XFX 9600 GT Alpha Dog XXX Video Card Review

Today marks the launch of the XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX overclocked video card. This is the first overclocked 9600 GT that I have tested and with the good performance of the stock cards I am expecting good things. To see how well the XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX performs read on.

Gallery

3 images

Benchmarks

Features & Specifications
The XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX has a core clock of 740 MHz, a shader clock of 1850MHz, and a memory clock of 2 GHz. The coolest feature of the XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX is the new game bundle. XFX gives you a full version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. All of the other features are the same as the XFX 9600 GT we reviewed previously.

Test Specifications
The test machine that I am using for this review has the following specifications:

• OS- Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 32-bit
• PSU- Top Power 1100W
• RAM- 2GB Aeneon DDR3-16000
• CPU- Intel QX9770
• Display- 30-inch Dell

Benchmarks & Testing
To test the card I will be using 3DMark06, Crysis, Bioshock and Quake Wars. The first test up is 3DMark06.

3DMark06
I ran 3DMark06 at default settings in the 3DMark control panel and at default settings in the NVIDIA control panel. The XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX scored as follows in 3DMark06:

• Total 3DMarks- 11720
• SM2.0- 4909
• HDR/SM3.0- 4489
• CPU- 4628
• Return to Proxycon- 38.707
• Firefly Forest- 43.107
• Canyon Flight- 38.968
• Deep Freeze- 50.814
• CPU1- 1.527
• CPU2- 2.245

The stock clocked 9600 GT from XFX scored 11397 (on a different test machine) and the PNY 9600 GT scored 11367 (also on a different test machine).

Crysis
The next test up was with Crysis, which I ran at 1920 x 1200 with all setting son medium and 2x AA. I used Fraps to record frame rate data on a single player map from the initial beach insertion. Fraps recorded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 13 fps
• Avg- 21.231 fps
• Max- 35 fps

Bioshock
For the Bioshock game test I ran the game at 1920 x 1200 with all settings on high and all settings on. I used Fraps to record frame rate data and recorded the following data:

• Min- 32 fps
• Avg- 47.68 fps
• Max- 63 fps

Quake Wars
The final game test up for the XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX was with Quake Wars. I ran the game at 2560 x 1600 with all settings on high and shaders on ultra along with 4x AA and 8x AF. I used Fraps to record frame rate data on a single player map called Africa Refinery. Fraps recoded the following frame rate data:

• Min- 12 fps
• Avg- 34.114 fps
• Max- 53 fps

Final Thoughts
There is a lot to like with the XFX 9600 GT ALPHA DOG XXX. The card retails for $169 and includes one of the best games on the market right now. Call of Duty 4 still sells for around $50 in most stores. The card also performs well. The only complaint I had is that the new fan used on the card is louder than the fan on the stock clocked cards.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

• Best game bundle around
• Good performance
• Good price

Cons

• Loud Fan

Verdict
My main complaint with the first 9600 GT card from XFX I looked at was the lack of a compelling game bundle. XFX fixed that in a big way with Call of Duty 4 in the box. Now you can get a card with phenomenal performance, a great price and the best bundle around. The XFX 9600 GT Alpha Dog XXX is going to be a hard package to beat.

What Others Say about This

Digital textbooks bill gets support in Senate

PIERRE -- South Dakota's Senate wants to include digital materials in its definition of nonsectarian textbooks loaned by school boards to students ages 5-19. Senators voted Monday in favor of a bill that updates the meaning of public and non-public schoo ...
Full article at: Rapid City Journal  More like this  3 hours ago

NEWS FROM THE FUTURE – Biological Computers Encrypt and Decipher Images

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in California and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology have developed a “biological computer” made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. Although DNA h ...
Full article at: MAKE: Blog  More like this  8 hours ago, 5:28pm CST

Demystifying Tech: Making sense of the tech world's alphabet soup

Technology is everywhere, and so is its jargon. But all those three-letter words in an endless alphabet soup doesn't have to be an intimidating thing! In fact, once you know a bit about the technology behind the terms, everything starts to make sense, an ...
Full article at: Tecca.com  More like this  8 hours ago, 4:44pm CST

Don't miss ...

• More Computer Hardware Stories
• I4U News Homepage