CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 05/04/2004
- Released on: 05/04/2004
The X800 Pro and X800 XT Platinum Edition cards are extremely similar in design. Both feature a slim, single-AGP-slot design, which means that you don't lose an adjacent PCI slot because of an overhanging fan. Both cards also require only one connection to your PC's 300- to 350-watt power supply (depending on the number of other hardware components), unlike Nvidia's new GeForce 6800 Ultra card, which demands two connections to at least a 480-watt supply.
The X800 Pro and the X800 XT also share the same fundamental architecture, with the X800 Pro having more modest specifications: 128MB of memory instead of 256MB and 12 pixel-rendering pipelines compared to the XT's 16 pipes (the previous generation high-end Radeon cards had 8). Both cards offer advanced image-quality-enhancing features such as ATI's new 3Dc texture compression and so-called temporal antialiasing. These features will mean more in the coming months, however, when new drivers, new games, and patches for old titles come out that enable them.
Until we can test the X800 Pro's direct competitor, the GeForce 6800 GT, which was also announced today, we can't tell you whether ATI or Nvidia is the leader at this performance level and price point. Nvidia has told us that the 6800 GT will require only one expansion slot, one power-supply connector, and less wattage than the 6800 Ultra, but we'll reserve judgment until we can see the card for ourselves and run it through our tests. Measured against both the Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition and the GeForce 6800 Ultra, however, the X800 Pro gives a strong performance.
The X800 Pro, in fact, bested the supposedly higher-end GeForce 6800 Ultra card on half of our benchmarks. Of particular interest is that the X800 Pro beat the 6800 Ultra on our new Far Cry benchmark at the demanding 1,600x1,200 resolution. This game is one of the first to take extensive advantage of DirectX 9.0 graphics effects, and it presents an extremely challenging graphics test. While all 3D game software is different, if the ATI Radeon X800 Pro's impressive performance with Far Cry is any indication, you will be well positioned for high-quality gaming in the foreseeable future if you pick up this card.
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1,024x768 with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering | |
1,600x1,200 with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering |
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1,024x768 with medium-quality settings | |
1,024x768 with high-quality settings | |
1,600x1,200 with medium-quality settings | |
1,600x1,200 with high-quality settings |
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1,024x768 with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering | |
1,600x1,200 with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering |
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1,024x768 with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering | |
1,600x1,200 with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering |
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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest
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alaTest.com
Summary: alaTest collected and analyzed 316 reviews of ATI All-in-Wonder X800 XT Video Card from international magazines and websites and compared these to 30729 reviews for other Graphics Cards. Experts rate this product 81/100 and users 80/100. The amount of rated reviews for this product is too low to calculate a reliable alaScore™.
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machome.com
Editors' rating: 80
Summary: Big ol' dual LCDs
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techtree.com
Editors' rating: 90
Summary: ATI unveiled the Radeon X800, which leveled the competition on paper. ATI released two variants in the X800 series, the Radeon X800 Pro and Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition, both based on the R420, the latest GPU core. Even though the X800 was released ...
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personal computer world
Editors' rating: 100
Summary: We take an exclusive peek at the Pro and its big brother the XT.
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pcmag.com
Editors' rating: 80
Summary: This is the reference from which other X800 XT based video cards spring, and while the performance is great, other manufacturers are doing more to add value.
