Gigabyte X800 Pro Review - Specifications
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The X800 series consists of three video cards: the X800 Pro, the X800 XT, and the X800 XT PE. There is no "vanilla" X800. All three video cards are based off the same R420 core (meaning they have the same DX9 support and shader model support) and come with 256MB DDRIII memory. But while all three cards have different core and memory clocks, the X800 Pro is slowed down even further because it has 12 pixel pipelines instead of 16. It still retains 6 vertex pipelines unlike the GeForce 6800 which has 5.
The R420 has DirectX9 support with Shader Model 2.0b "support." Microsoft has not certified SM2.0b as part of DX9, so ATI has turned these features off by default (otherwise drivers would fail WHQL compliance). While SM2.0b has some features that are part of SM3.0, it has other features that are not part of SM3.0, like 3Dc normal map compression. Newer revisions need to be supersets of previous ones, and since 3.0c already exists, official support for SM2.0b will be slow, if at all. In contrast, the NV40 supports DirectX9.0c and has SM3.0 support.
The Gigabyte X800 Pro being reviewed today is the GV-R80P256D. It does not have VIVO functionality, and is also missing a hardware monitor, meaning it does not support ATI's Overdrive function. Everything else about the Gigabyte video card is identical to one built by ATI X800 Pro, like 256MB DDRIII memory.
- Chipset: ATI RADEON X800 PRO
- Core/Mem: 475/900 MHz
- Memory: 256 MB
- Mem Bus: 256 bit
- BUS: AGP 8X
- Mem Type: DDRIII 8Mx32
- Ports: Analog, DVI, TV-Out
- H/W Monitor: N
- Tools: V-Tuner II
- Games: CS Condition Zero, Raven Shield, SpellForce
- Software: Power DVD 5.0
This chart describes the X800 Pro in relation to its superior brothers as well as the 6800s with regards to clock speeds, pixel and vertex pipelines, and memory bus. Note that all these cards have one unique texture lookup per pipeline (textures/pipeline). The GeForce FX 5900s never had 8 pipelines. They have 4 pipelines with 2 unique textures per pipeline, making them similar to ATI's 8 pixel pipeline cards. With the X800s and 6800s, pipelines are more defined and easier to compare.
| Chipset | Core (MHz) | Memory (MHz) | Pixel/Vertex (pipelines) | Mem Bus (bit) |
| X800 Pro (R420) | 475 | 900 | 12/6 | 256
|
| X800 XT (R420) | 500 | 1000 | 16/6 | 256
|
| X800 XT PE (R420) | 520 | 1120 | 16/6 | 256 |
| 6800 (NV40) | 325 | 700 | 12/5 | 256 |
| 6800 GT (NV40) | 350 | 1000 | 16/6 | 256 |
| 6800 Ultra (NV40) | 400 | 1100 | 16/6 | 256 |
| 6800 UE (NV40) | 450 | 1200 | 16/6 | 256 |
On the features side, the X800 is rather lackluster. ATI stresses "massive performance" and "innovative image technology" giving rise to HD gaming. Agreeably, one of the coolest features of the X800 is high-definition support. The TV-out port, that looks like a 7-pin s-video out port (and can be used as s-video or with an included converter, composite), can be converted to component video using the included cable. Now, if your TV or projector already supports analog or DVI, this doesn't really benefit you much, but if you want to use component video the X800 enables you to do so without purchasing a converter.
In terms of massive performance, ATI claims up to two times the performance of the 9800 Pro which is impressive. But what bothers me is the "innovative image technology." ATI is really banking on their 3Dc image enhancement technology to provide greater realism and detail in graphics. All it is, is a compression technique that works with normal maps, allowing 4:1 compression. Allowing 4:1 compression does not mean developers will include 4x greater detail as ATI would have you believe. ATI even says "3Dc™ is slated to become the industry standard to support more complex high-definition visual effects in real time." But as we've discussed, this may never occur and currently, no one is seeing the benefits of 3Dc.
Features however, are not the only factors that define a video card's performance and its value to the customer. The final determining factor is as always, gaming performance and quality. ATI and NVIDIA graphics architectures are so vastly different, that when one supports A and the other supports B, it doesn't matter if A is superior to B or not. Games nowadays support several paths based on DirectX versions and Shader models because the developer wants the largest potential user population possible. Therefore the bottom line is the games you play and how the architectures perform respectively.
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