HotHardware just posted an article in which they evaluate the features, bundles, and performance of three mainstream GeForce 8 series cards, the MSI NX8600GT T2D256E, the Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H with Silent-Pipe III, and the MSI NX8500GT TD256E. All three of these cards fall within the sub-$200 price range, but they don't perform at similar levels due to difference GPU and memory clock speeds. It's really interesting to see how these current DX10-class cards stack up to last-generation's mainstream offerings:

The Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H has the most attractive retail bundle of the three cards we're evaluating here. The package includes a detailed User's Manual which covers installation of the hardware, drivers from the accompanying drivers CD and GIGABYTE's V-Tuner 3 overclocking utility. There are detailed steps for configuring the drivers to your liking along with images demonstrating proper usage of the card's component adapters. The package also includes two DVI-to-D-sub adapters to help connect standard VGA monitors to the card's DVI ports. Additionally, a HDTV/Video Out block is provided that delivers Y, Pb, Pr outputs as well as an S-Video port. A power cable is also incuded that converts two Molex connections into a standard 6-pin PCI Express power connector. We found this particularly interesting since the card does not need a supplimental power source. On the entertainment side of the equation, GIGABYTE included a full version of THQ's Supreme Commander on DVD. This is an excellent, current game that outclasses some of the older games that can be commonly found with other hardware.

Of the three GeForce 8 series cards tested, the Gigabyte GV-NX86S256H was the highest performing, as expected. Additionally, it is also the highest priced, weighing in at $198.99. For that price, users get a premium gaming title in Supreme Commander, a Silent-Pipe III cooler and a card that can support DirectX 10 and SLI. However, with the current state of DirectX 10 gaming (ie nearly nonexistant), the ATI Radeon X1950 Pro is still an attractive option. The X1950 Pro was the decisive winner of all of the gaming benchmarks, supports CrossFire and comes in as low as $145.99 ($159.99 for the model we tested). Considering the added cost for a silent cooling solution and a current gaming title, some buyers may be better off with a model that follows NVIDIA's reference design if DirectX 10 is a must, as that too will cost a bit less in the long run and users can apply that savings to a second if the need arises.