Bundle, presentation and warranty
The Outlaw should have starred in Dog Soldiers.
Interestingly, the box alludes to the GeForce 8600 GT being HDCP-capable, which it can be, but this particular XFX implementation isn't.
| Items |
Driver CD Quick-install guide 1 x DVI dongle S-Video cable |
|---|
The bundle is the definition of sparse. £110 is a decidedly midrange price and we would expect the XXX Edition, in particular, to ship with a more comprehensive bundle. A second DVI-to-VGA dongle wouldn't have gone amiss, and an overclocking utility would have made for a sensible inclusion.
Warranty
All XFX cards are backed up by a 2-year warranty that begins on the date of purchase and is limited to the original purchaser of the product, meaning that the warranty cannot be transferred. XFX urges its customers to register their products on its website for efficient validation should things go awry. Registering also opens up XFX's first line of support; web-based technical help where you receive an e-ticket and a response within 24 hours (assuming you can connect to the net if your card is not working).Inexperienced users may incorrectly diagnose a card as faulty and this initial contact determines whether extra support is required. If so, the customer contacts the retailer they purchased the card from and can use the e-ticket as supporting evidence. Customers who look for initial resolution and have no access to XFX's website can call a U.K-based call centre for support. This, currently, incurs a charge of 60p/m.
XFX reckons the average turnaround time for a defective card is 7 working days, and the procedure detailed above applies for the entire 2-year period. Further, should the retailer cease trading whilst the warranty is still valid, XFX states that it will honour it directly.
Let's see how its performance compares against some very healthy competition.
