Thoughts, HEXUS.awards & HEXUS.right2reply
Firstly, I hope it's obvious that RIALTO, at least for R4-series hardware, doesn't have any detrimental affect on performance. For all intents and purposes, besides the little chip on the rear of the board, it could be native AGP. There are some physical considerations, at least currently, when considering a RIALTO-based AGP product. You can see from the examination of the Club3D X800 XL that it has the potential to increase PCB size to a point where the product is no longer suitable for certain small PC systems. A shame; ever since X800 XT Platinum Edition's launch this time last year, ATI's boards have been very SFF-friendly (barring the larger X850 XT Platinum Edition with its bigger cooler).Examining the performance difference between the X800 XL and the X850 XT Platinum Edition, we can see why X800 XL continues to be enthused about by all who come into contact with it. Compared to GeForce 6800 GT, it hits hard and gives little away to NVIDIA's competing SKU in terms of performance. When you then consider price, with Club3D's example coming in at £232 at Scan, compared to the ~£270 a GeForce 6800 GT on AGP will cost you, and the ~£350 an X850 XT PE will set you back, you can see the obvious appeal.
X800 XL remains the realistic performance board of choice for people shopping in the middle section of the high-end space.
Club3D's example doesn't go overboard on the bundle, however you do get a great game and the cables you're given are sufficient to make good use of the VIVO ability of the board. The Club3D-branded DVI adaptor is a nice touch, too. That you also get the aforementioned VIVO ability on Club's board makes it even more attractive. Presentation is tasteful and the only thing that detracts from the board is its size, due to the RIALTO bridge chip, and the lack of dual DVI ports. If you can accomodate it in your AGP system however, it comes highly recommended.
The X850 XT Platinum Edition sits as the AGP performance card of choice for the well-heeled gamer. At the time of writing, there's no AGP solution that's faster for the gamer. It's top dog.
It's good to see ATI making good on their promise to bring more AGP SKUs to market, and while their entire SKU list is packed to the hilt with performance overlap and confusing naming and it definitely needs some trimming down, choice never hurt anyone.
In the absence of other X800 XL boards to compare the Club3D to, I was initially hesitant to give it an Extreme Recommended award, however researching all other AGP X800 XL offerings shows that Club3D compete hard on price, which tips the award in its favour. If you're looking for a high-performance AGP board and you've got no more than £250 to spend, you'd be mad to not consider it.
HEXUS Awards
Club3D ATI Radeon X800 XL AGP 256MB
ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition AGP 256MB - Reference Hardware
HEXUS Right2Reply - ATi Technologies
Commenting under the HEXUS Right2Reply initiative, ATi Technologies had this to say about our article:Since the launch of the 9700 Pro, ATI has maintained the crown for 'Fastest Card in the World' with every new release - and the X850 XT Platinum Edition for AGP is no exception.
While it is possible for the competition to create cards that will beat us in a small number of very specific cases, ATI takes pride in not being a '1 trick pony'.
Customer demand playability and we do everything we can to make sure they get it - in every game possible.
Our Catalyst Driver programme means that we deliver a brand new, high-performance, WHQL-certified driver each and every month.
Each new Catalyst driver gives a broad range of improvements to performance, stability and features.
When you buy a performance card like the Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition for AGP, from any of ATI's official partners, you know that it will give you blistering frame rates on every game out there - at all resolutions and image quality settings - 'straight out of the box'.
HEXUS readers who are looking for a card to deliver the maximum playable frame rate in games like Doom 3 (i.e. ~60 frames per second) when running at 1600x1200 with 4xAA and 8xAF, then the ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition for AGP is a fantastic choice.
If you also want the best possible frame rates in Half Life 2 and a host of other games - then it is definitely the best choice.
The AGP market is very important for ATI and we will continue to support it for a long time to come.
AGP users who want the very best upgrade possible should make sure they check out the performance results on HEXUS.net
Kind regards,
Andrzej Bania
PR and Marketing Manager
Northern Europe & South Africa
ATI Technologies (EUROPE) GmbH
HEXUS Right2Reply - Club 3D
Commenting under the HEXUS Right2Reply initiative, Club 3D had this to say about our article:Club 3D's response will follow shortly
