X800 PRO VIVO => X800 XT - Which Card?

[krich]

Hey guys,

Really hope someone can help me please with this.

I have been looking at getting a X800 PRO VIVO with view to hopefully softmodding it into a X800 XT and have got a choice of two different X800 PRO VIVO cards to try and that is where I need some help please :) Yes, with choosing which one :)

1. Powercolor ATI Radeon X800Pro 256MB DDR3 8x AGP, DVI, VIVO (R42-PVD3)
2. Sapphire ATI Radeon X800 Pro 256MB DDR3 AGP +DVI +VIVO Retail (21034-01-20)

Right then, both are under £225 and in fact the Powercolor is under £215 which is good because hopefully if the softmod works, it means having saved near £50 to £60 because the cheapest X800 XT is near £275+.

So, which one would be the better one to go for please? All comments and opinions welcome please :)

I want to go for a X800 PRO VIVO and try to softmod it because though I know the XL which is around the same price or a few £'s more is 16 pipes stock, it isn't as overclockable as the PRO VIVO and I assume here that if the softmod takes and the card OC's well, that it would be the better performer.

Out of interest as well, has anyone tested a X800 PRO VIVO/X800 PRO 12 pipes at an OC of around 575 Core and 575 Memory and pit it against a X800 PRO VIVO softmodded with albeit a slower OC of perhaps 525 Core 525 Memory? Would the 16 pipes card put out better performance even if it was clocked slower than a heavily OC'ed Pro with 12 pipes?

Your advice would be wicked guys, I'm planning on buying either card in the next day or two :)

Cheers!

[BlackPearl]

I can tell you about my Sapphire - it easily flashed to unlock all pipelines but would not tolerate PE clocks (max stable for me was about 510/565 with stock cooling) but was a fine performer anyway. It was model 26107 instead of 21034 - I'm not sure what the difference would be.

I would not hesitate to try the PowerColor either. When I look at both cards (or most other pros) I don't see any differences beyond the sticker on the heatsink, so I would be surprised if one showed significant performance advantages over the other. If that's a reasonable conclusion, the company with the better warranty and service and, of course price, might be the best choice. Since I didn't have any problems with my Sapphire, I have no report on the warranty subject.

BTW, I think that your conclusion about the overclockability of the pro vs. the XL is reasonable based on the published reports I've seen. Like you, I'd be interested in an analysis of the high-oc pro 12p vs. lower-oc pro 16p. My experience suggests that the additional pipelines make a substantial difference and I would expect that your oc on a 12p card would have to be quite a bit higher than a 16p to provide equivalent performance, but that's just my gut feeling on the subject. Those tests might be an interesting project for you after you get your new card. :)

You should really enjoy the performance of whichever you choose. Good luck and please report back with your results.

[krich]

Hey buddy,

Cheers for the reply, I really appreciate your input and comments - Cheers again :)

I have sort of now decided to just get an X800 XT or even a X850 XT because I posted this same thread on other forums to get the opinion of as many experts and users as possible so I could make an informed decision and from what I have read and from the very appreciated comments that have been made to my threads, I am concerned about the likelihood of a PRO VIVO being laser cut if it is a newer card and as I don't know if the cards I am looking at are from a newer batch or older, it is worrying.

If I had gone for the PRO VIVO months ago it would have been no problem but now, seems better to go for the XT.

I am kinda deciding whether to go with a X800XT ot X850XT as they are in the same price range here in the UK and I want to choose one based on the best performance and overclockability.

I'll definitely post back with some results but thanks again so much for your input.

Cheers :)

[BlackPearl]

I think that's a wise move. The XT's are not that much more than the VIVO's anyway and avoid the question of unlocking/overclocking. I haven't kept track of the liklihood of laser cut in the VIVO AGP models these days - it wasn't a factor when I got mine. I'll be interested in your final decision and results.

[tomslick]

Hey buddy,


I am kinda deciding whether to go with a X800XT ot X850XT as they are in the same price range here in the UK and I want to choose one based on the best performance and overclockability.

I'll definitely post back with some results but thanks again so much for your input.

Cheers :)

X850XT and oc to XTPE From what I have read X850XTPE= bad as there is.