The Asus EN9600GT is one of the first graphics cards to use nVidia's new GeForce 9600 GT chipset. In previous generations, midrange GeForce cards like the 7600 GT and 8600 GT series were best suited for gamers who didn't mind turning down the details or resolution in a game to get a smooth frame rate. The 9600 GT series resets those expectations, offering very good gaming performance with the details cranked up, even at moderate-to-high resolutions.
The EN9600GT's GPU runs at 650MHz, with 512MB of GDDR3 memory running at 900MHz. Interestingly, the GeForce 9600 GT still lacks support for DirectX 10.1 (DX10.1), supporting the original DX10 instead. This omission isn't likely to ever be a critical issue, as the changes from DX10 to 10.1 are very minor, but it's surprising nevertheless. The EN9600GT supports High-Definition Content Protection (HDCP), ensuring full-resolution output of Blu-ray, HD DVD, and other protected high-definition formats.
This single-slot PCI Express (PCIe) x16 card uses a six-pin PCIe power connector and takes advantage of (but doesn't require) PCIe 2.0. It has a pair of dual-link DVI outputs as well as a component-video/S-Video connector. The card also includes a DVI-to-HDMI converter for connection to an HDTV, until now a rarity on GeForce cards. A small cable is included to connect the card to the digital audio connector on your motherboard, allowing the card to pass sound through the HDMI cable. The cooling fan is relatively quiet, making the EN9600GT suitable for use in a living-room PC.
The 9600 GT offers a serious performance boost over its 8600 GT predecessor, particularly at higher resolutions. Its F.E.A.R. scores of 89 frames per second (fps) at 1,280x1,024 and 54fps at 1,920x1,200 are more than double the 45fps and 20fps that the 8600 GT turned in at those resolutions. The 9600 GT even manages a playable 33fps in F.E.A.R. on a 30-inch monitor running at 2,560x1,600.
In our DX10 tests, the EN9600GT tops the similarly priced ATI Radeon HD 3850, clocking 38fps in World in Conflict and 52fps in Company of Heroes, compared to 25fps and 42fps for the HD 3850. Upping the resolution to 1,920x1,200 makes the difference even more dramatic, with the EN9600GT turning in 16fps at Very High settings in World in Conflict and 25.6fps in Company of Heroes, compared to 9fps and 11.5fps for the HD 3850.
The EN9600GT supports dual-card Scalable Link Interface (SLI) on compatible motherboards; nowadays, that's typically motherboards using the nVidia 680i or 780i chipset. The card lacks the additional connector needed to support three-card 3-Way SLI, a feature that nVidia seems to be reserving for its highest-end cards. Adding a second 9600 GT card provides a significant frame-rate boost, pushing our 1,280x1,024 Company of Heroes frame rate to 92.4fps and our World in Conflict results to 50fps.
The EN9600GT features nVidia's PureVideo HD, which lightens load on the CPU during DVD and Blu-ray playback by offering full hardware decoding of MPEG2 and H.264, and partial acceleration of VC-1 video. The 9-series cards add support for faster dual-stream decode acceleration, dynamic contrast enhancement, and automatic enhancement of green, blue, and skin tone colors. Video playback was smooth with both standard- and high-definition content, with excellent color reproduction.
Offering a level of 3D performance that until recently cost $100 more, this first entry in the 9 series is a welcome addition to the GeForce family.
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