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There's a similar question here. The answer has a useful link to a table on Tom's Hardware, however I don't think it entirely covers my question. The reason is that the latest generation Intel CPU/GPUs aren't included.

I'm moving abroad. As I pack I'm trying to figure what I should keep and what I should throw away or donate.

My current desktop has an i5-760 (i.e. no integrated graphics) and a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 (1 GB). This is more than enough for my needs as I don't game at all any more. I'll ship this computer abroad in toto.

I also have an ECS GeForce 8600GT from a pervious build. I replaced the stock cooler with a large Thermalright passive cooler (I forget the model number). Although this GPU isn't particularly fast, the graphics card is silent. It's very heavy though and every kg counts when you're moving all your stuff abroad.

With the way GPU tech evolves, there seems to be little point in hanging onto this bulky graphics card if it's been eclipsed or matched by current integrated solutions. So what I'd like to know is: In terms of pixel pushing ability, how does the 8600 GT stack up against a second-gen Intel Core i7 (e.g. i7-2600K or i7-2600)?

Are they approximately equal in terms of power? Is one an order of magnitude above the other? I've lost track with these things and I wonder if someone can help me out.

Thanks.

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It is a difficult thing to judge to be honest, but this review seems to suggest the i7-2600K graphics is approximately comparable to a Radeon 5450 (give or take) and to be honest I would expect a 5450 to beat a several generations old 8600GT.

Looking at AMD and nVidia cards though it appears that they have similar amounts of processing power available and so would likely perform similarly.

This would mean that the i7-2600K would be roughly the equivalent of your 8600 graphics card.

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  • Cheers. I searched for a 8600/5450 comparison. I came across this site (I'd never seen that site before). It pegs the 8600 GT at ~66% 'quicker' than the Radeon 5450. So I'm putting the 8600 GT at ~66% 'quicker' than the Intel GPU. Nonetheless, I think that by the time I buy a new CPU, some years from now, that gap will have closed. Anyone want a 8600 GT w/ 3rd party heat sink? :)
    – boehj
    May 6, 2011 at 18:50

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