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Taking it down one notch at a time, we
now analyze ATI solutions for the low-end sector of the
market. These cards are sold for low prices and usually make
for a fine replacement to integrated video. Although the
variety of models and nomenclature used by ATI (Pro, XL, PE,
SE, etc.) makes it hard to recognize which cards belong to
each market, it should be clear that the X300 was designed
for the entry-level PCI Express market.
As you will notice in the picture below,
the PCB, HSF and memory distribution is exactly the same as
in the X600. This card operates at 325/400 MHz
(core/memory). A somewhat remarkable feature is the 256MB
on-board memory, although if you thought this was going to
make for smooth gaming frame rates, you will want to think
it twice and see our benchmarks tests in the next pages.
Pros: Low price, TV Out capable.
Cons: Poor gaming performance.
This is the last of the cards we tested
in the ATI line. The SE version of the X300 is an even
cheaper solution, also available in the PCI Express
platform. At around $50-60 this makes for a better choice
than standard integrated video.
Just like the standard X300, this card
operates at 325/400 MHz (core/memory), however a major
drawback is found in the SE, memory bandwidth has been
reduced to 64-bit, which compromises 3D performance
considerably. Other than that, the PCB is smaller than any
of the cards reviewed before, yet it’s still enough for
accommodating the 128MB of memory that come on-board.
Pros: Low price, TV Out capable.
Cons: Poor gaming performance
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