Overclocking and Thoughts
MSI supply a software tool called DOT, similar in vein to Gainward's XpertTool, that sets some predefined card clocks for the end-user to overclock with AIB support and get a bit more performance from the board, for free. However, DOT didn't want to work correctly with either board sample with the driver revisions I had time to test with. It's likely to work perfectly at some point, although Coolbits had fun overclocking them regardless.If we give the two boards names, Britney and Christina will do, Britney overclocked to 549/1080 stable in all tests with Christina doing a bit better at 565/1080. That's with the boards running on their own, without the other one in the system in single GPU mode. In SLI mode, the final stable clock was a more modest 545/1070 which we can put down to a combination of increased power draw and temperatures in the system.
As always, I can't guarantee that the samples seeded to us weren't hand picked by MSI, so use the overclocking results as a rough guide at best.
Thoughts
As a single board in isolation, MSI's 6600 GT makes a great case for itself. A fantastic software bundle, component video out for use with HDTV sets in the main, and quiet cooler round off a great product that I could only think to improve with the inclusion of dual DVI ports instead of analogue VGA and DVI, which other 6600 GT vendors are happy to specify. I've seen the NX6600GT-TD128E online for around £135 including VAT, which means that the MSI 6600 GTs are attractively priced considering the software bundle.It seems that a few online vendors have boards in stock as I type, so availability isn't an issue. Given the pricing and single board performance, I heartily recommend MSI's 6600 GT among the sea of others, for the bundle alone. I wouldn't chose it personally, being an owner of two DVI-equipped LCDs, but if you don't care about that, snag one at your leisure.
In SLI mode, my feelings about 6600 GT's unsuitability as an upgrade path haven't changed, given the requirements for purchase of an as-yet unavailable SLI nForce4 mainboard along with your first 6600 GT. For SLI, please consider 6800 GT as your starting board.
So to sum up, for the single board user that doesn't lust after dual DVI, MSI's 6600 GT is well worth your money.
Score
Pros
PerformanceExcellent bundle
Component TV output
Price
Quiet cooler
Cons
No dual DVISLI performance of 6600 GT as a whole.
HEXUS Right2Reply
Commenting under our HEXUS Right2Reply initiative, MSI UK' Marketing Executive, Mr. John Inwood, has this to say about our review:Thanks for looking at MSI’s new series of graphics cards. I am pleased Hexus have found the NX6600GT-TD128E to be such good value mid-range PCI-Express card. We also believe this card is an ideal partner to any SLI setup, in addition to its outstanding performance as a stand alone card. As was highlighted in this review; MSI has and is continuing to pay attention to detail regarding the bundle and the quality of accessories such as cooling and cables included with the card. We feel this adds not only value for money but is an additional feature which differentiates MSI’s cards from the many others out there.
D.O.T (Dynamic Overclocking Technology) is an MSI technology designed to make overclocking simple and safe. When enabled, it will overclock the GPU dynamically as and when the extra performance is needed. The result in this being the performance in 3D applications can see a real world 10% performance increase, whilst when the graphics demands are not there, i.e. the windows desktop environment, the GPU remains at stock speeds. This helps create less heat, more stability and hence less noise and a longer life for the card. Ultimately this technology was developed for single card applications and problems can be caused when running two cards simultaneously in SLI. This is because both GPU’s do not always react in exactly the same way and the same time. Also the extra power requirements of running two cards together may reduce the overclocking potential as discovered in the review. This issue has been addressed by MSI and is likely to result in a driver which is tailored to use in SLI environments as best as we can in future.
As Ryszard mentioned, this card does not come with dual DVI output so is not ideal for running with a set of TFT panels. On a plus note, MSI are also selling a NX6800GT-T2D256E which does have the dual DVI and is also suitable for SLI. The drawback being the card costs a more, but with extra power potential can reach a whole new level in terms of performance.
Best Regards,
John Inwood
Product Marketing Executive.
MSI Computer (UK) Ltd.
