MSI 9600GT Hybrid Freezer
Packaging & Appearance
With something as fragile as a graphics card, MSI certainly didn’t skimp on packaging. The box was easily big enough to fit two or three of the cards inside, but instead was packed out with a styrofoam slab. Suffice to say, the card came through in perfect condition.
As you can see, MSI have chosen to use an image of the cooler on the front of the box. On the right hand side we have a few key features, such as ‘Complete Silence’ and ‘Total Performance’. Around the back we have a more in depth specification with a picture of the card itself.
Unfortunately due the the glossy white finish, coupled with the reflective plastic the 9600gt was incredibly hard to photograph. On the left hand side we have the inner box, with the card contained at the top and all the accessories below. The card itself is nestled into a thick piece of styrofoam (right) which protects it very well.
The card itself is no longer than a standard card, and is shorter than a standard ATX motherboard, meaning it should fit into most cases. The cooler is fairly large, taking up two pci slots, which shouldn’t really be a problem unless you run SLI. The card only needs a 6-pin power connector, suggesting it’s not particularly power hungry and it should also be compatible with older PSU’s.
At the back we have the usual array of outputs, with two dual link DVI and an S-Video/composite out. The insides of the dual link DVI’s have also been coloured blue, which is a nice effect but it would have been nicer if they were the same colour as the PCB. The cooler has four snaking heat pipes which conduct heat away from the core to various places along the cooler.
MSI included a fairly rounded bundle, which included: 6-pin PCI-e Adapter, DVI to D-Sub adaptor, Component adaptor lead, S-PDIF connector, Manual, Quick start guide, HDMI dongle and S-video lead. Now that that’s out of the way, how does the cooler perform..
