The cards
For this test, Asus and MSI each provided us with their GeForce 8600 GTS. The two cards are identical, because they are both Nvidia reference models and all they had to do was place their names on the package.
The card is short, but needs a supplementary six pin PCI Express-type power source, because the 289 million transistors, of course, are more demanding than the140 million of the GeForce 7600 GT. In practice, power consumption is, in fact, comparable to a 7900 GT, and it is therefore more than a 7600 GT’s. The official numbers are a max of 71 watts for a 8600 GTS and 43 watts for the 8600 GT. In terms of noise, it’s satisfactory at best. It’s a little better than the GeForce 7600 GT in 3D, however, at times slightly more noisy in 2D, when the PC or room temperature is higher.
Asus
Asus’ card is the EN8600 GTS TOP, in other words an overclocked version of the 8600 GTS. Thus, frequencies go from 675/1450/1008 to 745/1620/1145 with respective overclockings of 10, 12 and 14%.
MSI
For MSI, the NX8600GTS-OC is also overclocked but less so, because frequencies only increase 2, 0 and 4%, respectively, or 690/1450/1050. In other words, an overclocking that is rather pointless.
Differences in performance
