Here is an additional testing platform for both AGP and PCIe graphics cards. This will be my main benchmarking setup for most graphics cards. It is also my first Intel-based CPU testing rig. Thanks to the ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA, which is equipped with both AGP x8 and PCIe x4 slots, all GPU scores can be easily compared across platforms. Specs: CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 3.2GHz s.775 (Overclocked 3GHz > 3.2GHz) MB: Asrock 4CoreDual-VSTA RAM: Kingston HyperX 4GB DDR2 (3.5GB e

Here are two PC systems I am currently using for testing VGA cards. Both are relatively low-cost machines, assembled mostly from leftover PC parts I had on my shelves. At this time, I only have AMD testing platforms. Intel systems are not ready yet. Rig #1 , for testing AGP / PCI graphics cards. Specs: CPU: AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2Ghz (Barton) MB: Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2 (rev. 2.x) RAM: 2.5GB DDR400 (Dual Channel Mode) HD: Samsung 80GB IDE PSU: EVGA 80PLus 600W System: Windows

Here is the updated set of results started in the previous post. GeForce 7600GT, 7300GT and 7300GT overclocked added to the charts. Contenders: PALIT GeForce 7300GT 256 DDR3 GIGABYTE GeForce 7600GS 256MB DDR2 ASUS GeForce 7600GS 256MB DDR2 MSI GeForce 7600GS 256MB DDR2 GAINWARD GeForce 7600GS 256MB DDR3 GALAXY GeForce 7600GS 256MB DDR3 MSI GeForce 7600GT 256MB DDR2 LEADTEK GeForce 7600GT 256MB DDR3 Test Settings: Hardware: AMD Athlon XP 2500+ 1.8Ghz (Barton), 2.5GB RAM

I got my hands on five different versions of the GeForce 7600 GS. This Nvidia GPU is quite a popular choice for Windows XP retro builds, so here’s a short comparison. Does the brand matter? Passive or active cooling? Which one is the best overall choice? Let’s find out. Contenders: MSI 7600GS 256MB DDR2 128bit Core: 400Mhz Memory: 800Mhz GIGABYTE 7600GS 256MB DDR2 128bit Core: 400Mhz Memory: 800Mhz ASUS 7600GS 256MB DDR2 128bit Core: 400Mhz Memory: 800Mhz GAINWARD 760

There is a reason why this graphics card is so wanted on the retro pc market. Simply because of its incredible value for the money.

One of the most common things about computers is that they tend to lose value rapidly over time. Once-powerful machines quickly become obsolete or far less capable than they once were. And that’s where the fun begins—the whole purpose of this blog. Nowadays, anyone can build a dream machine using used, unwanted vintage PC parts for a fraction of the original cost. But why would you do that? Well… if you’ve made it here, you probably already know the answer 🙂 I personally do