Overclocking and thoughts
OverclockingUsing a combination of Powerstrip and error-free validation from 3DMark03, our sample overclocked to 472MHz core and 1040MHz RAM. That's very, very close to default X700 XT speeds, too. Xpand Rally was re-run at 1280x1024 4x AA/8x AF to see what effect higher clock speeds had on average framerates.
Just enough clock power to overhaul a 128MB-equipped 6600 GT card. The best aspect for me isn't the overall clock speed, it's just how quiet the card is when running at high-ish frequencies.
Final thoughts
As always, there's red-hot competition in the £150 marketplace right now. NVIDIA's laid down the gauntlet with its impressive NV43 range of GPUs. ATI has responded with its R423-derived X700-series of cards and MSI has been one of the very first manufacturers to deliver a complete package.
GeForce 6600 GT and Radeon X700 PRO are pretty similar in a number of respects. They're both derived from class-leading cards and both run with 8 rendering pipelines and sport 128-bit memory interfaces. Whereas NVIDIA differentiates its NV43 line by having just two base models, ATI has an X700 XT (475MHz core/1050MHz memory), X700 PRO (425/864) and X700 (400/600) variants, all with native PCIe interfaces. MSI's RX700PRO-TD256E fits right into the middle of ATI's midrange hierarchy but ships with a standard 256MB of onboard RAM.
Looking at our benchmarks, the 128MB GeForce 6600 GT's faster core and memory speeds generally put it in pole position until we really dial up AntiAliasing and Anisotropic Filtering. We'd kind of expect that, given that an X700 XT is its natural competitor. So in terms of GPU power in this crucial midrange bracket both ATI's RV410 and NVIDIA's NV43 are consummate performers. I'd give the performance nod to a 'GT at anything other than 1600x1200 4x AA/8x AF, though, and wouldn't consider anything else for DOOM 3.
MSI has done a decent job in turning an RV410 GPU into a fully-fledged retail package. £160 or so buys you a competent midrange graphics card and a bundle to rival the best. Too often manufacturers overlook the bundle but MSI hasn't made that mistake. There's games aplenty and documentation is excellent. The choice you have to make is which PCIe GPU to go for. Both NVIDIA and ATI make compelling cases. If you decide that an X700 PRO best fits your needs and budget I can heartily recommend MSI's RX700PRO.
