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ATI X800 XL Shootout
[Abstract]
High End Value for the DollarWhen ATI upgraded their RADEON X800 series of graphics card last December with the introduction of the RADEON X850 series, most of the attention was focused on the ...
[Content] PCDigitalMobileGame
PowerColor RADEON X800 XL
The PowerColor RADEON X800 XL is the odd one in this roundup. As it is a PCI Express card, the 75 watts of power supplied by the PCIe x16 slot should have been sufficient. Surprisingly, this is not the case. The PowerColor RADEON X800 XL is the only card that uses a separate 6-pin power connector for its energy needs. In fact, it is a must and it will not start without connecting that. It also features a large aluminum cooler that covers most of the card but regrettably does not cool the memory chips. Despite that, the PowerColor does reasonably well in our noise and temperature evaluations.
PowerColor's RADEON X800 XL. |
PowerColor's RADEON X800 XL uses an external power connector, something that was unnecessary for other X800 XL PCI Express cards. |
A top down view of the PowerColor RADEON X800 XL. |
Like the MSI card, PowerColor includes dual DVI-I connectors for their RADEON X800 XL. |
Similar to the MSI card, a SiliconImage TMDS transmitter powers the additional DVI-I connector. |
We have no complaints about its features though. A combination of dual DVI-I connectors and an ATI Rage Theatre ASIC makes the PowerColor RADEON X800 XL one of the more feature rich RADEON X800 XL cards in our comparison, with only the MSI package of a similar pedigree. This trend is reflected in its software and cables bundle, where it ups the cable count with two DVI-to-VGA adaptors. Only one game is included, though Hitman: Contracts is a refreshing change from the usual selection of games you find in such bundles. The DVD and media related software is also rather comprehensive and more than satisfactory for the average user. The entire package contains the following:
2 x DVI-to-VGA adaptors
9-pin mini-DIN to S-Video/Composite dongle
9-pin mini-DIN to HDTV (component cable dongle)
4-pin Molex to 6-pin PCIe power converter
S-Video extension cable
Composite extension cable
PowerColor User's Manual
Driver CD
CyberLink DVD Solution (including PowerDVD, PowerDirector SE Plus, MediaShow SE, PowerProducer DVD, Power2Go)
Hitman: Contracts
Another look at the card. |
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