XFX GeForce 9600 GSO PVT96OYHFC Video Card - $9.99 AR

[midwestfisherman]

XFX GeForce 9600 GSO PVT96OYHFC Video Card - 512MB, DDR3, PCI-Express 2.0(x16), 1x HDMI, Dual-link DVI-I, DirectX 10, SLI Ready, Includes Call Of Duty 4 Game Disc.

79.99
-45.00 (instant savings)
-25.00 (less rebate)

9.99 final price

Ends 07/15/2012.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...mpaign=WEM3169

 

[cytoSiN]

Great price for a spare, assuming the rebate comes through. Anyone have any experience worth sharing with rebates from XFX?

 

[sm625]

Passmark score is roughly the same as llano A8 and intel HD4000. It is probably a little slower in newer games.

 

[Sonikku]

Would this be better than a X1950XT?

Looking a little long in the tooth...

 

[sm625]

It would be better than a X1950XT. Not much better, but better. Its kind of a sidegrade from that, except the 9600GSO has much better power consumption.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

OOS

 

[dsnyder]

Just in time. thanks OP

 

[jlin101]

this deal has been on/off at TD for >6 mo--really is dirt cheap for a basic card. The only downside is that many owners complain that the fan sounds like a jet taking off (there's no fan control and its spins at 100% all the time).

 

[puddnheadwilson]

I saw this deal while scouting for my recent graphics card purchase (6670). I liked the deal until I heard about the jet sound. I am a fan of the Jets (Tebow), but I don't think they would fit in my tiny carpeted room.

 

[Bman123]

Damn I totally missed out on this one, I would of bought it just to play cod 4 again. I always miss the good deals damn it

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Back in stock, now $14.99 (after $40 instant savings & $25 rebate, ends 7/31).

 

[jlin101]

is there any way to enable audio output through the HDMI?

 

[MisterE]

is there any way to enable audio output through the HDMI?

I think it uses its fan for audio output.

 

[jlin101]

I think it uses its fan for audio output.

so is the volumne always at 100%?

 

[RussianSensation]

This may be the slower of 9600GSOs, but at this price, still a good deal for old games/2D. This version of 9600GSO uses DDR3 and Memory Bandwidth = 38.4GB/sec. The original 9600GSO had GDDR3 and 51.2 GB/sec.

Intel (Ivy Bridge APU) HD Graphics 4000 is 50% slower than this card.
Intel (Sandy Bridge APU) HD Graphics 3000 (onboard RAM) is ~ 3x slower.

Would this be better than a X1950XT?

Looking a little long in the tooth...

Barely. http://alienbabeltech.com/abt/viewtopic.php?p=41174

X1950XT ~ 26
9600GSO ~ 30-33

It'll be faster in some older OpenGL games (Doom 3, Quake 4, QuakeWars: enemy territory, some older COD games) since back then NV had a huge lead over X1900 series in those titles. However, for modern games they are just as equally slow.

Considering you are still using an X1950XT, I am guessing you might have some older system, maybe Athlon 64 X2 or Opteron 165, or those early Core 2 Duo E6300/6400s?

Even this $50 HD6670 DDR3 card is barely 50% faster than yours. It's a sad state of affairs in the sub-$100 desktop GPU market - there is pretty much nothing worth buying for gaming below HD7750. For budget cards, it's much better to go into the Used hardware market.

 

[jlin101]

TD sells 2 versions of XFX 9600 GSO 512: PVT96OYHFC and PVT96OYHF7, the latter is supposed to have a single-slot cooler, but actually has the same cooler as the two-slotted one (different boxes and stickers, but otherwise identical card). As many have commented, the fan remains at 100% and is obnoxiously loud (after connecting the 2-wire fan to 5v through a molex connector, it is still audible (sounds like 1000 rpm vs 4000 rpm before) but not obtrusive. GPU-Z says that it has 96 SP (but only 8 ROP vs the old 9600 GSO's 12), with 128-bit mem bandwidth. For some reason the GPU would not go over 49% underload. I tried to flash the bios from a different vendor and it just bricked the card (had to flash back blindly). After overclocking the GPU/shader from 500/1250 to 650/1625 (didn't overclock the memory), the WEI went from 6.3/6.3 to 6.6/6.6, still below the 6.7/6.7 of 9600 GSO 386 running at 550/1375. Overall, although the card appears well-built, its performance is simply subpar. I guess, for $10 AR it's probably ok.

 

[Replay]

EVGA Precision 2.1.2 tamed the fan (PVT96OYHF7 version card), setting it to a much quieter 40%.
EDIT: my apologies, only limited fan control via software, basically on or off. See later post...

No temp readout, so I will have to do some Kombustor Furmark type testing to see if it needs more fan. Was going to use the old trick of a molex to floppy power adapter cord, couple short bare wires, and some electrical tape, to get 7V at the GPU fan.

Also noticed stress testing pushed the GPU to 48%. WEI Win8 gaming number unchanged from an 8600GT ($14 AR couple years ago). WEI Aero score actually went down, but I'd moved from a 1280x768 to 1440x900. I'm going to say this is a very cut down card, and not anywhere close to any of the other 9600 variants. GPUz type programs may be reporting what the card should have for shaders etc., and not what it does have.

But it does play L4D2 COD4 and the like with acceptable frame rates, if some settings are dropped to "medium". L4D2 recommended settings were too ambitious. Dropping the shader setting from High to Medium got the frame rate back up (really a 48 shader card, or worse?).

Finally bought one, after a year of these deals. Came in a huge X-shaped gimmicky box, with the COD4 game. Shame there is no analog output, not even with a DVI>Analog adapter, but I knew that going in. Was tempted to try some bioses, but think I'll let it go. Wish I'd bought more of those $20AR XFX 4850's, two years ago.

... For some reason the GPU would not go over 49% underload. ...

 

[KingFatty]

EVGA Precision 2.1.2 tamed the fan (PVT96OYHF7 version card), setting it to a much quieter 40%.

I also picked up one of these 9600GSO cards and I'm interested in controlling the fan speed. Does EVGA Precision remember its settings and apply them each time you boot the computer?

I'd like to use software to control the fan, so I don't have to splice the wires for a solution to reduce the voltage. But I don't want to manually set the software each time I use the computer, so if EVGA Precision can't remember the settings after reboot, I'll just end up splicing.

 

[jlin101]

"EVGA Precision 2.1.2 tamed the fan (PVT96OYHF7 version card), setting it to a much quieter 40%. No temp readout, so I will have to do some Kombustor Furmark type testing to see if it needs more fan. Was going to use the old trick of a molex to floppy power adapter cord, couple short bare wires, and some electrical tape, to get 7V at the GPU fan."

I'm curious how you got Precision X to work. I tried 3.03 and at fan setting of <93% the fan essentially sputters/quits altogether (others have reported the same experience with any of the modding softwares such as Afterburner and RivaTuner). At 5v (or 40% of 12v), the fan is still much too loud for so little performance (my double-slotted evga 9600 gso 384, and single-slotted evga 8600gt are both silent while offering the same or more performance). Unfortunately, 5v is the lowest you can get from modding a molex.

As for the 49% load, I wonder if GPU-Z erroneously reports 96 SP's, then only detects 48 SP's working, thus concluding that the gpu is working at 50% max.

I bought 4 of these on a whim (thought I could actually tame the fan with wiring). The fan on this thing brings back memory of pc's from the early 2000's when it was "cool" (no pun intended) to put a bunch of high-rpm fans in the computer (told my wife that it was normal for high-performance computers to sound like a banshee, just like Ferrari's). LOL--the folly of youth.

 

[Replay]

OOPs! Sorry guys. Looked in the case, the gpu fan was not moving when EVGA Precision set it to 40%. So there is very limited control, on or off. The software will start with the OS, you can set 2D and 3D clock and fan profiles, and it did silence the fan immediately after I logged on into Win8.

HTPC rig? That two slot heatsink, gpu fan off, and some modest case airflow, may be ok for an HTPC rig, especially if the clock speeds are reduced. Unknowingly play tested L4D2 for an hour, fan off, no problems. This was in a micro ATX case with an undervolted 80mm intake fan blowing back toward the 9600 heatsink, and a quiet 120mm in the psu.

For gaming I still need to see if I can stand the noise with a simple undervolting to 5V. May try leaving the gpu fan off, and put a PCI slot exhaust fan (undervolted) next to the heatsink.

Funny how the fan squeeks and chirps, turning at about 120 rpm when set to 89%, and it still makes noises at 40% 50%, even though it is not moving. As reported it needs about a 94% setting to run, essentially full blast.

 

[KingFatty]

Ok then sounds like splicing it will be the solution. I ordered one of these 99 cent connectors that has a resistor to lower the voltage; just going to cut out the resistor from that connector, and splice/insert it inline with the red wire from the 9600GSO fan wire:

 

[jlin101]

what is the end voltage on that adapter, where do you get one? I've tried several mods so far: 1) connect the stock fan to a 5v Molex (still too loud); 2) modified the bios so the fan is always set at 40% (didn't work; the PCB lacks the ability to modulate fan voltage); 3) added 2D clock setting in the bios (didn't work); and finally 4) removed the stock fan and hot-glued a lower-rpm 8-cm fan in its place (had to cut the new fan out of its housing so you can fit it inside the heatsink--the card is finally quiet now). Alternativelly you can hot glue a 8 cm fan on top of the heatsink, but then the card would take up 4 slots. Needlessly to say, XFX did a very poor job using such a high-rpm fan in this cooler.

 

[KingFatty]

I have no idea what the final voltage will be, but you can look up the resistor value based on the colored rings to know how many ohms you are dealing with, then multiply that by typical current to figure out what the voltage drop will be. But mine is on its way from china so I'll use a voltmeter to check the resistance and voltage drop while running and let you know when it comes in.

The link to the ebay one I purchased is here, but I think I remember seeing other listings for the 99 cents free shipping:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200629169256&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:MOTORS:3160

I'm totally experimenting because for me I don't give a crap for wasting 99 cents and chopping up some wires.

 

[jlin101]

Thanks for the link. The "best" solution I've come up with so far is to substitute the crazy-fast stock fan with a Antec Tri-cool fan that I've got (it sticks out some due to its thickness; but the card is now silent). Also tried to set up 2D/3D clock profiles using PrecisionX, but the card doesn't seem to be smart enough to switch mode automatically. I wonder how this card's design even got approved--it's like driving a Camry with the engine stuck at 7000 rpm, going at 35 mph.

 

[Replay]

EVGA Precision 2.1.2 on Win8 was not always switching from 2D @250 MHz to the 3D profile for games. One trick is to open GPU-z 0.6.2 or MSI Kombustor 2.02 before starting a game. Either app will trigger the 3D profile.

Overclocking, short term Kombustor stress tests, 5 volt gpu fan, 7 volt pci slot exhaust fan: Memory 900 Mhz stock. Artifacts appeared at 1130 MHz. Using 1070 MHz ok. CPU/Shaders 500/1250 stock. Using 800/2000, the maximum with this tool, without artifacts or lockups. Temps are a mystery, always reported as 0.0C.

Doing ok as budget LAN gaming rig number six ($15AR H61 ECS, $38 G540, 8G DDR3 free AR AC). Called this the 9600 POS last year, and it is, somewhat (crazy fan, no vga, cut-down). But I'm ok with it for the after rebate price.