Final thoughts, HEXUS.awards, HEXUS.where2buy and HEXUS.right2reply
First and foremost, the X1300 XT, when coupled with GDDR3, demonstrates itself to be a cut above the GeForce 7300 GT DDR2 in terms of performance. It is consistently faster in all of our tests, handling higher resolutions better than the 7300 GT.
Between GeCube and Sapphire's offerings, there's little performance difference to be seen. A core clock advantage of 14MHz for Sapphire's X1300 XT Overclock Edition gives it a very narrow lead - not one likely to be noticed in anything other than benchmark results. Do remember, however, that GeCube's X1300 XT Platinum edition is also an overclocked part, so both of these cards offer greater performance out of the box than will be had from some other X1300 XT offerings.
We must delve deeper to differentiate between these two products, then. GeCube's bundle loses out to Sapphire's, which, while lacking composite and s-video cables, does include the harder to come by component video breakout cabling. Sapphire throws in PowerDVD too, adding more value to the bundle. On the flip side, GeCube has a better cooler that interfaces with the GDDR3 chips and the card also sports two DVI outputs.
We've spotted Sapphire's regular X1300 XT GDDR3 for around the £60 mark. We've been advised that the Overclock Edition will weigh in at "a few pounds more" than this. Similarly, it looks like GeCube's card should be available for something between 60 and 80 pounds, but we'll see what e-tailers list it at. A GeForce 7300 GT can be had for around £50-60, so while it looks like the pre-overclocked X1300 XTs cost a little more, we'd suggest that the performance advantage justifies this.
Both GeCube and Sapphire have produced solid cards here. Taking the core clock over the reference level appears to be a wise move, giving them both heightened appeal. However, it's hard to call between the two cards; the pros and cons of each card ultimately seem to balance out. If DVI's your thing, you'll probably prefer the GeCube X1300 XT GDDR3 Platinum Edition, but if you'd rather have a better bundle, it'll be Sapphire's X1300 XT GDDR3 Overclock Edition for you.
HEXUS Awards
Given the market segment of these cards, we feel the bundle is more important than dual DVI, so we're giving Sapphire's card our recommendation. GeCube's card is still quite worthy of a HEXUS.labs certification, however, and will be more alluring to some individuals.
HEXUS Right2Reply
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