Impressions of nVidia 9600 GPUs?

[welwynnick]

Just when I thought I had caught up with HD HTPCs, along comes another new generation of graphics cards. I see that nVidia have started introducing the new 9600 range, and the 8600GT that I thought I really wanted all along is confined to the scrap heap after a month.

Well, the 8600's were never well regarded by the gamer boys, which presumably helps explain their relatively modest prices. The 8600 was no real improvement over the 6600 & 7600, but the 9600 sounds like it might be a big step forwards.

So I wonder if it's worth holding out for. Has anyone round here got any experience, indirect or first-hand, of what these new cards are like? Performance with games? Performance with DVDs and especially BDs?

The NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600 GT GPU offers a powerfully immersive entertainment experience designed for extreme high-definition gaming and video playback. Play the hottest DirectX 10 games with awesome speed and watch the latest HD DVD and Blu-ray movies with brilliant clarity. Featuring next generation GeForce and PureVideo® HD technologies, the GeForce 9600 GT GPU puts amazing graphics performance within your reach.


Blackhawk Cargo
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare™ image captured on NVIDIA GPU. Provided by Activision.HD Gaming for the Masses
Get the most graphics bang for your buck with a GeForce 9600 GT GPU. With a 90% performance increase over the comparable 8 series graphics card , PC gamers everywhere can now enjoy games at extreme HD resolutions without breaking their wallets.

A Powerful Entertainment Hub
Experience the GPU’s power while enjoying HD movies or having a premium 3D user experience with Windows Vista and Windows Media Center. PureVideo® HD technology provides lifelike pictures and vibrant color while CPU-offload capabilities enable you to manage your photos and videos with ease.

Future-Proof Technology
Get up to 2x the performance with NVIDIA SLI® technology when paired with an identical 9600-based graphics card, and PCIe 2.0 compatibility ensures you’re ready for tomorrow’s games and 3D applications.