Help newby buying a X1900 XT-X

[Oswald]

Hello

Looking through the Overclockers catalogue, there are SEVEN different X1900 XT-X's listed, all with varying prices. I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but what are the differences? Are they all essentially the same card? The only obvious difference I can see is slight variations in the clock speeds.

I'm planning on getting one but don't know what to pick (apart from the one that costs £411.19 Including VAT, its out of my budget).

Which is the one to get and why? Is there anything else I need to be aware of with this particular card?

Alternatively, is the "XT" version a better choice and if so why (apart from the fact its cheaper)? What does the extra "X" in the "XT-X" models actually mean?

I would appreciate any help or comments, no matter how obvious they seem as I know very little about these matters

Thanks in advance!

 

[killer_uk]

Hello

Looking through the Overclockers catalogue, there are SEVEN different X1900 XT-X's listed, all with varying prices. I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but what are the differences? Are they all essentially the same card? The only obvious difference I can see is slight variations in the clock speeds.

I'm planning on getting one but don't know what to pick (apart from the one that costs £411.19 Including VAT, its out of my budget).

Which is the one to get and why? Is there anything else I need to be aware of with this particular card?

Alternatively, is the "XT" version a better choice and if so why (apart from the fact its cheaper)? What does the extra "X" in the "XT-X" models actually mean?

I would appreciate any help or comments, no matter how obvious they seem as I know very little about these matters

Thanks in advance!

Well, all of the manufacturers are good and reliable. They differ in price due to having different bundles (games, software etc) and warranties. All of the XTs made by different manufacturers are the same card (and the same for the XTXs).

It's really up to you as to which card you go for, i'm not 100% on which cards have the best warranty (I think they are all about the same). If noise bothers you then the card which does vary slightly is the HIS Excalibur ATI Radeon X1900 XT ICEQ 3 SILENT Heatpipe card. This, from what I hear is a lot quieter than the stock XT/X heatsink.

The only difference between the XT and XTX is the clock speed. The XT runs at 625MHz/1450MHz where the XTX runs at 650MHz/1550MHz. Most XTs can be overclocked to XTX speeds with no problem. Most would advise you to get an XT over an XTX as the performance increase in small and the cost is quite a bit higher.

Hopefully I have covered everything you needed to know, if not just post here again.

 

[Oswald]

The only difference between the XT and XTX is the clock speed. The XT runs at 625MHz/1450MHz where the XTX runs at 650MHz/1550MHz. Most XTs can be overclocked to XTX speeds with no problem. Most would advise you to get an XT over an XTX as the performance increase in small and the cost is quite a bit higher.

Ah, I see. So if I bought the cheapest XT (£276.07 Including VAT):

Connect3D ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (3056) (GX-047-CO)

It can be overclocked to be the same as an XT-X? This seems to good to be true!

Thanks for the advice, you've saved me some money!

 

[Nelly]

Ah, I see. So if I bought the cheapest XT (£276.07 Including VAT):

Connect3D ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (3056) (GX-047-CO)

It can be overclocked to be the same as an XT-X? This seems to good to be true!

Thanks for the advice, you've saved me some money!

If you dont mind the low droaning noise then it's a nice purchase.

 

[Borden]

If you dont mind the low droaning noise then it's a nice purchase.

Doesn't the XT-X and XT use the same reference cooler?

A Zalman VF900 will lower the temps of the card and keep it quieter, possibly allowing for a better or more stable overclock.

 

[fenderbass86]

Will a single X1900XT be able to run a resolution of 1680x1050 with some AA/AF in modern games? I'm gonna be building a Conroe system with 2GB DDR2 and an X1900XT, so I want to be able to put this system to good use with a big'ish' monitor. I was originally gonna go for a 19" but now I want the Viewsonic VX2025. Will it need sli/crossfire to run it at playable resolutions?

 

[Borden]

Will a single X1900XT be able to run a resolution of 1680x1050 with some AA/AF in modern games? I'm gonna be building a Conroe system with 2GB DDR2 and an X1900XT, so I want to be able to put this system to good use with a big'ish' monitor. I was originally gonna go for a 19" but now I want the Viewsonic VX2025. Will it need sli/crossfire to run it at playable resolutions?

An X1900XT will handle that with ease, they're really beefy cards.

 

[Aidoscuz]

It can be overclocked to be the same as an XT-X? This seems to good to be true!

Thanks for the advice, you've saved me some money!

I think the XTX uses faster memory than the XT so the XTX would probably overclock a bit further than the XT. It varies from card to card though, you might be lucky and get a really good clocking XT. The better memory probably isn't worth the price difference though.

 

[LoadsaMoney]

Don't forget they have different pics on the coolers as well.