BFG 8600 GTS OC2 Video Card Review

BFG makes some great video cards and today we are taking a look at one of their latest high-performance video cards, the BFG 8600 GTS OC2. This new card has higher clock speeds than the previous overclocked 8600 GTS cards from BFG. To see how well it performs read on.

Gallery

6 images

Benchmarks

Features & Specifications
BFG uses what they call ThermoIntellegence in the BFG 8600 GTS OC2. This amounts to a custom air cooler used on the card to keep the card cool enough to run at the increased clock rates BFG uses. The BFG 8600 GTS OC2 is clocked at 720MHz on the core, 1566MHz on the shader and 2220MHz on the memory clock. BFG claims that their cooling solution is good for up to an 11 degree cooler operating temperature as compared to the stock NVIDIA reference cooling solution. BFG gives the BFG 8600 GTS OC2 an MSRP of $249.

Test System
Before we get into the performance aspects of the BFG 8600 GTS OC2, lets have a look at the specifications for the test system used:

• CPU- Intel QX6700
• Mainboard- XFX 680i
• RAM- PNY XLR8 2GB PC2-9384
• OS- Windows XP Pro SP2
• Display- Dell 30” UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC

Benchmarks
To test the performance of the BFG 8600 GTS OC2 I used 3DMark06, FEAR, Battlefield 2142 and Quake 4. The first test up is 3DMark06.

3DMark06
I ran 3DMark06 at stock settings in the application and stock settings in the NVIDIA control panel. The 3DMark06 test results were as follows:

• Total 3DMarks- 6643
• SM2.0- 2650
• HDR/SM3.0- 2342
• CPU- 4196
• Return to Proxycon- 20.804
• Firefly Forest- 23.363
• Canyon Flight- 20.473
• Deep Freeze- 26.357
• CPU1- 1.389
• CPU2- 2.028

To compare the XFX 8600 GTS XXX scored 6309 3DMarks, the Foxconn 8600 GTS scored 5812 3DMarks, and the PNY Verto 8600 GTS scored 5831 3DMarks. As you can see that makes the BFG 8600 GTS OC2 hands down the fastest 8600 GTS I have tested to date.

FEAR
The next test up is with FEAR which I ran at all maximum settings, 16x AF, 4x AA, soft shadows on, and a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024. The FEAR in game test loop recorded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 26 fps
• Avg- 44 fps
• Max- 105 fps

The percentages show that frame rates never dropped below 25 fps, 54% of the time frame rates were 25-40 fps, and 46% of the time frame rates were greater than 40 fps.

Battlefield 2142
The next test up was Battlefield 2142 which I ran at a screen resolution of 2058 x 1536 with all settings on high and 4x AA. I used Fraps to record frame rate data while playing the single player map “Fall of Berlin.” Fraps recorded the following information: Min- 18 fps

Max- 27 fps

Quake 4
The final game test for the BFG 8600 GTS OC2 was with Quake 4 which was ran at medium quality with 16x AF, multi core on, and a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024. I used Fraps to record frame rate data at the beginning of a new single player game:

• Min-5 fps
• Avg- 16.217 fps
• Max- 44 fps

Final Thoughts
It’s really nice to see BFG putting some effort into better cooling solutions that enable higher clock speeds without resorting to using heat sinks that take a single slot card and turn it into t dual slot card. BFG’s heat sink did a great job of keeping the card cool no matter how long I used it. Those so inclined may even be able to squeeze more performance out of the card thanks to the high quality cooling solution.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

• Custom cooling solution performs well

Cons

• Not bundled with any games

Verdict
If you are looking for the highest performance 8800 GTS around, the BFG 8600 GTS OC2 has knocked the XFX 8600 GTS XXX off its throne. The BFG 8600 GTS OC2 performs very well for the money and even with the high clock speeds it retains its single slot design and keeps the card cool during extended play. BFG has brought great price and performance to the mid $200 graphics card shopper.

9.5

10

 

 

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