ASUS V6600 SDRAM SDR GeForce

As with the majority of GeForce based cards that we are seeing in the lab now, the ASUS V6600 SDRAM is based on NVIDIA's reference design, making it almost indistinguishable from the other reference designed GeForce cards. With this in mind, the decision to buy this GeForce card over any other is a tough one to make. The decision can only be made by scrutinizing the differences between the cards.

As far as SDRAM choice ASUS made a safe, abet lower performing, decision. The 5.5 ns EliteMT SDRAM chips used are high quality chips, however some of the other GeForce based cards on the market are coming shipped with 5 ns SDRAM chips, an upgrade that will improve overclocked speed. Fan and heatsink design, on the other hand, are prime for overclocking. The precisely applied thermal grease will definitely keep the card running at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time when overclocked.

Included with the ASUS V6600 SDRAM package you will find your standard 3D game package and demo set that are all but useless for the avid gamer. One nice addition to the package is the included software DVD decoder. With this software it is possible to watch a DVD movie without the need for a separate DVD decoder card. This is a nice feature that we wish was included in more upper level video cards. Also nice is the V6600's ability to put out clear, crisp graphics at resolutions as high as 1600x1200.

When all is considered, ASUS has produced a good middle range GeForce card. The drivers are solid, the card performs well, and the overclockabilty of the card leaves little to be desired (except for 5 ns RAM that is). Price wise and availability wise is where the ASUS V6600 stands out. The V6600 SDRAM will run about a tad bit less than the ELSA ERAZOR X, as the card runs about $220, however it can be found in more places than the ELSA, including your local hardware dealer. With most GeForce based cards performing very similarly in our tests, price, as usual, turns out to be the final line. The ASUS V6600 SDRAM is the card to buy if you are looking for an easily accessible midrange GeForce based card, especially if the price is right.