X800GTO vs. X1600XT for playing 1st Person Shooters

[theholmboy]

I am looking to purchase a new PCI-E video card for a small gaming rig - it can only hold a flex-atx mobo. Due to the size requirements I have narrowed it down to a PowerColor 256mb Radeon X800GTO or a Sapphire 256mb Radeon X1600XT. I realize that the X1600XT has support for SM 3.0 & HDR Rendering, whereas the X800GTO doesn't, but my question is: Do FPS games like Battlefield 2 & Counter-Strike Source benefit greatly from these features? I'm leaning towards the X800GTO because I have always enjoyed the performance benefits of a 256-bit bus, but I'm unsure if I'll regret not having the SM 3.0 & HDR not too far down the road. Any help is appreciated, but please don't respond with recommendations for nVidia cards. I like them and have several, including a 6800 Ultra. It must be a Radeon for this rig See attached picture

Thanks,
RHH

 

[kangaruffian]

1600XT yes its...

support HDR etc.. but i doesn't have much power runs those.. go 4 GTO

 

[Greenmachine]

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=329&card2=321

 

[connerwayne]

x850xt

You should go with an x850xt from Newegg.com. your lookin at around 150 - 175 depending on if you want a refurb or not... 520Mhz GPU, 1080Mhz 256 bit memory, both of which Ive overclocked to 585Mhz, or 585/1170 with the stock cooler (which is of very good quality but the card chews up two slots).

Here is a list of current deals they've got goin for the different brands... I recommend Sapphire, I use a Sapphire and I love it, and I have heard good things about HIS. Powercolor also has the x800 GTO2 which is apparently almost 100% of the time, bios flashable to an x850xt, unlocking a quad to equal 16 pipes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Ntk=all&N=0&minPrice=&maxPrice=&Go.x=0&Go.y=0

If you can not have a video card that is this big, that sux, but I thought Id throw it out there.

Wayne

 

[theholmboy]

I went with an X800GTO2 from Newegg

Refurbished for $120!! After making sure it worked OK (3DMark06 score of 4,500), I updated the BIOS to open all 16 pipelines and installed a Zalman VF700-Cu and Ramsinks. That brought the 3DMark06 score to 5,000. I then overclocked it using ATITool 0.24 and got it up to 5,500. Very nice! 1,000 points more just from modding! Almost as much as my 6800 Ultra, which comes in with a 3DMark06 score of 5,700.

Thanks for the input!

RHH

 

[kangaruffian]

np

Very nice Indeed! :grinthumb