The output connectors on the card are 2 DVI ports and an SVideo output. The dual DVI is something I haven't seen on many 6600GT cards. This will allow you to connect two of the latest digital LCD monitors to the card without the need for any special adapters. For those wishing to use regular VGA monitors there are 2 DVI-VGA adapters provided with the card. As well, the Svideo output allows you to connect this card to any newer TV with an Svideo input.

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On a more technical note, the 6600GT chip fully supports Shader Model 3 and DirectX 9, so you will be able to play all the latest games with this card. As well, the memory clocks at 1ghz and the core of the card runs at 500mhz which are quite impressive clock speeds!

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Installation:
The first step of installation, which applies for any video card, is to first uninstall all the drivers for your current video card, then shut down your PC, turn off the power supply, and remove the old video card.
Installation inside the PC of the XFX 6600GT requires you to just plug it into the PCI Express slot. This card does not require any additional power leads to be plugged into it. After restarting your computer you will then want to get the latest Nvidia video card drivers off their web site because the drivers on the included CD are usually outdated. After installation of the new drivers is complete, and after a quick reboot you're ready to rock with you're new XFX 6600GT! Some advanced users may wish to browse around the many driver settings and tweak the card to just how they want it. Keep it mind neither Nvidia or XFX can be held responsible for any tweaks you do which may lead to horrible performance or a damaged card!

   
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Testing:
Testing System:
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Socket 939)
Motherboard: Biostar NF4UL-A9
Memory: 512mb Dual-Channel OCZ Premiere Series
HDD: Western Digital 160gb PATA
Video: XFX GeForce 6600GT PCI Express
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2

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I ran two major tests on the 6600GT. The first test involved running 3DMark 2005 at both of the major resolutions used by gamers, 1024x768 and 1280x1024. The average frame rates of each game test, as well as the overall score were then put into several charts which are displayed and talked about below. I made comparisons to the XFX GeForce 6600GT AGP which was previously reviewed, as well as an AGP XFX GeForce FX 5600 which I also happen to own (it got whooped, but clearly shows the advancements of the mid range 6 series card over that of a prior mid range FX series card). Please note: the 6600GT AGP tests were done in a slightly different setup, as there is no motherboard on the market which supports both AGP and PCI-E on the same board.

As well as running the benchmark tests, I also did some realworld gaming tests. I ran a handful of my favorite and graphically demanding games at the same two resolutions all the benchmarks were run at. The average frame rates at both resolutions were recorded and put into the review as well.

Please click the charts to see an enlarged version

As you can see, overall the XFX 6600GT PCI-Express came out on top of the other two cards it was tested against. The increased speed and bandwidth is very noticeable in some of these charts, when compared to the same card for the AGP and the PCI Express version. Also, the increase in speed between the FX series of GPUs and the 6 series is quite apparent. I used the FX series card in this testing mainly for laughs, and to show the huge difference to those still running FX series video cards. An upgrade to an 6600GT PCI-E card isn't all that much money if you plan on upgrading your computer anyway. You should consider purchasing a motherboard with a PCI Express compatible video slot as opposed to a mainboard with an AGP slot.

Now for some of the results from my game tests. All the game video quality settings were set on "medium" for these tests. The average frame rate's were then charted below.

1024x768:
Need For Speed Underground 2: 83
Battlefield 2: 61
Flight Simulator 2004: 62
MotoGP2: 60

1280x1024:
Need For Speed Underground 2: 72
Battlefield 2: 52
Flight Simulator 2004: 53
MotoGP2: 52

As you can see, the frame rates on my system were all very good. The frame rates will obviously vary by system, and those with better systems than the one I tested this card on will see greater improvements and higher numbers than the frame rates recorded. If you find the right combination of quality settings (ie. not ALL medium) you can get some pretty impressive frame rates, it just depends on personal preference when setting up the game's video options.

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