XFX 9600GSO 384mb vs Sapphire HD4670 512mb

 

Over the past couple of years NVIDIA has led the way with their high-end GPU’s while ATI had to settle for competing in the mid-range sector. That was until the advent of the formidable 4870X2, where the performance crown has recently been snatched away from NVidia. So then, it’s only fair that NVIDIA should return the favour in the mid-range area, taking the initiative and reclaiming the entry/mid-level crown. With only the price of a pie and pint separating the cards on test today, they couldn’t be be better matched and the results show that they are pretty much even in performance too. The 9600GSO does however, just edge it and if we were to run the cards while at their maximum overclocks, I have no doubt the GSO would run away with the lead.

 

So then, it comes down to what screen you are looking to game on. If you are looking for high-res gaming with AA/AF,  I would look elsewhere. Most modern games bring these two cards down to a stuttering halt when the highest settings are applied, Vantage especially became a slide show on the extreme setting. If you are happy playing without AA or don’t mind gaming on a smaller screen, then these cards should suit your needs and you wallet perfectly. It has been a while since I tested low/mid-range cards and I was pleasantly surprised at how it cut through the benchmarks at the nominal resolutions. For a shade under £70, you can game with satisfaction that you are certainly getting ‘bang-per-buck’ as it were. If it were my £70 though, I would be pumping my money into the lean mean green machine that is the XFX 9600GSO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Good
– Small
– No external power needed
– Good at high res

The Mediocre
– Aluminium Heatsink

The Bad
– Noisy fan

 

 

Many thanks to XFX and Sapphire for supplying the cards we reviewed today. Discuss this review in our forums