could be considered the best bang for the buck video card.
Click to expand...
...you're assuming a person can spend $280+ on a video card. Not counting deals and rebates, a 6800 does not go for $200-$250.
Click to expand...

Looks like $260 on pricewatch for a 6800. If you can't spring for the extra $10-$20 over the 6600 then you shouldn't be shopping for a video card in the first place. Maybe look at buying food instead. 🙂
 
what i don't understand is how the 6600GT can be that close in performance to the 6800nu. the 6800nu has 12 pixel pipelines and 256bit memory. the 6600GT has only 8 pixel pipelines, and 128Bit memory. WTF?
 
The fast GPU and ram make up for alot....however once you unlock the 6800 NU (assuming your card will do it) it will leave the 6600 GT in the dust.



The 6800 NUs are around $250 shipped now and I suspect youll see them hit the $199 mark before too long. I know the stock is heavy on the 6800 NU almost everywhere because everyone wants the GT.


@ $299 I agree that going for a GT or a 6600 GT is the way to go , however @ $250 or less the 6800 NU has to be the bang for buck leader at this point.


 
Originally posted by: scaryclownsarefun
what i don't understand is how the 6600GT can be that close in performance to the 6800nu. the 6800nu has 12 pixel pipelines and 256bit memory. the 6600GT has only 8 pixel pipelines, and 128Bit memory. WTF?
Click to expand...

It also runs at 500Mhz core and 900Mhz memory, as opposed to 325/700 on the 6800NU.

Fillrate: 500 * 8 = 4000MPixels/sec. versus 325 * 12 = 3900MPixels/sec.

Bandwidth: 900 * 128 / 8 = 14.4GB/sec. versus 700 * 256 / 8 = 22.4GB/sec.

On paper, the 6600GT actually has *better* fillrate, and isn't that far behind the 6800NU in terms of memory bandwidth (and in a lot of situations where you're not using AA/AF, bandwidth is not really constraining most newer cards all that much).
 
Originally posted by: scaryclownsarefun
what i don't understand is how the 6600GT can be that close in performance to the 6800nu. the 6800nu has 12 pixel pipelines and 256bit memory. the 6600GT has only 8 pixel pipelines, and 128Bit memory. WTF?
Click to expand...

Not all hardware units can be put to optimal use. If a game is pushing other hardware units too hard, pixel pipelines might be left idleing.

Compare it with disk, cache and CPU. If you disk is too slow, then you CPU speds most of the time waiting. If you don't have enough cache, you spend a lot of time waiting for RAM.

Expecting every hardware unit always to be used 100% is as unrealistic as saying that you expect your system to go 132 MB/sec on the IDE, 110 MB/sec on the Ethernet and 100% CPU all at the same time, always.
 
No way. Not after that techreport review.

Even without unlocking pipelines, the 6800NU takes names.

Albeit, I wish AT would add the 6800NU to their review - I trust AT more.
 
Originally posted by: Cerb
Originally posted by: Dug
Not to be nitpicky, but I can only find 6600GT AGP's for around $250 - isn't that around the same price as a 6800NU?
Click to expand...

Yep, and the 6800nu is a better buy.
Unless they drop the price down to $180 I don't see how it could be considered the best bang for the buck video card.
Click to expand...
...you're assuming a person can spend $280+ on a video card. Not counting deals and rebates, a 6800 does not go for $200-$250.
Click to expand...

Here is a NU for $250. 6800
 
A 6800NU for $250, vs. a 6600GT for $235?

Give me the damn 6800NU.

However, what are the odds of getting AT to do a review on the 6800NU in that review as well? And what would have to be done to see it?
 
Same here. I still have a very strong feelin gthat the 6800nu will outperform the 6600gt especially considering the softmod and o/c potenntial. But stock for stock, the 6800 will still own just don't know by how much.
 
Originally posted by: Dug
Originally posted by: Cerb
Originally posted by: Dug
Not to be nitpicky, but I can only find 6600GT AGP's for around $250 - isn't that around the same price as a 6800NU?
Click to expand...

Yep, and the 6800nu is a better buy.
Unless they drop the price down to $180 I don't see how it could be considered the best bang for the buck video card.
Click to expand...
...you're assuming a person can spend $280+ on a video card. Not counting deals and rebates, a 6800 does not go for $200-$250.
Click to expand...

Looks like $260 on pricewatch for a 6800. If you can't spring for the extra $10-$20 over the 6600 then you shouldn't be shopping for a video card in the first place. Maybe look at buying food instead. 🙂
Click to expand...
By that logic, we're not dealing with the same class of card. According to Pricewatch, a 600 GT can be had for $180, which still offers the same price gap as if I were doing a Newegg 6600GT v. 6800 comparison.

Now, that BFG at Fry's is a STEAL. Even RossMan might have trouble not recommending that.
 
Originally posted by: scaryclownsarefun
what i don't understand is how the 6600GT can be that close in performance to the 6800nu. the 6800nu has 12 pixel pipelines and 256bit memory. the 6600GT has only 8 pixel pipelines, and 128Bit memory. WTF?
Click to expand...
Speedy GPU, speedy RAM, unused parts. Give the 6800 a year or two of new games, then compare, and I'll garuntee the gap will be wide enough to make a difference. Same with the 6800GT.
 
Originally posted by: MartinCracauer
Originally posted by: scaryclownsarefun
what i don't understand is how the 6600GT can be that close in performance to the 6800nu. the 6800nu has 12 pixel pipelines and 256bit memory. the 6600GT has only 8 pixel pipelines, and 128Bit memory. WTF?
Click to expand...

Not all hardware units can be put to optimal use. If a game is pushing other hardware units too hard, pixel pipelines might be left idleing.

Compare it with disk, cache and CPU. If you disk is too slow, then you CPU speds most of the time waiting. If you don't have enough cache, you spend a lot of time waiting for RAM.

Expecting every hardware unit always to be used 100% is as unrealistic as saying that you expect your system to go 132 MB/sec on the IDE, 110 MB/sec on the Ethernet and 100% CPU all at the same time, always.
Click to expand...


Did you just say ethernet is 110 MB/sec ? no, it's 100 Mega bits/sec
 
FYI, 6800NU will be $199 after $30 MIR at CompUSA Black Friday. I, too, was wondering which I'd get, the 6600GT or the 6800NU. Seems like the PNY 6800NU for $199 is the way to go, at least for now. BUt even when the 6600GT comes down to $199, the 6800NU looks to be the better deal. At $250, it may be a toss up.
 
Who told you people 6600 GT costs $250 ?!?!?! the MSRP is $199, and the only reason it's more is because it's overpriced due to being new and some shortages that exist. The 6600 GT is $100 less in MSRP than 6800NU, but based on actual I expect the price difference should $50-$75, which means you should NEVER PAY MORE THAN $200 for a 6600 GT. If the difference is less than $50, then it doesn't make sense to buy a 6600 GT. Part of the reason for this situation right now, is that 6800NU came out as the lowest end member of the high-end video cards which were introduced a few months ago, and therefore didn't get much attention. But the 6600 GT is the highest end member of the midrange video cards (6600, x700, 9800, 5900) and so it receives a lot of attention in this segment. But there is no way it's worth as much as 6800NU.
 
user1234: It's easy enough to find a 6800NU for $50 more then the MSRP, and if you look carefully, you can even find one at the same price as MSRP - note amheck.
 
Just make sure you have a nice monitor to get a 6800 over the 6600GT. You might not be able to tell the differance at low resolutions!
 
Look, guys, this is kind of unfair here. You're comparing the lowest price ever seen for a 6800NU to the highest price you'll likely ever see a 6600GT for. Unless you're at compusa on Black Friday, then you can't get a 6800NU for under $250 very often, and usually it's more like $275. The 6600GT, on the other hand, is expensive at this time since its brand new, but I expect prices to fall in line with the PCIe version within a week or so, which is around $180-190. That means that the difference in typical price will be $90 or so. With that kind of difference, it's hard to argue that that the 6600GT is the better deal. Throw in the fact that the 6600GT can typically overclock 20% (600/1200MHz versus 500/1000MHz stock), and you take away a lot of the advantages of the NU. If you can get a 6800NU for $199, go for it, since you get slightly better stock performance and can softmod it, but the other 364 days of the year, the 6600GT is gonna be a better buy.

Personally, I'm just stoked that BFG finally released their 6600GT OC PCIe card. At 525/1050 STOCK with dual-dvi and a lifetime warranty, I can't wait to pick one of these babies up (as soon as newegg gets them). Hopefully, that card and the Gigabyte nForce4 Ultra will be out this week.
 
I can point you right to a 6800NU for $250 off the top of my head, Gobucks.

And if you softmod the NU, it'll blow the 6600GT out of the water.
 
Originally posted by: user1234
Originally posted by: MartinCracauer
Originally posted by: scaryclownsarefun
what i don't understand is how the 6600GT can be that close in performance to the 6800nu. the 6800nu has 12 pixel pipelines and 256bit memory. the 6600GT has only 8 pixel pipelines, and 128Bit memory. WTF?
Click to expand...

Not all hardware units can be put to optimal use. If a game is pushing other hardware units too hard, pixel pipelines might be left idleing.

Compare it with disk, cache and CPU. If you disk is too slow, then you CPU speds most of the time waiting. If you don't have enough cache, you spend a lot of time waiting for RAM.

Expecting every hardware unit always to be used 100% is as unrealistic as saying that you expect your system to go 132 MB/sec on the IDE, 110 MB/sec on the Ethernet and 100% CPU all at the same time, always.
Click to expand...


Did you just say ethernet is 110 MB/sec ? no, it's 100 Mega bits/sec
Click to expand...

that was sort of the point.
 
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