Introduction

GeForce 6200 is the entry-level graphics chip family from nVidia for the PCI Express bus, competing directly with Radeon X300 and the new Radeon X1300 families from ATI. In this review we will compare the performance of a standard GeForce 6200 from Leadtek (model WinFast PX6200TD) with 128 MB and 128-bit memory interface with GeForce 6200 TurboCache models, competing chips from ATI and also with some mid-range chips (GeForce 6600 and GeForce 6600 GT).

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Figure 1: GeForce 6200 with 128 MB and 128-bit interface from Leadtek (WinFast PX6200TD).

In our opinion, the main problem with GeForce 6200 family is the quantity of different memory configurations that you can find in the market. First, we have the “regular” model (which is the one we are reviewing) and the “TurboCache” model, which “steals” memory from the main system RAM to be used as video memory (read our review of the XFX GeForce 6200 TurboCache for a detailed view of this model). Secondly, the memory interface can be of 128 bits or 64 bits or even 32 bits in some extreme cases. Also, the board manufacturer can set the memory clock as they wish, as nVidia doesn’t set a standard clock rate for GeForce 6200.

So, there are several different kinds of GeForce 6200 in the market and it is really hard for the regular user to know the differences between them. A GeForce 6200 from manufacturer A can be a completely different product compared to GeForce 6200 from manufacturer B. This is really a hassle, since you may choose a GeForce 6200 because you were satisfied by the performance of the PC of a friend or relative and also order a GeForce 6200, to discover later that you got a totally different board, with totally different performance.

Leadtek, for example, carries seven different GeForce 6200 models:

• WinFast A6200 TDH: 128 MB, 64-bit, chip running at 350 MHz, memory running at 500 MHz, AGP
• WinFast A6200 TD: 128 MB, 128-bit, chip running at 300 MHz, memory running at 550 MHz, AGP
• WinFast PX6200 TD: 128 MB, 128-bit, chip running at 300 MHz, memory running at 550 MHz, PCI Express
• WinFast PX6200 TC TDH 64 MB on-board: TurboCache, 64 MB, 32-bit, chip running at 300 MHz, memory running at 550 MHz, PCI Express
• WinFast PX6200 TC TDH 128 MB on-board: TurboCache, 128 MB, 64-bit, chip running at 300 MHz, memory running at 550 MHz, PCI Express
• WinFast PX6200 TC TDH supporting 128 MB: TurboCache, 16 MB, 32-bit, chip running at 350 MHz, memory running at 700 MHz, PCI Express
• WinFast PX6200 TC TDH supporting 256 MB: TurboCache, 32 MB, 64-bit, chip running at 350 MHz, memory running at 550 MHz, PCI Express

The naming used is really confusing because you cannot find out what is the memory configuration from the model name. So you have to be very careful when buying a GeForce 6200 to buy the correct model you want.

We ran PowerStrip software to check the clocks used by the reviewed card, and the model we reviewed was running at 300 MHz with its memory being accessed at 550 MHz.

You can see in our tutorial “nVidia Chips Comparison Table” the difference between GeForce 6200 TurboCache chip and the other chips from nVidia, while on our tutorial “ATI Chips Comparison Table” you can compare it to its competitors from ATI.

Let’s now take a closer look on the GeForce 6200 with 128 MB and 128-bit interface from Leadtek (WinFast PX6200TD).

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