Nvidia 6200/6600 Non-GT Owners Fall In!

[jpeyton]

If you haven't heard already, Nvidia 6200/6600 based cards offer a LOT of bang for your buck.

The 6200 is a 4 pipeline card, but the core is the same as the 6600; many are reporting unlocking the 4 other pipelines in Rivatuner without a hitch.

The 6600 is a 8 pipeline core. Supports Nvidia's latest generation features, including working video acceleration (which they may or may not have fixed with the 6800s).

A few notes: do NOT buy the 6200 Turbocache version...it is seriously neutered performance wise. And do NOT buy the 64-bit versions of these cards; neutered memory-bus means big losses in performance.

My card: Chaintech 6600 256MB 128-bit. Hynix 4ns memory. Fairly decent heatsink on the core, but no memory cooling besides the fan on the core heatsink.

Running on a Dimension 8400 (3.4GHz, 1GB DDR2, WinXP), I can overclock it to 500/550 from 300/500 stock (some people are getting much higher memory clocks with 128MB cards with little loss in performance, so I attribute my poor memory overclock to having 256MB).

3DMark01 Default
151XX

3DMark03 Default
67XX

3DMark05 Default
28XX

I'm going to try applying AS5 to the core, and maybe some RAMsinks. Will report back.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

<Sigh>

I was going to post about how you could get a Chaintech 6200 for $106 shipped and a 6600 for $126 shipped when I double checked and found that they were 64 bit cards. Why can't those damned video card makers stop trying to trick people with the 64 bit cards? Enough already. nVidia should demand that any 6200 or 6600 be a 128 bit card. I don't know if that 6200 is 64 bit or now, it doesn't say on the NewEgg page, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

Zip Zoom Fly does have a 256 MB Chaintedh 6600 (AGP) for $145. Would that be a good deal or would it be better to spend the extra $45 for an eVGA 6600gt (AGP)?

What really bugs me is that some of the card listings at ZZF don't say whether the card is 128 bit or 64 bit. They have the Chaintech 6600 AGP for $126 (or so) too, but is it the 128 bit or the 64 bit? They don't say. I'd be real cheesed off if I ordered that card only to later find that it's 64 bit. nVidia really should put an end to this crap.

 

[Concillian]

The whole video card industry seems designed to create as much confusion as possible. The 128 bit 9800s, the 9600 Pro "advantage" with 9600 pro core and 9600 non-pro memory speed, 32bit, 64bit, and 128bit memory versions of the MX4000 with no way of distinguishing. About nine different configs of FX 5200 all called exactly the same thing when you count all the core and memory possibilities.

It's like their GOAL is to confuse consumers into paying more than they should... who knows, maybe it IS their goal?

I really feel sorry for joe six pack that needs to buy a video card for his 6 year old who just started playing games and the onboard video just isn't cutting it. I mean I know where to find enough information to make the correct decision, but the average user has to rely on box specs and advice from Fry's employees.

If you really want to see how confused people are, read through the reviews of some of the crappy video cards at newegg. People rave over 64-bit FX 5200s and such, or call a 5700 an excellent value 😕

 

[Ackbar]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
<Sigh>

I was going to post about how you could get a Chaintech 6200 for $106 shipped and a 6600 for $126 shipped when I double checked and found that they were 64 bit cards. Why can't those damned video card makers stop trying to trick people with the 64 bit cards? Enough already. nVidia should demand that any 6200 or 6600 be a 128 bit card. I don't know if that 6200 is 64 bit or now, it doesn't say on the NewEgg page, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

Zip Zoom Fly does have a 256 MB Chaintedh 6600 (AGP) for $145. Would that be a good deal or would it be better to spend the extra $45 for an eVGA 6600gt (AGP)?

What really bugs me is that some of the card listings at ZZF don't say whether the card is 128 bit or 64 bit. They have the Chaintech 6600 AGP for $126 (or so) too, but is it the 128 bit or the 64 bit? They don't say. I'd be real cheesed off if I ordered that card only to later find that it's 64 bit. nVidia really should put an end to this crap.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-122-202&depa=1 😉

 

[Ackbar]

After o/cing and unlocking, and searching for the best drivers, the best score I could get was:

3DMark05 3342

I didn't mess with the quality at all to get this either.

Enjoy!

 

[WhipperSnapper]

What bugs me is that if you look at the AGP 6200/6600's at Zip Zoom Fly, at least for the Chaintechs, it doesn't specify whether they are 64 bit or 128 bit. I suppose you could take the part numbers, find Chaintech's website, and research it from there (or compare to info at another site for cards with the same part numbers), but man, that's a pain-in-the-ass.

 

[imported_JamesDax]

Got the Leadtek card. Currently running it at 400/680 c/ 8 pipes and getting 2504 in 3dmark05. Excellent bang for the dollar.

For those who don't know yet, Nvidia just annouced a new 6200 AGP card based on the NV44. They say this card will go for about $79 bucks. Since this card is based on the NV44 it will only be 4pipes in hardware so there will be nothing to unlock. So, get those NV43 6200 AGPs while you can.

 

[imported_JamesDax]

Just a couple more benches for you.

3dmark03 - 5797

FarCry 1024x768x32bit c/ Max Detail no AA/AF - 34.82fps

btw, it appears that the cores on the AGP 6200 don't clock as high as the PCI-e cards. Will, atleast for my leadtek. I had heard that the cores on Leadteks won't go over 420.