FiringSquad takes a look at the XFX's GeForce 7600 GT 580M AGP which is overclocked from the factory and packs dual DVIs. They examine the board's performance in comparison to the Radeon X1950 Pro AGP, GeForce 6800 Ultra, GeForce 6600 GT, and Radeon X850 XT PE, as well as the PCI Express GeForce 7600 GT to see if there are any differences in performance between the AGP and PCI Express flavors of the GeForce 7600 GT. Here's a taster:

Based on our performance numbers, the GeForce 7600 GT AGP certainly has its place. Performance is often close with the GeForce 7800 GS AGP in many benchmarks, although overall the edge definitely goes to the 7800 GS AGP. Keep in mind that we conducted our testing with a factory overclocked 7800 GS AGP from EVGA, and that a stock 7800 GS board would certainly performer closer to XFX's 7600 GT AGP, which is also factory overclocked. Considering that most GeForce 7800 GS cards sell for well north of $200, we honestly feel that the XFX GeForce 7600 GT 580M AGP is a better value in light of this.

In our opinion, the GeForce 7600 GT AGP's biggest competitor isn't the GeForce 7800 GS AGP, nor is it the Radeon X1650 Pro AGP – the GeForce 7600 GT is faster than the X1650 Pro – it's the Radeon X1950 Pro AGP. ATI's board partners expect street prices on the Radeon X1950 Pro AGP to hit $200 once supply catches up to demand (current street prices are in the $235-$275 range on the X1950 Pro AGP). If that happens, the GeForce 7600 GT AGP could have an awfully tough time in the $165-$190 range it currently sells for. NVIDIA and their board partners will have to watch street prices closely in order to keep ahead of ATI and their board partners.

It also wouldn't be a bad idea if NVIDIA were to drop a GeForce 7950 GT AGP on the market. ATI's Radeon X1950 Pro is the fastest GPU on the AGP platform right now. With the exception of games based on the Doom 3 engine (used in Quake 4/Prey), its performance is unrivaled. If NVIDIA wants to get their crown back they've got to release a faster GPU for AGP users, and the GeForce 7950 GT would be the perfect GPU for the job in our opinion.