NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Roundup. Round II: AGP
Gigabyte GeForce 6600GT Layout
Package bundle
- Gigabyte GeForce 6600GT video card;
- DVI/15-pin D-Sub adapter;
- VIVO-splitter;
- a drivers and utilities CD;
- User's manual;
- Spell Force: The Order of Dawn
Design and layout
Like all the PCI-E analogs, the board is made on blue textolyte. First, what catches the eye is the nonstandard positioning of the GPU and video memory chips - at 45 degrees. That was done due to the process necessity because of the HSI bridge through which support for the AGP interface is provided. As regards the cooling system, Gigabyte took that very serious and done its best.
The foot and the heat-spreading fins of the radiator on the GPU are made of copper, with the lid and the radiator that covers the bridge made of aluminum.
The card is equipped with 128 Mb GDDR3 video memory, with a 128 bit data transmission bus, made as four Samsung memory chips of 2 ns access time, which is equivalent to 500 MHz (1000 MHz DDR) at which the memory on the card runs.
The GPU of GeForce 6600GT (NV43) runs at 500MHz as it should, and was made on the 41st week of 2004 , of revision А2.
Of note is the additional power connector which unlike its PCI-E analog is there on all 6600GT AGP video cards. And as usual the card offers a standard set of outputs - analogous, digital, and TV-OUT.
Galaxy GeForce 6600GT
Package bundle
- Galaxy GeForce 6600GT video card;
- DVI/ 15-pin D-Sub and S-Video/RCA adapters;
- a drivers and utilities CD;
- User's manual;
- PowerDVD 5
Design and layout
As usual, Galaxy presented a solution that is faster than the reference onto the market. The core/memory frequencies are overstated relative to the reference and amount to 525/1050MHz.
Besides, the card offers faster memory, of 1.6 ns access time. This is equivalent to 625 MHz (1250 MHz DDR) of operating frequency. The nominal operating frequency 1050 MHz implies good overclocking capability of the memory. We will definitely find that out in the benchmarking session.
The chips were made by Samsung, and all the four are positioned over the front side of the PCB.
The GPU of GeForce 6600GT (NV43) offers operating frequency 525MHz, made on the 41st week of 2004, has revision А2.
The GPU and the HSI bridge are positioned similarly to the previous card.
But the cooling system merits a special consideration. Galaxy took a good care of future owners of the card through equipping the solution with a quality cooling system made as a radiator with a copper foot and heat-spreading fins covering the GPU, all the video memory chips positioned on the board's front side, and the HSI bridge. All this is attached with screws running through the board. Its very convenient design allows pressing the radiator to the GPU and tighten/loosen it if necessary.
The board is equipped with an additional power connector and two digital outputs.
Leadtek A6600 GT TDH (GeForce 6600GT)
Package bundle
- Leadtek GeForce 6600GT video card;
- DVI/15-pin D-Sub adapter, and VIVO splitter;
- a drivers and utilities CD;
- User's manual;
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time;
- Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Design and layout
The board is made on green textolyte standard for Leadtek's products. The PCB design is a precise replica of the previous boards.
As the cooling system, Leadtek uses an aluminum radiator with a cooler of standard design (we have already seen solutions like that on 6600GT and 6600 PCI-E by Leadtek).
The HSI bridge is cooled by a separate aluminum radiator. As regards the clock speeds of the card, all is pretty standard - 500/900 MHz. The GPU of GeForce 6600GT was released on the 36th week of 2004, of revision А2.
The memory capacity is also 128 Mb, a 128-bit data transmission bus, made up of four Samsung memory chips of 2 ns access time (which is equivalent to 1000 MHz DDR operating frequency). In this card, the standard memory operating frequency is 900 MHz, as we said earlier.
Finishing with the visual inspection of the card, we note the additional power connector, and set of outputs - analogous, digital, and TV-OUT. Now on to benchmarking.
 |
Content: |
 |
|
|
Top Stories: |
|
 |
|
MoBo:
|
|
|
|
VGA Card:
|
|
|
|
CPU & Memory:
|
|
|
