Foxconn 8600GT-256OC graphics card

Unless you've got a healthy bank balance, reading graphics card reviews can be frustrating. Having gorged yourself on nVidia's cutting-edge 8800 series, you might well find the 8600 cards something of a come-down. But if your budget refuses to stretch to three figures, this card from Foxconn is currently your best bet.

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While the 8600GTS seemed to cost considerably more, despite not offering much extra performance, the 8600GT gets the compromise more or less right - more so, given that this card is overclocked. The 540MHz core clock has been boosted to 560MHz, while the memory clock has shot up from 700MHz to 810MHz. Otherwise, the Foxconn makes do with the fairly modest specs laid down by nVidia.

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As GeForce 8600 GT cards go, this one is decent. It won't last you much into the future, though. If you need a sub-£100 card now, this is a good bet - but we'd rather wait for a few months.

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  Asus EN8500GT Silent graphics card

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  PNY GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB graphics card

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  MSI NX7600GS-T2D256EH

  The chip in this card may sound familiar to those who read June's 7600 GT review. In terms of basic architecture, the 7600 GS and 7600 GT are identical, but there are a few subtle differences.

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