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Where does the upper mid-range class of graphics card currently lie?

For the most part, most of the current generation of upper mid-range cards (HD 2600 XTs, 8600 GTS's) that we have tested have been underwhelming -- many good cards, but none that really shined. Even the speediest of the upper mid-range video cards we've tested, such as the BFG 8600 GTS OC2, have been hard to recommend over other GPU's that offer either a lot more power for a little more cash, or a little less power for a lot less cash. The gap between the upper-mid-range, and the lower-high-end, has been so wide that you could argue that there isn't a upper-mid-range -- there's just the mid-range. 

And some would say the upper mid-range begins with 320 MB 8800 GTS.

But maybe -- just maybe -- today's card might change this situation. At least, that's what MSI appears to be trying to do with their latest offering, the RX2600XT Diamond Plus.

This super-charged HD 2600 XT GPU features a out-of-the-box overclocked core, but what really sets it apart from the crowd is 512MB's of GDDR4 RAM. Could the RX2600XT Diamond Plus redefine the upper-mid-range? We're going to find out.

What the RX2600XT does not have going for it, however, is the major stigmata that all the current mid-range cards carry: the dreaded, 128-bit memory interface, which limits video memory thorough-put. Will that negate the advantages of the quicker GDDR?

Will the RX2600XT Diamond Plus have what it takes to compete for your consumer dollar in the face of the attractively priced high-end DX9 cards (such as the X1950 Pro), and be able to at least compare in performance to the strong graphic-goodness power offered by the 320 MB 8800 GTS video cards?

Benchmarks will help us find out.

But first, let's take a get to know the RX2600XT a little better...