Introduction

A few weeks ago NVIDIA launched their first card in the GeForce 9 Series. The card is based on the G94 core which is basically a cut-in-half version of the G92 from several 8800 GT models. Mainly the number of shaders has been halfed resulting in a configuration with 64 shaders instead of 128 like in G92. This change results in a drastic reduction in the number of transistors (yes the shaders are not just disabled) which allows NVIDIA to use a smaller silicon footprint resulting in a cost reduction.

The VVIKOO 9600 GT we have on our testbench today is based on the original GeForce 9600 GT design but has several changes to the PCB design, operating frequencies, display output configuration and thermal solution.

As one of the first 9600 GT models the card features not only two DVI outputs but also an HDMI output and the brand new DisplayPort. Another change is that you can feed in audio via optical SPDIF Toslink. Other 9600 GTs only allow the electric version. The clock frequencies have been bumped to 700 MHz core and 1000 MHz memory, both in the middle spectrum of the factory-overclock ranges available.

For reference please also consider reading our other 9600 GT reviews:
Zotac GeForce 9600 GT Amp! Edition
Biostar 9600 GT.

Packaging & Contents

VVIKOO has changed their package design recently (the website is also redesigned). As you may remember the old package had a silvery character with a flying bee on it. The new package comes in a clear green, symbolizing NVIDIA. The bee is also gone and has been replaced by a female gladiator angel (who comes up with those combinations?).
On the back you find some basic product information but important details like clock frequencies are missing. For a factory overclocked product I find it quite uncommon to not show the actual frequency of the product - it's the main reason you are paying a price premium isn't it?



You will receive:

• Graphics card
• Instruction Manual + Driver CD + Tomb Raider
• DVI Adapter
• SPDIF Cable
• PCI-E power cable

The Card

VVIKOO has replaced the NVIDIA reference cooler with the Zalman VF1000. This causes the card to be dual-slot, the reference board uses just a single slot.


The card features two DVI outputs which can be used with digital flat panels for resolutions up to 2560x1600. Analog CRTs can be connected via adapter and an HDMI adapter dongle can be used as well.
Now for the good and new stuf. You can also see a number of additional connectors on this card. The first one starting from the left is for the HDMI interface which allows you to watch video from the PC on your big TV screen. This is also why there is no HDMI adapter included in the package, in case you wondered about this while reading the last page.
The next port, second from the left, is the brand-new DisplayPort interface. It is similar to DVI and HDMI in technology, and should replace DVI in the long term. Compared to HDMI the major benefit is that there are no license fees to implement the technology in a product. As you can imagine this makes it more interesting to card manufacturers because they no longer have to spend money for a feature that only a very small percentage of customers is going to use. The last connector is the pinkish TOSLink jack on the right side of the bracket. Here you can feed in high quality digital audio via optial cable to be mixed into the HDMI/DisplayPort datastream.


Here are the front and the back of the card, high-res versions are also available (front, back). If you choose to use these images for voltmods etc, please include a link back to this site.