6600GT vs. 5900XT (both AGP) here, for a rough comparison.
If you're worried about heat and power, look for a plain 6800, or just wait a few weeks (hopefully) for the 7600. For the power a 6600GT draws, you may as well step up to a 6800GS or 7800 GT.
256MB will help if you want the highest quality textures in newer games, but it's not necessary, as you can always just lower texture quality a notch or two. Speed is something you'll want as much of as possible when you buy, though, and a 5900 probably isn't a great buy ATM, even at $60 (see the B3D review #s).
If you're worried about heat and power, look for a plain 6800, or just wait a few weeks (hopefully) for the 7600. For the power a 6600GT draws, you may as well step up to a 6800GS or 7800 GT.
256MB will help if you want the highest quality textures in newer games, but it's not necessary, as you can always just lower texture quality a notch or two. Speed is something you'll want as much of as possible when you buy, though, and a 5900 probably isn't a great buy ATM, even at $60 (see the B3D review #s).
dug777
Lifer
- Oct 13, 2004
- 24,778
- 4
- 0
well, most people seem to report pretty (well, very) high temps for their 6600GTs (especially the AGP ones due to the HSI bridge chip). For instance my AGP Sparkle 6600GT idles at about 60'C and loads in the high 80s with the stock cooler (which is a noisy little beast) and some AS5 (it was even hotter before i applied the AS5
) at 575/1145...Load temps in the 70s are the norm i understand with stock coolers...just look at the AT 6600GT roundup was back and they all ran extremely hot...
A good HSF makes no difference to the amount of heat produced, it just means it is dissipated more quickly (which probably means your case temps will rise)...
I'm planning to drop a ZalmanVF Cu on mine in a few weeks when i get home, hopefully i'll get over 600 core and a good boost on the mem, with massively cooler temps
and it will be a damn sight quieter It draws a lot of power for a card that usually ships with such a tiny stock HSF. Maybe your Gainward has a larger-than-stock cooler?
For a review of the 5900 XT which offers roughly the same performance as the PCX 5900 and a 6600 GT please click HERE. This review also features the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro and Radeon 9600 XT, the review shows the 6600 GT pretty much killing all of the video cards especially using high quality settings!
I agree. My Leadtek 6600GT extreme doesnt get hot. Leadtek didnt follow reference nvidia 6600gt heatsink which is ordinary and instead put their own heatsink which is a bit similar to Zalman vf700 with circular fins surrounding the fan in center. Its plain aluminium but still better than reference 6600gt heatsinks.
AT Leadtek 6600GT review
According to coolbits, ambient temperature 37C (summer temperature) and GPU at idle only 45C. Leadteks heatsink is also reasonably quiet. The BFG 6600GT seems to have a good heatsink as well according to this review.
BFG 6600GT review
Well, forget about the PCX5900. It's pretty much laughable in DX9. But since you named the PCX version, I'll assume you are using PCI-E. (That should've tipped most of you off )
Anywho, as far as the little debacle over video cards, I've seen most 6600GTs w/ 128MB of ram, and to be honest, that's all they really need, as they're a bit limited power-wise to truly use a full 256MB of ram to it's full potential. Concerning heat + power draw, the PCI-E version should run cooler, but don't expect a massive difference.
That said, if you were to move into the 6800 range, a 128 card might actually in turn limit the card a bit. Of course, this is assuming you unlock the pipelines. If you have no idea what that means, you can consult some of the other members here as to what all that means, and how to actually unlock these "pipelines". It generally greatly boosts preformance, and is the only way you can really get a 6800NU or 6800XT to outpreform a 6600GT. (At stock speeds, the 6600GT outpreforms both the 6800NU & 6800XT; only when unlocked will the 6800NU & XT beat the 6600GT)
So, in summary:
1. Avoid the PCX5900.
2. 6600GT if you don't plan to overclock.
3. 6800XT if you do plan to overclock.
)Anywho, as far as the little debacle over video cards, I've seen most 6600GTs w/ 128MB of ram, and to be honest, that's all they really need, as they're a bit limited power-wise to truly use a full 256MB of ram to it's full potential. Concerning heat + power draw, the PCI-E version should run cooler, but don't expect a massive difference.
That said, if you were to move into the 6800 range, a 128 card might actually in turn limit the card a bit. Of course, this is assuming you unlock the pipelines. If you have no idea what that means, you can consult some of the other members here as to what all that means, and how to actually unlock these "pipelines". It generally greatly boosts preformance, and is the only way you can really get a 6800NU or 6800XT to outpreform a 6600GT. (At stock speeds, the 6600GT outpreforms both the 6800NU & 6800XT; only when unlocked will the 6800NU & XT beat the 6600GT)
So, in summary:
1. Avoid the PCX5900.
2. 6600GT if you don't plan to overclock.
3. 6800XT if you do plan to overclock.
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