computer-reviews.net

GeCube Radeon X1800XT 512MB

Saturday, March 4th, 2006 | News, Video Card Reviews | View Comments

The GeCube Radeon X1800 XT gets the full treatment at bit-tech. The card is reviewed using their newer playable settings testing method whereby they find the best setting that still allow for good gameplay and try to give a more real life review of how the card does.

The GeCube Radeon X1800 XT is in an unfortunate spot, with the release of the X1900 which pretty much outdoes it in all aspects of gaming, and does it without costing that much more. For most consumers, this small amount of extra will definitely be worth it to make that small jump to a much better and newer card.

The card itself does not differ much from the rest of the X1800 crowd as all of the cards are about the same. It might still be a viable option for some, but just barely.

The new All-In-Wonder X1900 will certainly be a great card and will allow all the great features of the current All-In-Wonder X1800, but with the gaming performance of the newer cards.

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PowerColor 128MB Radeon X800 GTO PCIe Graphics Card

Friday, March 3rd, 2006 | News, Video Card Reviews | View Comments

Powercolor has been around for a few years and this new Radeon based card does a pretty good job at delivering, in terms of graphics performance. There is usually not much between the different cards as they are all based on the same GPU, for example there are a few companies with an X800 model like this as they are all based on the same processor.

This model comes in colorful red packaging and includes a few extra cables that could be needed as well as the usual driver CD for getting things going on your computer. It comes with the standard ATI driver CD, giving you the standard options with no extras to tickle your fancy.

With a large amount of noise coming from the fan it might disrupt your quiet working environment. This is a little bit of problem, but that depends on your needs for your computer. It’s length runs longer than older graphics cards so it might come quite close to your memory slots.

The pricing is right and is clearly outperforms an X600 model from Gigabyte, but which comes at a similar price. In test performed at bigbruin it doubles the results of the X600 mentioned before.

The card needs to be overclocked by other software as none is included with the package. In the end it comes out as a strong performer and recommended.

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Zalman Fatal1ty FS-V7 GPU cooler

Friday, March 3rd, 2006 | News, Video Card Reviews | View Comments

The Zalman Fatal1ty is designed to kick in where modern cooling solutions for graphics cards leave off. With their increased noise and less than great performance and upgrade of your graphics card’s cooler will help to keep things cool as well as make it quieter in this case.

The Zalman Fatal1ty FS-V7 is designed with good looks and quiet performance in mind.

The fan itself operates at two different speeds a higher speed and lower speed, as well as an idle. Temperatures for the test done at benscustomcases showed that temperatures at the fans lower speed were still lower than the temperatures attained by the stock eVGA cooler on the card they tried. The lower speed also means its quieter.

In the end the cooler does help, but you may be stuck for space as its wide enough to make the slot next to your graphics slot unusable, and very close in a SLI setup.

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ATI Radeon X850 PRO 256mb GDDR3 AGP Video Cards

Thursday, March 2nd, 2006 | Reviews, Video Card Reviews | View Comments

The ATI Radeon X850 Pro delivers very strong gaming performance aimed at the elite gaming segment. The X850 Pro contains 12 pixel pipelines, sports quick frame rates, and includes a load of 3D technology to take your system to a strong gaming level. There are several X850s in the series, including two platinum editions (one AGP, one PCI), the X850 XT, and the X850 Pro. While the X850 Pro is the baby of the bunch and trails behind its big brother in terms of stand alone specs, it remains a strong initial point of entry for gamers that want an elite experience without paying an elite price.

The biggest difference between the X850 Pro and other cards in the series is the number of pixel pipes – the X850 PRO has 12 and the other models have 16. Pixel pipes aside, the ATI Radeon X850 PRO still performs very well. Memory speed and engine clock speed each come in at 500MHz, and the pixel fill rate is an impressive 8 gigapixels per second. Along with an advanced design, the X850 PRO sports advanced ATI technology.

SMARTSHADER HD
CPUs historically have played a leading role regarding graphical output due to their flexibility and programmable nature. The ever improving speed and versatility of graphics cards has lessened this burden, but an optimal graphical effect has still been challenging to develop. SMARTSHADER HD is ATI’s fourth generation shader technology that allows developers to program an unlimited range of visual effects that execute on the graphics processor. This leads to more sophisticated effects and great performance.

SMOOTHVISION HD
SMOOTHVISION HD is also a fourth generation technology developed by ATI. The result of SMOOTHVISION HD integration is a high performance smoothing technology that cleans up rough edges and results in a cleaner, crisper graphic.

3Dc
3Dc is comparatively new ATI technology. 3Dc is a compression technology that highlights details while minimizing memory requirements to view them. 4:1 compression is possible, meaning that game designers can add up to four times the details, without adding memory requirements.

CATALYST
CATALYST CONTROL CENTER is a driver configuration tool that really puts the ability to tweak in the gamers’ hands. The configuration tool allows you accelerate or decelerate you graphical environment, which allows you to determine your preferred graphics solution.

Specifications:

• CPU – RADEON X850 PRO
• Maximum Resolution – 2048 x 1536 @ 85Hz
• Video Memory – 256MB
• Memory Type – 256-bit GDDR3
• Interface Type – AGP
• Interface Speed – 4X8X
• Connector(s) – DVI, TV/S-Video, VGA

In the Box

• ATI Radeon X850 Pro Video Card
• User Guide
• Drivers CD
• Dual S-Video/Composite Dongle
• Component Dongle
• S-Video Cable
• Composite Cable
• Power Connector
• DVI to VGA Adapter

In Sum
When ATI released the X850 series, they took an important step toward reasserting themselves in the premium video card market. The X850 Pro is the lowest end card in the series, but still packs a strong gaming punch. If you want to enter the elite gaming market, can compromise a little on speed and rendering, and don’t want to pay an arm and a leg, then the X850 PRO might be the card for you.

Connect 3D Radeon X850 XT Platinum 256mb Video Card

Wednesday, March 1st, 2006 | Reviews, Video Card Reviews | View Comments

There is a certain segment of the gaming community that demands the highest level of graphics quality, optimal rendering, and brilliant effects interwoven into their game play experience. You know who you are, and you know what you want – a premium video card that will deliver. The Connect 3D X850 XT Platinum will get you there.

The X850 XT Platinum is the most robust card in the acclaimed X850 series by Radeon. Manufactured by Connect 3D, an ATI ‘add-in-card’ partner, X850 Platinum XT specs are off the chart; memory clock speed is 590 MHz, and engine clock speed is 540 MHz. This card will let you play state of the art games like FarCry, Battlefield 2, and FEAR at max graphics settings. ATI’s technology is built into the card to provide power and flexibility.

SMARTSHADER HD
CPUs historically have played a leading role regarding graphical output due to their flexibility and programmable nature. The ever improving speed and versatility of graphics cards has lessened this burden, but an optimal graphical effect has still been challenging to develop. SMARTSHADER HD is ATI’s fourth generation shader technology that allows developers to program an unlimited range of visual effects that execute on the graphics processor. This leads to more sophisticated effects and great performance.

SMOOTHVISION HD
SMOOTHVISION HD is also a fourth generation technology developed by ATI. The result of SMOOTHVISION HD integration is a high performance smoothing technology that cleans up rough edges and results in a cleaner, crisper graphic.

3Dc
3Dc is comparatively new ATI technology. 3Dc is a compression technology that highlights details while minimizing memory requirements to view them. 4:1 compression is possible, meaning that game designers can add up to four times the details, without adding memory requirements.

CATALYST
CATALYST CONTROL CENTER is a driver configuration tool that really puts the ability to tweak in the gamers’ hands. The configuration tool allows you accelerate or decelerate you graphical environment, which allows you to determine your preferred graphics solution.

Specifications:

• GPU – RADEON X850 XT
• Maximum Resolution – 2048 x 1536 @ 85Hz
• Video Memory – 256MB
• Memory Type – 256-bit GDDR3
• Memory Bandwidth – 35.8 GB/sec.
• Interface Type – PCI Express
• Interface Speed – 4X8X
• Connector(s) – Dual DVI, VIVO

In the Box

• Connect 3D Radeon X850 XT Platinum Video Card
• User’s Manual
• Getting Started Guide
• ATI Radeon Driver CD
• Quick Installation Guide
• Registration Guide
• Component to VIVO Adapter Cable
• Power Cable Dual Composite/S-Video to VIVO Adapter Cable
• Composite Cable
• S-Video Cable
• 2 DVI to VGA Adapters

In Sum
The Connect 3D Radeon X850 XT Platinum is a premium video card, not an ultra-premium video card, and there is a difference. Ultra premium cards will cost two or three hundred dollars more than the X850 XT Platinum, and will provide slightly better performance that an expert will be able to perceive. For most serious gamers, the combination of quality, power, speed, rendering capability, and price will make the Connect 3D X850 XT Platinum a terrific buy.