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Review: MSI RX800 XTs

by Ryszard Sommefeldt on 7 November 2004, 00:00

Tags: AMD (NYSE:AMD), MSI, ATi Technologies (NYSE:AMD)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qa4d

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Introduction

It's been quite a while since I've reviewed an MSI graphics card. Even their much publicised switch to being a dual-vendor AIB, accommodating both NVIDIA and ATI's GPUs in their spectrum of graphics products, passed me by. Regardless of them touching my static-charged hands or not, MSI continue to do aggressive business in the graphics card market. Their position at the top of the pile, in terms of global sales, has only been cemented by their introduction of ATI-based products to their range. They sell more bits of PC that draw pretty pixels on your screen than anyone else.

So it's about bloody time we had another look at their wares, eh?

It just so happens that MSI got in touch recently and wondered if we'd like a look at a pair of their newest ATI Radeon products. So I appropriated the cards for a few weeks and cast my eye over both offerings. Tarinder, in our last review of an MSI board (their FX5950 Ultra), said "MSI rarely does generic and it rarely fails to include the proverbial kitchen sink. "

Would that ring true once again? Are MSI still all about the bundle? Time to find out then, as I take a look at two of the fastest graphics cards to grace the planet at the time of writing; X800 XT on PCI Express and X800 XT Platinum Edition on AGP. MSI calls them both RX800, differentiating between the two with nothing more than a 'PCI Express' or 'Platinum Edition' box marking. Let's look closer, PCI Express version first.