Print this page
Published in Reviews

Gainward 8600GTS 512MB

by on15 June 2007

Image

Review: The first 8600GTS with 512 MB works like a charm


If you followed our work
, you've seen the reviews of all the latest treats from Nvidia. We're talking about a latest batch of DirectX 10 cards – Geforce 8600GTS, Geforce 8600GT and Geforce 8500GT. Geforce 8600GTS and 8600GT cards are based on G84 core, while Geforce 8500GT works with the G86 core. Almost every Nvidia's partner, apart from the cards with reference details, showcased their modified cards. Quite convenient for an end-user, because let's face it – we all want more muscle for less buck.

Gainward is one of the partners who is fighting to keep its position as one of Nvidia's top partners. We've seen many attractive graphic cards from the latest generation, based on G84 and G86 cores. One of the first, and now rare, is 8500GT card with GDDR3 memory. Then we have fast BLISS 8600GTS and 8600GT cards, while Gainward produced one of the first 8600GTS cards with 512MB of memory. Having seen these cards earlier, GeForce 8600GTS with 512MB GDDR3 memory is our today's guest.

 

Image

The card's full name is Gainward 8590-BLISS 8600GTS 512 TV DD. The speeds are Nvidia's reference ones, which means the core runs at 675MHz, and memory at 2000MHz. Gainward stuck to reference speeds with this card, although we've seen Gainward BLISS 8600GTS Golden Sample running at core speed of 725MHz and memory speed of 2200MHz.

 

Image

The memory is 128bit, as in all the cards with G84 core. Samsung's K4J52324QE-BJ1A memory chips running at effective maximum of 2000MHz were used. On this card there are eight of them and if you want to know more, you can find out here. We must add that four of these memory modules are on the back side of the card, and they are passively cooled with small heatspreaders.

Graphics processor is built in 80nm production process, it has a DirectX 10 pedigree and comes with Shader Model 4.0. GeForce 8600GTS, 32 Stream processors, eight ROP’s and 24 Texture memory units, while Shader units run at 1450MHz.

Image

The card is instantly recognizable, due to the famous Gainward style and it’s definitely different from all the others on the market. Due to its unique cooler, it takes up two slots. Only if you take the plastic cover off, you’ll be able to see the real cooler and the fan. The cooler is quiet and together with the aluminum block it does a good job in cooling the core.

 

Image

What’s in the box

With the card you get two DVI adapters, S-video to RGBA cable and 6pin PCIe power plug. The card still needs additional power. You also get Cyberlink DVD Power2GO 5.5, Power Producer 3.2, Power Back 2.0, Media Show 3.0, the manual and a CD containing the drivers.


Image 


 

 

Testing Rig

Image 

Motherboard:
Nforce 680i EVGA board (Supplied by EVGA)
 
CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo 6800 Extreme edition (Supplied by Intel)

CPU Cooler:
Akasa EVO AK 922 Blue Athlon 64/X2/FX cooler and Intel CPU's (Akasa)

Memory:
OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1066MHz 5-5-5-15  (Supplied by OCZ)
CL5-5-5-15-CR2T at 2.3V

Graphics card:

Gainward 8590-BLISS 8600GTS 512 TV DD 512MB GDDR3 (Supplied by Gainward)

Gainward BLISS GeForce 8600 GTS GS 256MB GDDR3 (Supplied by Gainward)

Gainward BLISS 8500GT Golden Sample PCX GDDR3 (Supplied by Gainward)

Asus EN8600GT 256MB GDDR3 (Supplied by Asus)

PSU:
OCZ GameXStream 700W (Supplied by OCZ)

Hard disk:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB SATA (Supplied by Seagate)


 

 

Today we’ll see if investing more money to buy a 8600GTS 512MB card is really worth it. In the table we included a 8600GTS reference card running at same speeds as Gainwards 8600GTS with 512MB of memory. Gainward memory runs slightly faster, 8MHz which produce a final speed of 2016 MHz, not reference 2000 MHz.

In the table you’ll see an interesting card, Gainward 8500GT using a GDDR3 memory. Geforce 8500GT cards usually work with GDDR2 memory.

Overclocked Gainward 8600GTS Golden Sample card is also featured. Our 512MB card was overclocked to match the Golden Sample speeds, and we finished all the tests in a stable manner.

To see how much muscle 256 MB of memory brings, you can compare the results. Let us start with 3DMarks.

Composite Figures 3Dmark 03

3DMark 03

Game2

Game3

Game4

Gainward 8500GT 600/1400MHz GDDR3

11196

89.3

69.7

64.2

Asus EN8600GT 540/1400MHz

15247

105.5

88.7

107.0

8600GTS referenc 675/2000MHz

17566

133.0

101.4

110.1

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 256MB

18916

144.6

109.4

119.2

Gainward 8600GTS 675/2016MHz 512MB

20340

152.9

120.5

135.8

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 512MB OC

21599

164.4

128.6

143.9

 

 

 

 

 

Composite Figures 3Dmark 03

Single Texturinng

Multi Textur.

Vertex Shader

Pixel Shader 2.0

Gainward 8500GT 600/1400MHz GDDR3

2164.8

3721.2

34.0

164.4

Asus EN8600GT 540/1400MHz

2023.7

7028.5

55.1

168.2

8600GTS referenc 675/2000MHz

2638.5

7434.6

59.0

227.7

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 256MB

2844.8

8015.4

63.5

249.6

Gainward 8600GTS 675/2016MHz 512MB

2688.2

8808.0

67.0

276.0

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 512MB OC

2870.0

9446.3

71.1

299.8

 

 

 

 

 


In 3DMark 03, we see that Gainwards 512 MB card is faster than overclocked Gainwards card with 256 MB of memory. The difference is in 1424 marks, while reference Geforce 8600GTS card is slower by 2744 marks. Gainward 8600GTS 512MB beats the reference card by 15.8%. Additional 256 MB of memory definitely pays of here.

 

Composite Figures 3Dmark 05

3DMark 05

Game1

Game2

Game3

Gainward 8500GT 600/1400MHz GDDR3

6327

30.0

19.2

28.1

Asus EN8600GT 540/1400MHz

8924

38.5

28.7

41.2

8600GTS referenc 675/2000MHz

11407

48.0

36.1

54.9

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 256MB

12354

52.0

38.9

59.7

Gainward 8600GTS 675/2016MHz 512MB

12408

54.0

38.0

59.5

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 512MB OC

13213

56.9

40.5

64.0

 

 

 

 

 

Composite Figures 3Dmark 05

Single Texturinng

Multi Textur.

Pixel Shader

VS/VS
complex

Gainward 8500GT 600/1400MHz GDDR3

2230.7

4196.0

85.4

88.4/74.7

Asus EN8600GT 540/1400MHz

2166.7

7399.2

140.1

63.0/95.1

8600GTS referenc 675/2000MHz

2723.5

8094.5

179.5

117.2/123.9

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 256MB

2904.9

8688.9

193.6

130.8/136.3

Gainward 8600GTS 675/2016MHz 512MB

2721.6

9108.9

188.6

143.9/131.5

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 512MB OC

2900.1

9736.5

202.9

157.3/140.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final result of 3DMark 05 test shows only a slight advantage over Golden Sample 256MB card. Let’s not forget that Gainwards 256MB card is overclocked. When we compare 512 MB card to reference 8600GTS running at same speeds, we see 1000 marks or 8.8% difference.


Composite Figures 3Dmark 06

3DMark 06

 

 

 

Gainward 8500GT 600/1400MHz GDDR3

3101

 

 

 

Asus EN8600GT 540/1400MHz

4513

 

 

 

8600GTS referenc 675/2000MHz

5513

 

 

 

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 256MB

5916

 

 

 

Gainward 8600GTS 675/2016MHz 512MB

5890

 

 

 

Gainward 8600GTS 725/2200MHz 512MB OC

Last modified on 17 June 2007

Rate this item
(0 votes)