Is the GeForce 9600 GSO just a repackaged 8800GS?

[fulle]

Topic says it all. Both cards seem to share the same specifications.
96 stream processors
550MHz core clock
192-bit memory interface
384 MB GDDR3 Memory
1600MHz memory clock...

Its all exactly the same, as far as I could tell, except on the eVGA models, the 9600 GSO is a dual slot, and the 8800GS is a single slot, basically using left over 8800GT boards.

I suspect the 9600GSO cards are using G92 chips, like the 8800GS, down clocked, with stream processors disabled.... Unlike the 8800GS, though, there are rumors that the some of the 9600GSO cards can have performance unlocked by a soft mod.

Anyway, I just was messing around on Newegg, and I saw this card and was thinking it was strange. Anyone know if this sucker is using a G92, like the 8800GS? Or know any specifics on what the deal is with this Frankenstein baby?

 

[romulus47plus1]

ABSOLUTELY THE SAME!!!
EVERYTHING'S THE SAME!
Oh, I mean the 8800GS and the 9600GSO are the same.

 

[area61]

the 8800gs and the 9600gso are the same cards. just rebranded to be sold as new products.the reason was when the 8800gs was launced(silently) not many gfx card manufactures took note because of the overwhelming sales of the 8800gt 512mb.so after the 9600gt, nvidia decided to rebrand the unsold 8800gs chips to 900gso and sold them again to the gfx card manufacturers and got something out of nothing.basically the 8800gs or the 9600gso is a minor defected chip , repacked,detuned and sold....

 

[romulus47plus1]

Not enough propaganda for the 8800GS, did not sell well, so nVidia just wanted to just sell them better by re"naming" it the 9600GSO

 

[fulle]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Pretty much confirming some of my assumptions.

 

[pauldh]

+ 1 yes they are the same.


I wouldn't say they didn't sell well. NV has also renamed well selling items to better reap profits with a current gen name.

I bet Newegg has sold a heap of 8800GS cards. I've ordered 5 myself from them. (not all for me). Most other US etailers never got the cards. Fry's sold out of their evga 8800GS in no time. Still, the 9600GSO name will be enough to make some people pick one over an 8800GS.

 

[4745454b]

I wouldn't say they are 100% the same. Some of the 9600GSO's can be soft modded to a real 8800GTS 512MB. (there is a thread about this on toms.) Marvelous says you can't do this with the 8800GS, as they are laser cut. Assuming all this is true, there is at least one difference.

 

[pauldh]

That isn't a 9600GSO difference though, it's specifically a Galaxy 9600GSO difference right now that may or may nor continue to be available.

 

[Slobogob]

The more interesting part about the unlocking is not the full unlock, which is only possible on a specific model made by Galaxy as pointed out by pauldh, but just unlocking parts of the G92 chip. Most cards only have 6 Ram modules instead of the 8 a full 8800 GT(s) has. It would be interesting to know if the missing shaders could be unlocked.

 

[area61]

yes they can be unlocked.its available in my country and 2 guys have made it.
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/686415/+80

 

[romulus47plus1]

Wow, area61 you're Malaysian! So am I! Which state are you from? I'm from Perak.

Yep, I heard about the whole GTS thing. I think I may buy one since its so fking cheap now

 

[4745454b]

The 9600GSO seems like the Radeon x1800GTO(?) It could have been made from 3 different cores with some of them having parts disabled. By loading the bios from the correct part onto it, you could unlock it to an x1800xl/xt. The same seems to be true here. If you get a 6 memory chip card, then you can't do anything. But if you are lucky and get an 8 chip card, then you can mod it, and have a much bigger card.

Slob, I'm not sure I know what you meant. There are no parts to the G92 to unlock, nor can you unlock parts of the G94 to turn it into the G92. Some 9600GSO's simply come with a G92, you have to find out which ones.

 

[area61]

just look for a 8800gs or a 9600gso with 8 memory chips....but its not guaranteed to be able to be flashe successfully