Best brand of GeForce 6600GT to buy (or anything better?)

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scottmso

Limp Gawd
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Apr 15, 2004
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I have a PC with an Abit NF7, Athlon XP 2500+, 512MB DDR RAM, and a 64MB GeForce4 Ti4200 graphics card that needs a graphics upgrade. I've decided that a 128MB GeForce 6600GT would be the best card.

What brand of card do you recommend? It has to be AGP and preferably be under $200. Or if there is something else with more bang for the buck (even anything that's lower priced with better value), I'd like to know. And when I'm shopping for a 6600GT card, is there anything to watch out for - I know that it's commonplace for graphics card/chip vendors to try to rip you off.

Any advice appreciated!
 
scottmso said:
I have a PC with an Abit NF7, Athlon XP 2500+, 512MB DDR RAM, and a 64MB GeForce4 Ti4200 graphics card that needs a graphics upgrade. I've decided that a 128MB GeForce 6600GT would be the best card.

What brand of card do you recommend? It has to be AGP and preferably be under $200. Or if there is something else with more bang for the buck (even anything that's lower priced with better value), I'd like to know. And when I'm shopping for a 6600GT card, is there anything to watch out for - I know that it's commonplace for graphics card/chip vendors to try to rip you off.

Any advice appreciated!
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From all that I have gathered when asking the same question, the MSI and EVGA...

http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productdetails.asp?submit=catalog&item=14-127-150

http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productdetails.asp?submit=manufactory&item=14-130-220
 
XFX is a great maker of 6600gts. when you get it, make sure you have a set of small screw drivers and a tube of as5 on hand. the stock cooler has white goop in two places that can be replaced with as5, thus lowering temps HUGE ammounts. if you have some extra cash, and love huge oc's, get Consumer9000's Stasis IceStorm, im using one, and when overclocked to the extreme, 585 core/1.22 mem, my load temps are lower then 60ºC all the time.
 
Thanks for the advice!

If I get the eVGA, I will probably get it at Monarch Computer since they offer Far Cry and Call of Duty free with it (even though it's $190) http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=190367

Also I don't particularly feel comfortable removing/inserting graphics card/chipset coolers. I've had to do it on my Abit motherboard and graphics card (Abit uses sucky fans on their products), but doing it really scared me because removing the cooler is hard because of the push pin design - I was afraid of scratching the PCB with the tweezers I used on the pins and it is just awkward in general. According to what CCUABIDExORxDIE said it sounds like these designs are only getting more complex. (unless they finally came to their senses and scrapped the whole push pin design alltogether?) So I want a card with a cooling design that is reliable and I won't have to take apart.

Any more input?
 
I just recently purchased a gigabyte 6600 GT 128MB from newegg.com. I found it very nice, and it came stock in AGP at 1000Mhz memory. Easily overclocks, got it at 525/1.24 with no issues. I think that they put a very good stock cooler on it. I could be wrong, but I thought gigabyte made mostly ATI stuff.

This card didn't some with much software, on the game Spellforce, and PowerDVD 5. It also has the VTuner2 utility, which is pretty cool. It gives you the ability to easily flash the cards BIOS. However, Im still a fan of RivaTuner, so I don't use VTuners overclocking.

Here's my two cents----look at customer reviews for the various brands and see which of them has the stock speeds listed.
 
I also have Gigabyte's 6600GT (2 in SLI). Mine OC'd to 550/1.1, but I started getting artifacting in FarCry after playing for about a half hour. Doesn't happen at stock speeds.
 
Heres another one for Gigabyte I have the PCI-E I have it overclocked with stock cooling @
577 core 1154 mem. So far Im very happy with this card I upgraded from a MSI 9800pro agp which was O/C to XT speed it had the same core as the 9800xt. I can see the diff in speed in games in most games the 6600 GT seems alot faster.
 
I'd go with eVGA, it seems they are second only to BFG in warranty- heaven forbid!
 
if you click his link you will see that that was with 6800 somethings, not 6600gt's. there is a big difference.
 
scottmso said:
Thanks for the advice!

If I get the eVGA, I will probably get it at Monarch Computer since they offer Far Cry and Call of Duty free with it (even though it's $190) http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=190367
Click to expand...

I have the MSI and really like it. It comes with 3 free games and a bunch of other software. I've heard good things about BFG as well. I have used many eVGA cards and have never had a problem with them. (While I am not a big fan of Far Cry, COD is an awesome game).
 
if you click his link you will see that that was with 6800 somethings, not 6600gt's. there is a big difference
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If you mean performance difference.....of course I know that. :p The XFX 6800 series cards are both very overclockable. However I'm not stating he'll get 30k in 3dmark if that's what you're implying. :rolleyes:
 
OK, I'm thinking I'll buy from ZipZoomFly. I'm trying to choose from the following 4:

(all have 128MB RAM and GeForce 6600GT and free 2-day shipping)

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=321917 - MSI NX6600GT-VTD128, has HDTV out and VIVO, 3 year warranty - $196

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322250 - Gigabyte GV-N66T128, HDTV out, 3-year warranty - $189.99

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322698 - eVGA e-GeForce 6600 GT, HDTV out, 2-year (total) warranty - $184.99

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=321018 - XFX PVT43AND, dual DVI, 2-year warranty - $192 - $20 rebate = $172 after mail-in rebate

I'm leaning towards the MSI and Gigabyte since they're better-known companies in tech stuff (motherboard makers), but some have said that XFX and eVGA are good too, and may have better customer service (they may or may not be American-based?). Do XFX and eVGA make their own cards, or do they just rebadge other companies' cards?
 
They are all almost the same bro (once oc'd) I like staright from manuf, but if you can find one with GREAT warranty, do it, and that would be the only reason why. Performance wise...do not even bother with that. You would never notice a diff.

I have the XFX and it is a sweet ass card.
 
Well i reckon BFG and Giga-byte is awesome, i got a giga-byte 6600GT PCI-E turbo edition and its great. BFG is already OCed so its really great.
 
We should collectively decide which are the best 3 and make a sticky, there's so many 6600GT threads. That said, I wont go into details as I have countless times before but my XFX was crap and my BFG has yet to let me down. That doesnt mean BFG is the end all be all 6600GT but it's a hell of a lot better than that piece o' crap XFX I was given (twice the card didnt work, two different cards).
 
Thanks for all the advice! I ended up getting a MSI card with VIVO from ZipZoomFly for $196.
 
Leadtek WinFast A6600 GT TDH. Got mine at newegg for 187. Very happy with my switch from an ATI 9800 Pro.
 
scottmso said:
Thanks for all the advice! I ended up getting a MSI card with VIVO from ZipZoomFly for $196.
Click to expand...


I don't think you will be unhappy... ;)

Great card, and the only one I have found with HDTV *AND* Video in as well.

(there may be others now, but when I bought mine in Canada 2 months ago, there was not)

-Skystalker
 
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