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Leadtek WinFast A7600 GT TDH 256MB AGP Review |
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Written by Mavke
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Tuesday, 29 August 2006 |
If hardware manufacturers had their way, we would all be using PCI Express motherboards and graphics cards by now. After all, the previous generation of graphics cards was supposed to be the start of the PCI Express era. Those graphics processors were already on PCI Express natively and the odds of AGP surviving that transition seemed quite remote. Of course, the chip makers had miscalculated the inertia of the general populace. There was still demand for AGP variants and subsequently, ATI and NVIDIA both implicitly acknowledged this by introducing AGP versions through their Rialto and High Speed Interconnect (HSI) bridge chips respectively. - Hardware Zone
 Leadtek WinFast A7600 GT TDH 256MB AGP Review
So, it is perhaps inevitable that the AGP interface was soon popping up for the latest graphics chipsets, especially for the lower end and mainstream. The latest chipset to undergo this AGP makeover is none other than the respectably mid-range GeForce 7600 GT. Unlike the low profile GeForce 7800 GS, which was a diluted GeForce 7800 GT, there have been no compromises for the AGP version of the GeForce 7600 GT. The number of pipelines remains the same, along with identical clock speeds for both core and memory. So the only difference is the presence of the HSI chip and hence, the AGP compatibility.
As you may notice from the nomenclature of this product, the WinFast A7600 GT TDH model means that this is the AGP variant. But we won't blame you if you mistook this GeForce 7600 GT for Leadtek's own classic GeForce 6600 GT card. The usual Leadtek choice of a classic green PCB is complemented by a modest circular cooler design that looks exactly like the one on its GeForce 6600 GT. Due to its open design, the fan does not spin particularly fast so this card is relatively silent. The retro feel is strengthened by the presence of the power connector, which is required due to the power demands of the core.
The standard clock speeds for a GeForce 7600 GT is followed, meaning that the G73 core runs at 560MHz. The 1.4ns rated GDDR3 memory also runs at the reference 1400MHz. In short, this looks like a faithful port of the GeForce 7600 GT to the AGP interface and one should get more or less the same performance as the original. One of the differences from a reference GeForce 7600 GT is the replacement of one of the DVI outputs on the Leadtek with an analog VGA output. This is understandable given that if you're still using an old AGP system, chances are that you lack a display that accepts DVI input.
Besides the novelty of having an AGP version of the GeForce 7600 GT, we doubt that there is any major performance difference between this and the average PCI Express based GeForce 7600 GT. Both variants, AGP or PCI Express have the same core, same memory bandwidth and same clock speeds. There are some minor physical differences, from the addition of the HSI chip and its heatsink, along with an analog VGA output taking the place of a DVI output to the required power connector. And the inclusion of the HSI bridge chip only incurred a very minor performance deficit.
When compared against the GeForce 7800 GS, the GeForce 7600 GT AGP edition is a far more convincing option in all areas concerned, performance, price, thermal output and power consumption. Perhaps this could be the end of the GeForce 7800 GS, but we wouldn't miss it when the AGP edition of the GeForce 7600 GT is around as a more cost effective option for both manufactures and consumers. As for the Leadtek WinFast A7600 GT TDH, the open design of its cooler allows decent airflow over the core. Together with its relatively slow fan rotation speed, it is one of the quieter coolers for the GeForce 7600 GT.
Unfortunately, this was not translated to the overclocking arena. There may probably be higher pre-overclocked GeForce 7600 GT cards in the market than the best that we attempted on the Leadtek but of course, the chances of finding such a version for the AGP bus is unlikely. The presence of the HSI bridge chip is probably one of the factors for the limited overclocking capability and the actual tolerance would probably vary from one batch to another. That aside, with a cool and quiet card operating at decent performance levels, these are probably the most important reasons why consumers would be interested in this product.
Expected to retail at $189, it should cost slightly more than the average PCI Express version. In fact, one could get Leadtek's own GeForce 7600 GT PCI Express version for S$30 less. However, this extra cost probably accounts for the HSI chip, along with the limited quantities produced. If you are still hanging on an AGP system, there are not that many modern choices anyway and the Leadtek WinFast A7600 GT TDH will allow you to continue playing the latest games and extend the life of your AGP system for another year or two.
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