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- Date:
- Sunday , January 16, 2005
- Author:
- Brent Justice
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
ATI Radeon X800 Series Roundup
We have gathered seven retail X800 series based video cards. Inside we will see what each one has to offer and see what kind of a gaming experience we can have with each.
ASUS Extreme AX8800XT-PE 2DHTV:
The Asus Extreme AX800 XT PE is the granddaddy of all the video cards we have here today. Not just the video card is loaded, but the bundle is as well.
The Asus Extreme AX800 XT PE is based off of ATI’s Radeon X800 XT PE PCI-Express VPU. This video card is loaded with a native 16X PCI-Express interface, 256MB GDDR3, and two DVI outputs along with full Video In/Video Out functionality thanks to ATI’s Rage Theater chip.
As you can see, ASUS is employing an orange colored PCB with a very solid and heavy copper heatsink with a large fan. You can see that this video card uses the required 6-pin PCI-Express power plug for external power. On the back, you can see the Rage Theater chip that provides the Video In and Out functions. The VPU runs at 520MHz and the memory at 1.12GHz.
There are two DVI outputs present with a multimedia connector for the breakout box that provides the hookups for the Video In and Out features. The RAM being used is Samsung K4J55323QF-GC16, which is rated at a maximum frequency of 600MHz.
The bundle is what really makes this package appealing. There are no less than 10 CDs included in this package. There is a driver disk that includes ASUS’s Smartdoctor and other utilities such as GameFace Live and Video Security. The full version game Deus Ex Invisible War is included as well as Counter Strike Condition Zero, Asus DVD, MediShow, Cool3D, and Power Director 3.
Asus also includes a webcam in this package. Yes, you read that correctly:.there is a 300K resolution USB webcam included in the package, and it works quite well we might add. There is a purple break out box connector that allows you to connect S-Video and Composite In and Out. An HDTV output cable is also included, along with a DVI to VGA adapter, and a PCI-Express power cable.
Smartdoctor is a utility that allows you to monitor temperature, voltages, and fan speed. You can also adjust the fan speed manually, or leave it on automatic. We found that even at full rotation the fan noise is not loud enough to be heard over an 80mm case fan. The utility doesn’t allow very high overclocking settings, so you may still opt to use a third party overclocking utility when overclocking, but this application will let you monitor the temps and control the fan.