ATI AiB boards to feature factory overclocked models

[Bateluer]

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Interesting, should be better for ATI/AMD. Allowing 3rd party board makers to differentiate themselves is good for all parties.

Hopefully, this will also lead to some alternative cooling solutions for the toasty 2900XTs.

I'd have to research this more thoroughly, but I don't think the Tt TideWater VGA water cooling system that Sapphire has used in the past is going to cut it on the 2900XT at stock cooling, let alone any overclocking.

 

[Matt2]

It's a dangerous game they're getting themselves into.

What happens if even at 850mhz and water cooled, R600 can't beat a factory OC'd GTX? I can't see these extreme versions selling for any less than $499 and at that price, HD2900XT has moved out of the 8800GTS 640mb bracket and into direct competition with the GTX. On the other hand, if these OC versions do compete very well with the GTX's, we might finally see the GTX come down to sub-$500 prices.

It is good that AMD let the dogs off their leashes. Now we just need them to adopt liberal warranty policies like the Nvidia vendors. I would love to finally see AMD vendors offer lifetime warranties, double lifetime warranties and allow changing the stock cooling solution and overclocking the card.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

ati already allows overclocking via their CCC...

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
ati already allows overclocking via their CCC...

well no duh.

I'm talking about overclocking your card and not having the warranty voided. A la EVGA. Fry your card from overclocking? No prob!

I also think that if you change the stock cooler on most ATI AiBs, it voids your warranty as well.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i dont think they will know if u change the cooler or not... if u need to send it back to them for any reason, just spend 10 minutes and reattach the stock cooler..
and its pretty hard to fry your card from overclocking unless ur retarded, using CCC, if ur system locks up due to instability, it reverts back to the original speeds after you reboot...

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
i dont think they will know if u change the cooler or not... if u need to send it back to them for any reason, just spend 10 minutes and reattach the stock cooler..
and its pretty hard to fry your card from overclocking unless ur retarded, using CCC, if ur system locks up due to instability, it reverts back to the original speeds after you reboot...

They'll know you took the cooler off if they take the cooler off and find you replaced their gallon of yellow goop with a fine spread of AS5.

A lot of people dont use the CCC to overclock. Lots of people use clocks higher than 690/800. Lots of people increase the voltage to the GPU. Some people dont like the idea of being dishonest and sending a card in for RMA when you knowingly broke it yourself.

I just like the fact that no matter what happens to your card from a manufacturer like EVGA (short of volt modding the card) they will replace it, no questions asked.

You cant argue the fact that every ATI manufacturer has extremely weak warranties compared to most Nvidia vendors. I think the only company that offers a lifetime warrranty on the red side is Powercolor.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Matt2

I think the only company that offers a lifetime warrranty on the red side is Powercolor.

Red side? Taken a look at the ATi website lately?

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: Matt2
You cant argue the fact that every ATI manufacturer has extremely weak warranties compared to most Nvidia vendors. I think the only company that offers a lifetime warrranty on the red side is Powercolor.

Exactly. ATI card warranties are definitely not as good as the NVidia ones. What the heck is holding the ATI partners back? If NVidia's partners can do it why can't ATI's??