GeForce 9500 GT review - 2 - G96 dude !

So then, we'll not go in-depth today as this is merely a quick performance preview of the new product. Obviously you are at Guru3D, so we do tell you at least a little bit ;)

This GPU should be found in the GeForce 9500 GT. Made at a 65nm fab process it logically supports PCI-Express 2.0 and manages OpenGL 2.1. Unfortunately, it still does not include DirectX 10.1 whereas ATI's new series 4000 products do.

The Purevideo decoder engine got a small upgrade as well and will now do VC-1 decoding, which was a no-go at the 8500. Also in combo with the right mainboard, the card is compatible with the recently announced Hybrid Power technology

In terms of frequencies, we have a respective 650/1625/800-900 MHz for the GPU, shader cores and 256/512 MB of memory tied to a bus-width of 128-bits. The number of shader processors integrated in the product is 32 units. Mind you that I expect AIB's to release the product in both gDDR3 and gDDR2 versions. bandwidth is pretty critical for a product like this, always opt the gDDR3 version as the price difference will be very small.

Galaxy made a pretty big deal out of this release and even released an overclocked edition. Blue customized PCB, higher than standard clocks, 512MB gDDR3 memory, custom cooler. Definitely something to like.

As a result the new core clock speed is now 700 MHz. The shader domain is set at 1650 MHz and the memory at 999 MHz(x2). Packaging and box contents; included in the box you'll find:

• GeForce 9500 GT 512 MB OC model
• Driver CD
• HDTV block (3-way RCA component)
• SVideo cable
• 6-pin to Molex power cable
• manual / quick install guide
• VGA->DVI dongle

Lacking is a HDMI converter which in this era is a no-go in my eyes. Next to a small overclocking / monitoring suite called Xtreme tuner, there is no additional software to be found. What I do like though is that we see a custom PCB (printed circuit board), blue colored PCB and good details like black DVI connectors and such. The design is just awesome for an entry level product.

And yes .. I didn't notice the box was upside down during the photo shoot, duh ! :)
[Ed - it just goes to prove no matter how much you spend on a camera...]