When it comes to graphics cards for gaming, most of us desire the creme de la creme, but few of us can justify the expense of purchasing such a product. That fact, coupled with the additional investment in hardware necessary to adequately backup a high-end graphics card to ensure maximum enjoyment, can lead to some serious budget concerns. Fortunately, there are a number of mid-range products that often compete very well with higher end cards, while shaving off a fair percentage of the price. Also common in this market segment are cards tweaked from the factory with higher clock speeds and enhanced cooling, which helps make some mid-range cards to be more attractive. - HotHardware

BFG GeForce 9600 GT OCX Graphics Version Review

The BFG GeForce 9600 GT OCX edition card takes mid-range graphics up a few notches by cranking up both the memory and core clock speeds over NVIDIA's reference specifications, while coupling a potent cooling package and intelligent temperature management for maximum stability. In the end, BFG aims to deliver a stable product that packs an extra kick while keeping a handle on excess temperature, fan noise and price. The BFG GeForce 9600 GT OCX itself is not terribly flashy. It has a standard green PCB, but BFG does back the memory and voltage regulators with heatsinks and the GPU with a custom cooling solution.

Then again, it's the performance and features that should matter most. For added performance, BFG takes this GeForce 9600 GT based card and raises the core clock speed to 725MHz while raising the shader clock to 1850MHz. Backed with 512MB of fast GDDR3 memory, BFG added 150MHz over the reference speed, clocking the memory at 1950MHz setting. BFG names their cooling package the ThermoIntelligence custom cooling solution which aims to significantly reduce GPU temperatures with a nickel plated copper base and finned cooler with center mounted, green illuminated fan. Quite a nice custom style they have set.

When shopping for a mid-range graphics card on a tight budget, it can be difficult to find the right balance between price and performance when there are so many different options out there. In our testing, we found the BFG GeForce 9600 GT OCX to be worthy of consideration from a performance standpoint, with the tests tipping in its favor overall when compared to a factory overclocked Radeon HD 3870. However, performance is only part of the equation as price is an equally important factor when assessing overall value. In researching price points, we found the BFG GeForce 9600 GT OCX available for as low as $165.

While the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic we used as a comparison weighed in closer to $160, making for a fairly tight race. However, we would have to give the nod to the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic edition in thins comparison since it has a much stronger retail package, which includes a copy of 3DMark06, several Cyberlink titles and a free voucher for the black box at Steam, whereas BFG offers no free software whatsoever. Conversely, the BFG GeForce 9600 GT OCX edition has in its favor free technical support and a limited lifetime warranty, while Sapphire offers a 2 year warranty and free support with registration.

In the end, we feel that both models are valid mid-range considerations with the ultimate decision being based on what is most important to the potential buyer, whether it be a robust retail package or stronger warranty and support options. Either way, both models should deliver similar performance at a near identical cost, so the choice is yours.