![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Sunday , February 22, 2004
- Author:
- Brent Justice
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Sapphire Ultimate 9600XT & 9800XT
Sapphire’s brand new top of the line “Ultimate” 9600XT and 9800XT are on the test bench. We find out if silent is really silent and if these cards are worth your hard earned dollars. Also this is a great guide to show you just what more you are getting between a 9600XT and 9800XT purchase.
Sapphire 9600XT Ultimate:
The Sapphire Ultimate 9600XT is based on ATI’s RV360 VPU known as the Radeon 9600XT. The core frequency is set at ATI’s default speed of 500MHz. The memory frequency however has been increased in this Ultimate version. The reference speed from ATI calls for 300MHz memory frequency, but Sapphire has set the frequency to 324MHz (648MHz DDR) for an added performance increase.
The front of the box lists that this is the Ultimate Edition and lists the hot features of the card. On our box there was black tape covering the Half Life 2 coupon logo. It appears that Half Life 2 is now only available with specified versions of the 9600XT. You can view an Excel sheet here from Sapphire that lists the cards that ship with Half Life 2. The Sapphire Ultimate 9600XT also has a window to view the video card in the box but it is on the back of the box. Just like the Ultimate 9800XT the Ultimate 9600XT is packaged in two layers. The first layer contains the manual, CD’s and the S-Video cable. The second layer contains the video card, the adapters and the composite cable.
We found no surprises in the box with this one, though it doesn’t have any RAM heatsinks to begin with.
The Sapphire Ultimate 9600XT is also a completely silent video card. As you can see above there are two heatsinks used that are connected with a heatpipe. The method is exactly the same as used in the Ultimate 9800XT only on a smaller scale with the Ultimate 9600XT since that is all that is needed. Thanks to the incredible engineering of ATI and their .13 micron Low-K VPU a massive heatsink solution is not needed.
When you compare the Sapphire Ultimate 9600XT to a made by ATI Radeon 9600XT you will find many of the components and layout of the PCB different. Apparently Sapphire has tweaked the PCB design for themselves and differ from the reference design.
Sapphire has added a jumper on this card that lets you easily select between NTSC or PAL for TV-Out signal.
In the first shot above you can see how the heatsink attaches to the VPU. There are two screws holding the heatsink down onto the core and there is no shim present on this core. In the second picture you can see how the heatpipe wraps around the card from the top heatsink. Just like in the Ultimate 9800XT the heatpipe transfer heat from the core around to the back heatsink. In the third shot above you can see how both heatsinks are held together and are raised above the PCB. The fourth shot above shows the back heatsink and where the heatpipe connects at.
The RAM modules being used on this card are Samsung K4D263238E-GC2A modules. They are rated at 2.86ns and a max speed of 350MHz. VGA, DVI and TV-Out ports are included.
This card is a single-slot solution. The only interference you need to be weary off is the back heatsink. It is raised off of the PCB so you need to make sure there is clearance for anything that might be above this video card.
All the cables and adapters you need for TV-Out and dual-monitors is provided. In this bundle Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness full version game is included along with a basic driver CD and an overclocking program.