Today we tested three different implementations of the Nvidia's 9600GT GPU. All three tested graphic cards have different core/memory/shader clocks that directly affect their overall performance. The Asus 9600GT Silent comes with a passive cooling and it is not overclocked, aka a generic board. The Gainward 9600GT 1024GS is a special graphics card, offering with not only some additional 512MB of memory on board but also an HDMI and a DisplayPort output, making it seriously futureproof. The Inno3D 9600GT iChiLL uses a flexible cooling design that can be also used for passive cooling , offering users more options.

The various tests showed that higher clocks mean a higher performance. The additional 512MB of Gainward 9600GT 1024 GS did help to get higher FPS with Crysis, but the performance boost was not as much as we hoped, especially at the highest resolutions of 1920x1200 . Below you can see the retail prices of all the tested graphics cards.

The Gainward 9600GT 1024 GS would cost you some additional €40 compared to the Asus and Inno3D solutions. In any case the three tested proposals are reasonably priced and will not let you down with their performance. The 9600GT GPU offers high overclocking margins making them popular among enthusiasts.

If we had to pick up a card, it would be Inno3D 9600GT iChiLL series due to its smart GPU cooler design that allows for quiet operation when the card is used for either gaming or most importantly playback of DVD/ HD movies. Aggressively priced, I think that you could consider it as a good purchase, especially if you plan to upgrade your video card.