If one thing is certain, it's that NVIDIA has no intention to let AMD take reign of GPU performance anywhere on the ladder, which was evidenced when they unveiled the GeForce 9600 GT card in late February, an offering that directly competes with AMD's Radeon HD 3870. Of course, it's pricing that can make or break a new launch, and yes NVIDIA managed to hit the target there as well. Although prices at the get go proved to be just under GeForce 8800 GT pricing, now that stock is plentiful, pricing is now far below any GeForce 8800 GT. In fact, even though the GeForce 9600 GT is designed to take on the Radeon HD 3870, its pricing is more in line with the Radeon HD 3850 video card. - Techgage

ASUS Extreme N9600 GT TOP Graphics Card Review

We were unable to get an ASUS Extreme N9600 GT card with reference clocks, so they sent us the next best thing. Well, they sent us the next better thing, a TOP version of the card that boasts higher than reference clocks, meaning you get more performance right out of the box, all for doing nothing. Well, except for paying more for the privilege. But as of right now, we are not sure what the premium is, since the card is not available anywhere yet. You can expect the premium to be around $20. However, since its launch, the GeForce 9600 GT has been well received as being a killer overclocking graphics card.

In the past, one thing we have ranted about with the ASUS GPU's was with the packaging size. You would imagine that since a graphics card is far smaller than a motherboard, its packaging would reflect that. That was not the case, however. This new box is far more modest, but still keeps the GPU itself secure. Although some GPU manufacturers are sticking to bloated GPU coolers, ASUS scaled back and delivers a fansink called the Glaciator. Because of its small size, it maximizes airflow and shows off the entire card. We personally like the look of the card, but we are sure that opinions will vary from person to person.

When NVIDIA first launched their GeForce 9600 GT, skeptics were abound. For good reason though, as the original prices left a bit to be desired. But a month has now passed, and the GeForce 9600 GT stock is plenty throughout many e-tailers, so prices today are much more reasonable. The ASUS Extreme N9600 GT retails for an average of $180, while the TOP version will probably be priced at $20 higher. At $200, it's hard to out-right recommend this card, because the lesser expensive GeForce 8800 GT models, which perform better cost only a bit more. Some GeForce 8800 GT's are retailing for exactly $200 at many e-tailers.

Like most GeForce 9600 GT cards, overclocking is where the Extreme N9600 GT TOP shines, and we would expect no less of the non-TOP version. Reference clocks for the GeForce 9600 GT are 650MHz core, 1800MHz memory and 1625MHz shader, while ASUS TOP card ups those to 720/2000MHz and 1800MHz, respectively. And yes, overclocking is what this card was made for. It goes without saying that the GeForce 9600 GT is a fantastic GPU and ASUS improves on it with their TOP version. For those who want a great overclock out of the box without having to get their hands dirty, you can't go wrong here.