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ASUS Extreme N7600 GT Silent 256MB PCI-E Review |
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Written by Zombie
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Friday, 12 May 2006 |
Hardware Zone shares their latest review on the ASUS Extreme N7600 GT Silent 256MB PCIe video card. It is perhaps indicative of the widespread interest generated by NVIDIA for its GeForce 7 mid-range series that in a short span of two months since its March debut, we have already looked at some GeForce 7600 GT and GS cards, with more cards on the way. These cards have all come from different vendors and they are not just the usual re-badged reference versions; daring, overclocked ones from Leadtek and XpertVision have gone through our labs unscathed. So far, these cards have only reaffirmed our prediction that the GeForce 7600 GT will rival its predecessor in terms of popularity with both vendors and consumers alike.
 ASUS Extreme N7600 GT Silent 256MB PCI-E Review
Besides going for the gamers and enthusiasts with faster and more overclockable products, there is also a segment of the market that prefers quiet peace of mind to having a slight improvement in frame rates. A mid-range card like the GeForce 7600 GT is also likely to find favor with those with home theater PC's, where graphical prowess may be secondary concerns compared with heat and noise output. Therefore, a passively cooled GeForce 7600 GT is a logical approach for any vendor hoping to carve a niche in the crowded market. Which is exactly what ASUS has done for its new Extreme N7600 GT Silent.
Appealing to those desiring some peace and quiet for their PC's has become a tried and true approach these days. Gone are the days of hot and noisy PC's and with leading companies like Intel opting for low power consumption in their newer generation of chips, hopefully those times will really be gone for good. After all, the prevailing mindset has shifted from power hungry towards energy efficient components. NVIDIA's latest generation of graphics cards continues this trend of cooler processors, thanks to its 90nm semi-conductor process and a streamlined, more efficient core.
Hence, it is relatively easy for ASUS to extend this approach to its passively cooled GeForce 7600 GT. Some slight tweaks and improvements distinguish the newer SilentCool on the ASUS Extreme N7600 GT Silent from its older version. While copper would arguably have been a better choice for the radiator, the aluminum is much lighter and improvements to the design include making the adjustment of the radiator more straight forward and obvious. We are also pleased to report that the expected higher temperatures for the core of the Extreme N7600 GT Silent were still very acceptable.
And of course this being a silent card, it will surely attract enough users willing to compromise heat for noise. A mirror of the reference design in terms of its specifications like clock speeds and memory chips used, the performance you'll find on the ASUS Extreme N7600 GT will not be anything special for this chipset. In short, this is a card that provides decent performance for a GeForce 7600 GT with its silent cooler its star attraction. A surprisingly and rather competitive price of $208 ensures that the ASUS Extreme N7600 GT Silent should find quite an audience.
Usually, one would expect to have to pay a premium price for these custom designs, but ASUS probably saved a bit by using aluminum instead of copper. At its present recommended retail price, the ASUS Extreme N7600 GT Silent is a good alternative for those who need a silent and capable mid-range graphics card.
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