Gigabyte GeForce 8600GT
NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT, 256 MB GDDR3Core / Shader Clock : 594 / 1188 MHz
Memory Clock : 360 MHz (720 MHz GDDR3)
Overall Score: 85 points
The Gigabyte NX6800GTS Silent Pipe II is a good compromise between value, performance, space and silence. Unlike its more advanced sibling, the heatsink is actually pretty simple, made up of one part which basically covers most of the card (and some). It's a single slot solution, which makes it very attractive for HTPC setups in very small cases. The use of a single slot cooling also means it still relies on air inside the case, unlike the newer Silent Pipe 3. Looking under the heatsink, we can also see Gigabyte also chose not to cool the memory with the heatsink, as you can see below.
The bundle included with the card is pretty similar to the Gigabyte NX8600GTS Silent Pipe 3 - a DVI-to-analog dongle, an HDTV cable / dongle, a driver CD and a full version of Supreme Commander. So again, from a bundle perspective it offers more value than the ASUS EN8600GT Silent, which also relies on passive cooling. Now, let's see whether or not Silent Pipe II can also push the advantage in Gigabyte's favor.
Hmm. It is cooler but not by much, merely 2 ° Celsius lower than the ASUS EN8600GT Silent. Let's see whether or not some air will help.
61° Celsius or merely 1° Celsius cooler than the ASUS EN8600GT Silent. Thermal performance wise, the two cards is pretty much the same. However, do remember the Gigabyte card takes less space inside your case, so that is a plus. Overall, we think the Gigabyte NX8600GT Silent Pipe II does very well for a single slot, passively cooled card and should be a great alternative for those silent HTPC boxes
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