Inno3D GeForce 8500 GT and 8600 GT Comparison

Targeting the mid-range and lower mid-range computer users, NVIDIA’s GeForce 8500 and 8600 line of cards come with the core features of their bigger 8800 brothers stripped down to be affordable while still providing substantial bang for the buck.

..Sporting only 256MB RAM and 128-bit memory buses, both the 8500 GT and 8600 GT appear as though they would have terrible gaming performance as the bottom lined, worsened when adding high resolutions and/or antialiasing to the mix. However, both cards performed admirably given their specs and the 8600 GT definitely showed that mid-range is not something to be scoffed at.

While the 8600 GT is an unexpected powerhouse more than capable of handling some of today’s most demanding games at even the highest resolutions, the 8500 GT is simply underpowered with its much slower DDR2 RAM and diminished GPU core clock speeds. It would make an ideal card for gaming on resolutions below 1600×1200 with no antialiasing, however anything higher is simply going to need a more powerful card. Gamers on a budget looking for a card that gives Direct X 10 support and can handle demanding games incredibly well up to 1920×1200, look no further than the 8600 GT which is an absolute steal for what it’s sold for.

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