From: "Chris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: The Hardware List <[email protected]>
To: "'The Hardware List'" <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [H] ATI's HD 2900 XT officially launched and officially sucks.
Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 17:10:49 -0500
I've played with it. And I think we're getting a bit of a mixed review
based on the way we're doing the marks.
The HD2900XT doesn't run as fast as the 8800GTX. Then again, the frame
rate
at NO POINT drops as low as the 8800GTX can, and it consistently keeps a
much higher "average" frame rate then the 8800GTS.
Only in synthetics, which I don't bother with anymore. HardOCP's method is
the only one that matters, avg and lowest frame rate hit on actual games
with objectively maximum playable eye candy. The 2900 looked pretty lame in
this regard.
As a value, It's a fair clip cheaper then the 8800GTX, it's slightly less
then the 640MB 8800GTS, which it is, in many cases, faster then.
"Slightly less? No. The 640MB GTS is available without rebate for $50 less
than the HD 2900 XT's msrp of $400. (of course with rebate it is $70
cheaper) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133188
"Faster than" a 640MB GTS? No, clearly not. Realworld game benchmarks from
the usual round of A-list hardware sites pretty much make that wishful
thinking on your part.
The driver support in Vista, while still a work in progress, is nowhere
near
the mess that Nvidia drivers still are.
In some games, specifically Company of Heroes and WoW, the HD2900XT
performs
very well. In others (like Stalker) it performs nowhere near as well.
While it does require an insane amount of power, it never approaches the
case heat factor of an 8800GTX card, and stays even below many 8800GTS.
The power draw is insane, yes. However high power draw is not something new
to ATI cards. The X1950XTX set a new standard for power draw upon its
release.
To be honest, I think if this card were about $45 cheaper, it would be a
great value for the $.
If would be an ok value if it was priced near a 320MB GTS, which is the
fastest card you can call it "par" to without sounding disengenous.
Right now, all the demand I have is 8800GTX / 8800GTS. But I know some ATI
Fanbois will not feel completely let down.. but if they were anticipating a
8800GTX worldbeater they will be.
Who could blame their expectations with the AMD/ATI (aka DAAMIT) hype
machine in full swing and a spec sheet that *SHOULD* eat a 8800GTX alive?
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