ATI Radeon X1950 Pro: CrossFire Done Right
by Derek Wilson on October 17, 2006 6:22 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
The Test
We are using the same Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 setup for this article that we've been using over the past couple months. Driver revisions haven't changed since our 7950 GT article, and we will be looking at the same three resolutions: 1280x1024, 1600x1200 and 1920x1440. Here's the breakdown of the hardware used:
| CPU: | Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 (2.93GHz/4MB) |
| Motherboard: |
Intel D975XBX (LGA-775) ASUS P5NSLI |
| Chipset: |
Intel 975X NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI |
| Chipset Drivers: |
Intel 7.2.2.1007 (Intel) NVIDIA nForce 8.22 |
| Hard Disk: | Seagate 7200.7 160GB SATA |
| Memory: | Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 4-4-4-12 (1GB x 2) |
| Video Card: | Various |
| Video Drivers: |
ATI Catalyst 6.9 NVIDIA ForceWare 91.47 |
| Desktop Resolution: | 1920 x 1440 - 32-bit @ 60Hz |
| OS: | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
We will also be testing with the same seven games we've employed for the past few reviews. Next month will see an exciting change in our benchmarking lineup as we are preparing new games for the bench right now. Expect to see the latest Battlefield, Splinter Cell, and Company of Heroes make their way into our test suite in the near future. For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the soothing experience that is benchmark analysis.
There is quite a bit of data in each of these tests, so we'll focus on the sweet-spot performance analysis and leave the rest of the data more for reference than anything else.
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Spoelie - Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - link
Bit disappointed, was hoping for 600/700 clocks. I'm curious about the temperatures under load and if it would easily overclock to at least those speeds. And what about HDCP? But I guess we'll have to wait for retail cards.If the price is €200 or less I just might be getting one to replace my x800xt :)
Spoelie - Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - link
Apparantly, powercolor clocks all its x1950pro cards up to 600/700 and have a 512mb sku. Plus silent cooling :)http://www.powercolor.com/global/main_product_seri...">http://www.powercolor.com/global/main_product_seri...
No word on hdcp and price tho :/
DerekWilson - Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - link
HDCP support is optional for vendors, but it seems like ATI is heavily encouraging them to include HDCP on all 1950 PRO cards. Since it's not guaranteed, be sure to check the specifications before you purchase.The power color 1950 PRO is not passively cooled but it includes a low dB fan. It does look like an interesting product, and we intend to acquire one for further investigation.
Goty - Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - link
Go read the review over at bit-tech. They've got prices up and the Saphire card they reviewed has HDCP.MadBadger - Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - link
Thanks for the review :beer;An observation:
-the pricefinder at the top of the article seems a bit out of whack. It shows as x1950 512 mb (PCI), but it links to the 1950 pro 256 mb for amazon and to the x1950 xt for the others.