Are OEM Matrox cards not as good as retail versions?

[MidiGuy]

Someone said in another post that he thought that OEM versions of Matrox cards are clocked down a bit from the retail versions. Is this true? And how can we know for sure?

Thanks!

-Midi

 

[rhand]

In a previous thread here, the last response said there was no difference in the clock speed of an OEM or retail version of the G450.

 

[Rand]

-SOME- Matrox cards vary in clockspeed depending upon OEM/Retail branding.
Assuming your referring to the G450 as rhand seems to imply then she is correct, the G450 is clocked identically in retail and OEM.

 

[ADxS]

There is a lot of variation among G450s in terms of clock speeds.

 

[MidiGuy]

Thanks for the input. I didn't see that reply in the other thread before I started this one.

Is there any way to back up these conflicting answers one way or the other? Also, do the same answers apply to the G550 as the G450?

 

[Priit]

I've seen 5 G450: 3 OEM versions and 2 retails. All were the same (125 core 166 DDR mem if I remember correctly).

 

[Rand]

All of the G450 and G550's I've seen were clocked exactly the same, irregardless of OEM/Retail status.

The G400/G400 Max differentiated OEM/Retail for awhile before Matrox started clocking them the same, the present Parhelia also differentiates OEM/Retail clockspeeds.

 

[MidiGuy]

Originally posted by: Priit
I've seen 5 G450: 3 OEM versions and 2 retails. All were the same (125 core 166 DDR mem if I remember correctly).

The Matrox Web site says that the G450 has a 360MHz RAMDAC. Is that not the core speed? Also, how do you tell the memory speed?

 

[AdvancedRobotics]

"The Matrox Web site says that the G450 has a 360MHz RAMDAC. Is that not the core speed?"

RAMDAC and core clock are two totally different things and in no way are related to eachother. In short, RAMDAC controls 2D quality, refresh rate, etc.

"Also, how do you tell the memory speed?"

There is a formula for this, based on the speed (in ns) of the RAM. I don't know it, however... Normally, it is equivelant with the core clock.

 

[Rand]

Originally posted by: MidiGuy

Originally posted by: Priit
I've seen 5 G450: 3 OEM versions and 2 retails. All were the same (125 core 166 DDR mem if I remember correctly).

The Matrox Web site says that the G450 has a 360MHz RAMDAC. Is that not the core speed? Also, how do you tell the memory speed?

RAMDAC has no relation to core clockspeed, in modern times RAMDAC impacts nothing besides refresh rate and quality scaling between resolutions.
You cannot tell core clockspeed simply by looking at the board, one would need the board itself and a utility to test the core clockspeed.
The same is true for memory clockspeed, though you can get a very vague hint of the memory clock by looking at the timing on the DRAM used. That's is indeed an extremely vague indication though as MANY things impact when the mem clockspeed can be besides the rating of the DRAM.