Final thoughts and HEXUS.awards
Our benchmarking has shown that PowerColor's X850 Pro can stand fast against a 6800GT, results swaying one way or the other depending on the graphics engine in use. Pricing of the two products is close, so deciding whether the PowerColor X850 Pro is worth the purchase must boil down to other considerations.
The software bundle isn't likely to excite most people. However some of you may find the inclusion of Pacific Fighters a very good reason for you to purchase the card. The rest of the bundle provides enough connectivity and functionality to kick off any VIVO activities you may wish to perform. Perhaps the best word to describe the bundle is 'sufficient'. Obviously, if VIVO is a must for you, then the VIVO-less 6800GT used in testing here wouldn't be on your shopping list.
While overclocking can never be assured, we were certainly impressed with breaking 600MHz. It suggests there may be some decent clocking chips out there.
Thinking inside the box, more specifically inside your PC case, an X850 Pro is roughly 2cm shorter than a 6800GT. If space is an issue for you, then, you might have a easier time with the X850.
The bottom line is that for ~£210, you're getting a card that will deliver good frame rates and high image quality. If bundles aren't of concern to you, then the somewhat lightweight software bundle won't bother you. In fact you might find a bundle-free version of the card cheaper still, if you're not worried about VIVO connectivity. You could almost reduce the 6800GT/X850 Pro battle to the flip of a coin, but the simple fact is both with play any currently available game well, so PowerColor's X850 Pro leaves our labs with a recommendation.
HEXUS Awards
