H2H

GeForce 8800 GS vs GeForce 8600 GTS

Full comparison of specs, performance and benchmarks

Aggregate performance score

We've compared 8800 GS and 8600 GTS across specs and all relevant benchmarks.

8800 GS outperforms 8600 GTS by 10% based on our aggregate benchmark results.+10%

Scores are normalized on the Head to Head scale. Higher is better.
QUICK COMPARISON ANALYSIS

GeForce 8800 GS vs GeForce 8600 GTS: key takeaway

The comparison of 8800 GS and 8600 GTS shows a 10% advantage for 8800 GS in gaming performance, while 8600 GTS may still be stronger in efficiency and feature set. Use the sections below to check whether that lead comes from real FPS, specifications, efficiency, price or platform features.

SUMMARY PROFILE

Verified-metrics radar

Axes with missing data are hidden; every value uses a fixed scale.

H2H
Performance
Efficiency
Price / performance
Memory capacity
Performance
4339
Efficiency
100100
Price / performance
100100
Memory capacity
1713
Missing values are never replaced with zero or an average.Model: H2H 2026.07 fixed scale.
COMPARISON RESULT

8800 GS is the best overall choice

8800 GS leads in combined game performance. 8800 GS offers the better price per frame, while the final choice depends on the required features, memory, and games.

PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE5%

8800 GS leads in the combined performance index

PRICE DIFFERENCE$0

Prices are identical

CATALOG POSITION

Graphics card ranking

Full ranking →

The ranking is recalculated automatically from catalog data.

Positions 54–59of 317
8800 GS#56position in the GPU ranking
8600 GTS#83position in the GPU ranking
COMPARISON VERDICT

Which should you choose?

Two practical conclusions based on community votes and gaming value.

COMMUNITY CHOICE

GeForce 8800 GS

141 likes

Head to Head visitors currently choose this model more often.

$/FPSBEST PRICE / FPS

GeForce 8800 GS

100/100 · Price $79

The choice is based on the price-to-performance index and launch price.

OVERALL SCORE

Overview

Scores are calculated from specifications, performance, and efficiency.

The Summary score section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Category8800 GS8600 GTS
GamesDirectX, OpenCL, and Vulkan performance
43Better
39
Professional applications3D modeling, video editing, and rendering
37Better
34
AI and machine learningMachine-learning and AI capabilities
35Better
32
Power efficiencyPower consumption across workloads
100
100
Head to Head scoreOverall catalog score
65Better
62
FULL COMPARISON

Specifications

The better numeric value is highlighted in green, taking the metric direction into account.

The Specifications section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specification8800 GS8600 GTS
Device classDesktopDesktop
HDMI
DisplayPort
DirectX10.010.0
Vulkan
OpenGL3.33.3
TFLOPS0.264Better0.093
Power consumption105 W60 WBetter
Release date20082007
ArchitectureTeslaTesla
Memory typeGDDR3GDDR3
Power connector6 pin6 pin
ThicknessSingle-slotSingle-slot
Upscaling
Compute APIOpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1
Launch price$79$79
Shader units / cores96Better32
Clock speed550 MHz675 MHzBetter
Base clock550 MHz675 MHzBetter
Boost clock550 MHz675 MHzBetter
VRAM768 MB GDDR3Better512 MB GDDR3
Memory frequency1,9 GHz2 GHzBetter
Memory bus192 bitBetter128 bit
Memory bandwidth46 GB/sBetter32 GB/s
InterfacePCIe 2x16PCIe 1x16
Power consumption105 W60 WBetter
Process node65 nmBetter80 nm
Recommended PSU300 W250 WBetter
Length229 mm198 mmBetter
Die size324 mm²169 mm²Better
Memory cacheL2 0.05 MBL2 0.03 MB
Transistor count754 millionBetter289 million
Max monitors33
Max resolution2560 × 16002560 × 1600
USB Type-CNoNo
GAME TEST BENCH

Gaming FPS

Available results are shown separately; missing data is not treated as zero.

The Gaming FPS section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS across curated H2H Lab game presets. The useful signal is not only average FPS, but also how each device behaves at 1440p and 4K, how memory capacity and bus width affect heavy textures, and whether the game engine favors raster performance, ray tracing, or driver maturity.

8800 GS8600 GTS
Verified H2HCommunity VerifiedEstimatedPredicted
Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong

1080p High
26 FPSEstimated 64%
23 FPSEstimated 64%
1080p Ultra
22 FPSEstimated 64%
20 FPSEstimated 64%
1440p Ultra
12 FPSEstimated 58%
10 FPSEstimated 58%
4K Ultra
5 FPSEstimated 55%
5 FPSEstimated 55%
Game1080p High1080p Ultra1440p Ultra4K Ultra
Black Myth: Wukong8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Call of Duty: Warzone8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Counter-Strike 28800 GS216 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS197 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS152 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS138 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS85 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS74 FPSEstimated 66%8800 GS31 FPSEstimated 62%8600 GTS27 FPSEstimated 62%
Cyberpunk 20778800 GS140 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS127 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS120 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS109 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS62 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS54 FPSEstimated 66%8800 GS21 FPSEstimated 62%8600 GTS18 FPSEstimated 62%
Forza Horizon 58800 GS176 FPSEstimated 78%8600 GTS160 FPSEstimated 78%8800 GS114 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS104 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS77 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS67 FPSEstimated 66%8800 GS45 FPSEstimated 62%8600 GTS39 FPSEstimated 62%
God of War Ragnarök8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Hogwarts Legacy8800 GS114 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS104 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS95 FPSEstimated 72%8600 GTS87 FPSEstimated 72%8800 GS55 FPSEstimated 66%8600 GTS48 FPSEstimated 66%8800 GS21 FPSEstimated 62%8600 GTS18 FPSEstimated 62%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 20248800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Monster Hunter Wilds8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Starfield8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS23 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8600 GTS20 FPSEstimated 64%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8600 GTS10 FPSEstimated 58%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8600 GTS5 FPSEstimated 55%
Average FPS8800 GS80 FPS8600 GTS73 FPS8800 GS61 FPS8600 GTS56 FPS8800 GS35 FPS8600 GTS30 FPS8800 GS15 FPS8600 GTS13 FPS
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX

H2H workload indices

Comparable internal indices on a fixed 0–100 scale.

The Benchmarks section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Index8800 GS8600 GTSDifference
H2H Raster IndexH2H Index / 100433910%
H2H Compute IndexH2H Index / 10035336%
H2H Rendering IndexH2H Index / 100363212%
H2H Memory Workload IndexH2H Index / 100171327%
H2H Efficiency IndexH2H Index / 1001001000%

These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.

HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX

H2H AI workload indices

Estimated workload profiles based on available performance and memory data.

The Detailed comparison section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Index8800 GS8600 GTSDifference
H2H Image Generation IndexH2H Index / 100312714%
H2H ML Training IndexH2H Index / 100332816%
H2H Inference IndexH2H Index / 100363212%
H2H Local LLM IndexH2H Index / 100292419%
H2H Computer Vision IndexH2H Index / 100353112%

These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.

Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling

The Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8600 GTS
DirectX10.010.0
Vulkan
OpenGL3.33.3
Upscaling
Compute APIOpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1

Architecture and release

The Architecture and release section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8600 GTS
ArchitectureTeslaTesla
Process node65 nmBetter80 nm
Release date20082007
Device classDesktopDesktop

GPU cores, die and clocks

The Core layout and clocks section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8600 GTS
Transistor count754 millionBetter289 million
Die size324 mm²169 mm²Better
Shader units / cores96Better32
Base clock550 MHz675 MHzBetter
Boost clock550 MHz675 MHzBetter

Board size, power and compatibility

The Form factor and compatibility section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8600 GTS
InterfacePCIe 2x16PCIe 1x16
Length229 mm198 mmBetter
ThicknessSingle-slotSingle-slot
Recommended PSU300 W250 WBetter
Power connector6 pin6 pin

Display outputs and limits

The Display outputs section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8600 GTS
HDMI
DisplayPort
USB Type-CNoNo
Max monitors33
Max resolution2560 × 16002560 × 1600

Memory and compute throughput

The VRAM capacity and bandwidth section compares 8800 GS and 8600 GTS with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8600 GTS
VRAM768 MB GDDR3Better512 MB GDDR3
Memory typeGDDR3GDDR3
Memory bus192 bitBetter128 bit
TFLOPS0.264Better0.093
HEAD TO HEAD · DISCOVER

Other comparisons

6

Reviews and questions

AI EXPLAIN · HEAD TO HEAD

Explain this comparison

Beyond percentages: causes, relevant specifications, and practical impact behind every chart.

Device A8800 GS65
Device B8600 GTS62
What AI will explain

Overall score, radar, FPS, synthetic tests, specifications, efficiency, and value.

REAL CONFIGURATIONS

Owner experiences

Real builds, results, and community feedback.

Moderator reviewedHelpful to the community🏅Expert badges
FAQ · CHOOSE BY USE CASE

Frequently asked comparison questions

Short recommendations based on performance, memory, power consumption, and intended use.

01Which is better for gaming: 8800 GS or 8600 GTS?

8800 GS has the higher overall gaming score, while 8800 GS offers the better price-to-performance ratio. The final choice depends on resolution and settings.

02Which is better for streaming?

8800 GS is the stronger streaming choice thanks to performance, hardware encoding, and application support. Check AV1, H.264, and HEVC support before buying.

03Which is better for Blender?

8800 GS is generally the better option for Blender and GPU rendering. Rendering-engine support and available VRAM also matter.

04Which is better for video editing?

8800 GS offers more overall performance, while 8800 GS offers more memory headroom. Codecs, hardware encoders, and editor optimization can change the result.

05Which is better for neural networks and AI?

8800 GS is the more practical option for local AI workloads. VRAM capacity, compute libraries, and framework compatibility are especially important.

06Which is better for 1080p?

8800 GS is the most rational 1080p choice, where high frame rates and cost per frame matter most.

07Which is better for 1440p?

8800 GS leads in combined 1440p performance. 8800 GS can be preferable for heavy textures and games with high VRAM usage.

08Which is better for 4K?

8800 GS is preferable for 4K, where total performance, memory bandwidth, and VRAM capacity have the greatest impact.

09Which is better for a quiet PC?

8600 GTS is easier to use in a quiet build because of its lower estimated power and thermal load. Actual noise depends on the specific cooler.

10Which is better without replacing the power supply?

8600 GTS is the safer candidate because its stated power consumption is lower. Verify PSU wattage, age, and power connectors.

11Is it worth upgrading from the previous generation?

Consider upgrading to 8800 GS if your current device no longer delivers the required FPS, memory capacity, or feature support. A gain below 15–20% is usually worth waiting for a price cut.