*Source: TechSpot (
http://www.techspot.com/review/66-ra...rce-8600gts/)*
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While Nvidia remains quite dominant in the high-end segment, a much larger battle has taken place to offer the best mainstream graphics product. Currently the two leading mainstream cards are the Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS and the ATI Radeon HD 2600XT, both of which are priced well under $200.
As you may recall, we reviewed the first GeForce 8600 GTS cards back in May, while the Radeon HD 2600XT did not hit shelves until late July. This gave the GeForce plenty of time to establish itself before the Radeon HD arrived. However, unlike many expected, the 8600 GTS did not exactly hit the ground running, as the retail price was quite steep at $200-230, giving existing GeForce 7 cards an edge as they were actually cheaper and in many cases faster.
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