3D Fuzion GeForce 7600 GS

Overclocking:

We overclocked the 3D Fuzion GeForce 7600 GS using NVIDIA's coolbits registry hack. This should give an indication of how well this video card overclocks, but please bear in mind that your own mileage may vary. We cannot guarantee that manufacturers aren't sending us samples that overclock particularly well.

The stock frequencies of the card are 400/840MHz, and we were able to overclock the card to 453/890MHz before we started to encounter problems with stability. That is an increase of 13% on the core and a 6% increase in memory clock. These aren't particularly bad speeds, and seem to fit in well with other reports we've seen around the web.

Value:

Overclockers UK is selling the 3D Fuzion GeForce 7600 GS for £72.84 including VAT - judging the prices of other GeForce 7600 GS's on the market, 3D Fuzion's model is among the cheapest around. However, there are cards like XFX's GeForce 7600 GS, which comes clocked at 500/900MHz that are available for less money. Leadtek also offers its silent GeForce 7600 GS for the same price as the 3D Fuzion card at Overclockers UK, but it comes with a higher core clock. It uses a silent heatpipe cooling solution, but that particular card comes with a lower memory frequency. In comparison, ATI's Radeon X1600XT seems to be priced around the £80 mark at popular online retailers.

Final Thoughts...

NVIDIA's GeForce 7600 GS is a solid product in comparison to what is currently on offer from the competition and we don't think that this is going to change much. Earlier this month, ATI announced that it is refreshing its entire product lineup, including the direct competition to NVIDIA's impressive mid-range part. It is questionable whether the new Radeon X1650Pro will improve on the current competition for GeForce 7600 GS, but we will have to wait until we've got our hands on a Radeon X1650Pro to find out whether this is the case or not

The GeForce 7600 GS offered a better gaming experience than the Radeon X1600XT in two of the three popular multiplayer games we tested, with Battlefield 2 being the only hole in an otherwise impressive outing. However, when it comes down to whether we'd recommend the 3D Fuzion GeForce 7600 GS, it ultimately comes down to price.

As there are more attractively-priced GeForce 7600 GS's on the market, with higher default clock speeds and a silent heatpipe cooling solution, we would recommend looking elsewhere at this price point. If the 3D Fuzion card had come in a few pounds cheaper than the competition, it would be worth consideration. However, with both Leadtek and XFX offering faster GeForce 7600 GS's at the same price point, we feel that they're going to deliver better value for money.

On the whole, there is very little to dislike about the 3D Fuzion GeForce 7600 GS, but it needs something to make itself stand out from the pack of hungry wolves. A silent cooling solution and a more attractive price would certainly turn it into a much more tempting solution at this price point.