EVGA e-GeForce 7600GS 512MB Video Card Review :: EVGA e-GeForce 7600GS

EVGA e-GeForce 7600GS 512MB
Brand	EVGA
Model	e-GeForce 7600GS 512MB
Graphics Chip	G73
Graphics Memory Type	DDR2
Memory (MB)	512
Graphics Core Clock (MHz)	400
Memory Clock (MHz)	800
Memory Speed (ns)	2.5
RAMDAC Frequency (MHz)	Dual 400
Active Cooling on Graphics Chip	Yes
Heatsink on Memory	Yes
Video Capture	Yes
Ports
Dual Monitor Support	Yes
VGA Out	DVI-I, D-Sub
Video In and Out	7-pin HDTV Out
Package and Support
Printed Manual	Yes
Driver CD	Yes
Performance Tool Software	Coolbits
Major Games	None
Major Software	None
VR Glasses	No
DVD Player Software	None
Video Recording Software	N/A

One of the problems I've had with video cards today is that they tend to be long, some of the cards on the market are longer than 7 inches, reaching the rear of some cases. In some motherboards this means that IDE cables or SATA cables need to be snaked around the video card to work. The 7600GS is a small card, less than an inch longer than the PCI Express slot and requires a single PCI Express slot. NVIDIA uses the same PCB design for the 7600 and the 7300, as referenced by the 7300GT 512MB having a N7600 Rev 2.0 marking just like this 7600GS.

Length

Single slot

Front shot

Rear shot

N7600 marking

Heatsink/fan

Cooling on the 7600GS is provided by a small 15-fin fan/heatsink combination. The fan is about the size of a silver dollar, covering the graphics chip. The heatsink covers a very small area in comparison to high-end graphics chips like the 7900GTX or X1900XTX heatsink. The 7600GS requires less than 75W of power and therefore doesn't require additional power above that provided by the PCI Express slot.

Memory

More memory

Capacitors

Side view

PCI Express

EVGA decided to outfit the 7600GS with 512MB of DDR memory, an odd number for a mainstream video card. Memory on video cards has doubled every year or two. The high-end 7950 GX2 has 1GB of memory onboard. High-end cards have gone from 32MB on the GeForce 2 GTS of 2000 to 512MB on the 7900GTX. The memory on the board is Hynix KDR HY5PS121621B FP-25 619A. This memory is rated for 400MHZ.

I/O

EVGA decided to go the mainstream route on the input/output ports of the card. A D-Sub port for analog CRT monitors is provided, as well as a DVI-I port and S-Video Out port. You can attach a CRT, a LCD, a CRT+LCD or a television to the 7600GS. High-end cards usually have two DVI-I ports, but for the target market this is a good combination.