Graphics Card Shootout by Extremetech
Extreme Tech recently featured a graphics card shootout, where the reviewers pitted 17 current models against each other. The results were classified according to price range, from entry-level $80 and ridiculously expensive (for a video card) $600.
Once or twice a year, we try to solve this dilemma with a big video card roundup. This time, we took 17 currently available cards representing the range of price points from $80 up to $600. We’ll show you benchmarks with 3DMark06 and a sample of games that are representative of the graphics-card-stressors of the day. We’ll show you which models deliver high fames-per-second per dollar, and just plain high frames-per-second. Ultimately, we hope to arm you with the information you need to figure out exactly which graphics card is right for you.
The verdict:
On the lower end, the MSI RX1300 Pro was great in the sub-$100 range. For the sub-$200 mark, the reviewers favored the new Nvidia GeForce 7600-powered series, such as eVGA’s passively cooled 7600 GS and the slightly overclocked 7600 GT. For the sub-$350 range, the reviewers went for the highly overclocked XFX GeForce 7600 GT XXX, the GeForce 7900 GT XXX (also from XFX) and the ATI Radeon X1800 GTO.
On the higher end, the review found the ATI Radeon X1900 XT series to be among the best, for the $350 and up price range.
ATI reports record quarter sales
Graphics chipmaker ATI has reported a record growth in its second quarter sales this fiscal year (second quarter ending February 28, 2006).
During the three months to 28 February 2006 - ATI’s second quarter of fiscal 2006 - the graphics chip company realised revenues of $672m, up 13.7 per cent on the previous quarter and 10.5 per cent on Q2 FY2005’s total.
Comparing, however, to the same quarter last year, 2Q 2006 net income declined by 40.4%. Gross margins also declined to 28.2%, compared to 28.7% in 1Q 2006 and 34.2% in 2Q 2005.
Revenues from PC-oriented sales, which accounts for 80% of 2Q revenues went down two percent from the same period in the last year, due to lower demand for discrete desktop graphics processing units. The same trend is seen for notebook computer GPUs.
ATI is still optimistic with 2006 performance, though, as it expects third quarter sales of $640m to $680m (up from last year’s $530m), and gross margins of 30%.
PowerColor X1900 XT 512MB ATI card
The Register reviews the PowerColor X1900 XT 512MB ATI-based graphics card.
The PowerColor X1900XT is a very fast card for the money and it’s a much more affordable option than the company’s own X1900 XTX which doesn’t offer a huge amount of extra performance considering the price difference. The downside is the fan noise - particularly when there are cards out there that perform as well but do so much more quietly.
The review found performance to be considerably good, with the downside being some extra noise that the card generated.
Sapphire Blizzard X1900 XTX water-cooled graphics card review
The Register reviews the Sapphire Blizzard X1900 XTX water-cooled graphics card. In the face-off between a regular ATI X1900 XTX and the similarly-endowed NVIDIA 7900 GTX, the ATI seems to lose the efficiency battle because of extreme heating up.
An X1900 graphics card draws about 150W from your power supply almost all of which ends up dissipated as heat … [In contrast,] a 7900 GTX has to shed but we’d estimate that it’s about 50W - half that of an X1900
…
Deciding whether you should buy a Radeon X1900 or a GeForce 7900 GTX is a tough decision, but on balance we would favour the Nvidia card because it’s quieter and has better drivers. Blizzard changes that and means that we now vote for the X1900 provided you have no plans to run more than one graphics card inside your gaming PC.
We’re in an era where watercooling does not only pertain to auto engines, but computer peripherals as well. When the fight comes to performance, it pays to stay cool, because heat generated usually means inefficiency in the way a device uses energy. So if a graphics card requires that much cooling, then it means it’s probably not using the power it sucks in from your power supply efficiently–most of it goes not to the display output but lost. Better cooling helps out, and if you’re in it for the raw power, then go for the water-cooled X1900.
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