HARDOCP 2900xt Review! (a proper review)

[Regs]

Apop, how in the world can you support this card? At least get a GTS 640 now and wait for AMD to pull through with a 65nm refreash.

The fact that the same video card packed and sealed have different power draws should signal a red flag to you that this is ATi's FX. It's not even competing with Nvidia's high end yet it consumes more power than a GTX and they recommend a 550watt (generic) PSU!! Not many of us care for power draw but you can judge a lot about new technology from how much power it uses to feed the beast.

Just wait, I beg you. Don't buy this filler product. Especially not for 400 dollars. AMD is rolling the dice releasing this card. They hope video card sales will be high or on the rise just in time for the refreash. AMD needs to come down on ATi with a sledge hammer and rebuild it with some high-tech precision power tools.

 

[Cooler]

Even as an ATI fan this card really sucks unless they can fix these problems fast with drivers I am getting 8800GTX. Im not sure who droped the ball making this card but someone had to. All i can say is the R700 better be not late or AMD will have killed ATI.

 

[fern420]

Originally posted by: Regs
Apop, how in the world can you support this card? At least get a GTS 640 now and wait for AMD to pull through with a 65nm refreash.

The fact that the same video card packed and sealed have different power draws should signal a red flag to you that this is ATi's FX. It's not even competing with Nvidia's high end yet it consumes more power than a GTX and they recommend a 550watt (generic) PSU!! Not many of us care for power draw but you can judge a lot about new technology from how much power it uses to feed the beast.

Just wait, I beg you. Don't buy this filler product. Especially not for 400 dollars. AMD is rolling the dice releasing this card. They hope video card sales will be high or on the rise just in time for the refreash. AMD needs to come down on ATi with a sledge hammer and rebuild it with some high-tech precision power tools.

i can see where your coming from and i would tell any single graphic card owner to do it but myself, im kinda stuck with this motherboard for the time being, i have a bad axe mother board and unless i want to go out and buy an sli mother board and two new 8800 cards i have to live with my pre 8800 purchase for a mobo, lets face it, it rocked with two x1900 cards in crossfire, hehe.

anyway you cut it two 2900 cards is still more cost effective for someone in my boat than going out and getting a new board and two new 8800 cards, even if i went with GTS cards. trust me these benchmarks are a heart breaker, especially when your buying two of these cards but for crossfire owners who love their bad ax motherboard its the only choice. i just keep telling myself that real world gaming and benchmarks are nowhere close to each other.......

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: golem

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: HigherGround
techpowerup did not include GTS numbers, without them, their conclusion, as it stands, is without merit.

ok toss out both HardOCP and techpowerup

overall ... it seems to be a " cautious 'thumbs-up' "

as a Competitor to the GTS
of course

the price, the bundle, the features are right ... size is good too

the power consumption sucks and the drivers are immature

what did i miss?

I dont understand why HardOCP is being "thrown out".

If you dont like his conclusion, then so be it, but the numbers dont lie. Just ask DailyTech.

sure they do

*out of date drivers*

that's all

toss 'em

or UPdate them

Does anyone know which drivers are shipping when the card is released?

who gives a fig?

i never - ever - install drivers from the CD

you ALWAYS go to the website for he latest and these reviewers would have "access" to those the latest drivers ... if they CHOOSE to use them

HardOCP is damn sloppy - at least this review

Are you slow? Most people probably install the drivers that come with the card. Chances are the drivers they used are the drivers AMD shipped them. If AMD wanted them to not use those drivers, they should have sent other ones.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: golem

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: HigherGround
techpowerup did not include GTS numbers, without them, their conclusion, as it stands, is without merit.

ok toss out both HardOCP and techpowerup

overall ... it seems to be a " cautious 'thumbs-up' "

as a Competitor to the GTS
of course

the price, the bundle, the features are right ... size is good too

the power consumption sucks and the drivers are immature

what did i miss?

I dont understand why HardOCP is being "thrown out".

If you dont like his conclusion, then so be it, but the numbers dont lie. Just ask DailyTech.

sure they do

*out of date drivers*

that's all

toss 'em

or UPdate them

Does anyone know which drivers are shipping when the card is released?

who gives a fig?

i never - ever - install drivers from the CD

you ALWAYS go to the website for he latest and these reviewers would have "access" to those the latest drivers ... if they CHOOSE to use them

HardOCP is damn sloppy - at least this review

Are you slow? Most people probably install the drivers that come with the card. Chances are the drivers they used are the drivers AMD shipped them. If AMD wanted them to not use those drivers, they should have sent other ones.

slow? no ... you are

well, then - according to your "logic", "MOST people" are installing the original drivers that came with the 8800 SIX months ago

why are the "release drivers" still packed with the 8800 GPU boxes ... released in back November ?
--they will get awful performance with the ooB drivers ... if they are that stupid to use them they deserve what they get ... the INSTRUCTIONS say to go to the website and DL the *latest*

utter ridiculous on your part ... you should be embarrassed to even bring this up
:roll:
-------------------------

Originally posted by: Regs
Apop, how in the world can you support this card? At least get a GTS 640 now and wait for AMD to pull through with a 65nm refreash.

The fact that the same video card packed and sealed have different power draws should signal a red flag to you that this is ATi's FX. It's not even competing with Nvidia's high end yet it consumes more power than a GTX and they recommend a 550watt (generic) PSU!! Not many of us care for power draw but you can judge a lot about new technology from how much power it uses to feed the beast.

Just wait, I beg you. Don't buy this filler product. Especially not for 400 dollars. AMD is rolling the dice releasing this card. They hope video card sales will be high or on the rise just in time for the refreash. AMD needs to come down on ATi with a sledge hammer and rebuild it with some high-tech precision power tools.

if i ONLT read this out-of-date review i might have agreed with you

but is it NOT ... (a proper review)

it is a very skewed review ... out of line with everything else i am reading
-using out of date drivers doesn't support his agenda

and "Who said" i was buying it for $400


and why 'beg' me not to buy it?

your post makes NO sense to me - even this morning ... and i AM feeling better
[thank-you ... had the flu all weekend ]

let me summarize what i read, so far ... the plusses

1) the HD-2900xt is faster than the GTS

2) it will be priced lower

3) it has more 'features'

the negatives

1) power draw

letsee ... on ONE hand it IS power hungry .... *agreed* ... but NOT a problem for ANYONE with a decent PS ... on the OTHER hand it is Faster, cheaper and more full-featured

i *did NOT* beg "you" to wait on buying the GTS last November - because it's drivers were beta crap on release .... look how excellent it is now ... and look how "happy" the 8800 series owners are NOW - "generally - happy"

so WHY should you CARE if *i* am an early adopter ?

i think you would all gain from my experience ... perhaps i will come to *hate* it
-or love it ...

who knows ? ... it's MY $350
- and if i am correct, it will "turn out" be a superb value

if not, *i lose* .... but then i will *know* ... for myself

is my logic still "faulty" in your eyes?

curious ... it really doesn't matter ... IF i want one, i will get one

are you *afraid* AMD will get an "undeserved" sale that should go to nvidia

i DON'T want a GTS ... not now ... it is an underperformer compared to the HDxXT in the SAME price range

that IS 'value' in MY book

 

[DefRef]

Oh, boo-friggedy-hoo, ATI fanchimps! It's amazing that you're so blindly loyal to ATI that you'd rather pay more money for a slower card that sucks power and runs like a furnace than go with the clearly superior nVidia product. And no, I'm not a viral marketer - just someone who's amused that people would rather stick with failures like 3Dfx and ATI than go with what's best. Suit yourselves. Enjoy your slow furnaces, bought out of spite.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: fierydemise
Question MadBoris, what makes HardOCP's review proper? I wouldn't call them improper however they are decidedly unscientific being based off of an opinion of what is playable and what looks best.

Well, from his original post, he hadn't even finished reading the review before posting the title. Misleading....

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: DefRef
Oh, boo-friggedy-hoo, ATI fanchimps! It's amazing that you're so blindly loyal to ATI that you'd rather pay more money for a slower card that sucks power and runs like a furnace than go with the clearly superior nVidia product. And no, I'm not a viral marketer - just someone who's amused that people would rather stick with failures like 3Dfx and ATI than go with what's best. Suit yourselves. Enjoy your slow furnaces, bought out of spite.

blindly loyal?

you are ... to your "clearly superior" overpriced card ... i don't want to spend $600
--UNDER $400 ... and there is NOTHING nvidia has - for under $400 that will 'touch it'

the *only* issue is power draw .. PERIOD ... and it is a faster card then the GTS which it competes with

strange *you* would bring up Viral Marketing ... you use their methods
:Q

*best performance* is 8800ultra for $800 ...

for that *same* $800 - 2 $400 HDXTs that will outperform it and leave it licking it's dust ... if you just want "performance"

spite ... there is only one reasonable choice in the "under $400" price ... the slower GTS or the faster HD-XT ...
tough choice for me

 

[fern420]

Originally posted by: DefRef
Oh, boo-friggedy-hoo, ATI fanchimps! It's amazing that you're so blindly loyal to ATI that you'd rather pay more money for a slower card that sucks power and runs like a furnace than go with the clearly superior nVidia product. And no, I'm not a viral marketer - just someone who's amused that people would rather stick with failures like 3Dfx and ATI than go with what's best. Suit yourselves. Enjoy your slow furnaces, bought out of spite.

ohh come on, for all yout time in the forums you for one should understand that pretty much any serious gamer or rig owner that buys this card or two of them isnt buying it for its superior benchmark scores. for me its a choice, either shell out $200- $250 for a sli motherboard and about $150 more for two 8800 gtx cards with craptatular nvidia drivers that are blue screening on sli 8800 card setups atleast twice a day for the average person. or i can stick with a proven winner, the bad axe motherboard and be stuck with gts par performance for $400 a card but absolutely no diver issues.

trust me id love to go buy two 8800 gtx cards and a sli motherboard instead but the real world gaming diffrence has yet to be proven in a a benchmark and something tells me that the extra cost for the 8800's and the sli mobo, about $350 to $400 would not calculate into a fessable gaming impact in the long run.

call me skeptical or maybe its wishful thinking but im truly hoping to see a diffrence in some benchmarks with mature drivers.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: Gstanfor

if engineers ran the show....man would life be different, we'd have some pretty funky stuff.

Thats just it - at ATi engineers Do run the show and you end up with over-engineered chips that don't focus on what's really needed and wanted in the marketplace by their customers - they are just engineered for the sake of engineering - witness the ring bus and 512bit memory bus.

no, at AMD, monkeys run the show, theres a difference.

you have kinda proved my point though....i didnt say if you let engineers run the show you end up with a supreme end result. what i was hinting at is you end up with some very quirky/queer/funky stuff.....R600 is just that, its not exactly a beast but as a piece of engineering its fascinating. the ideas are there, they just didnt come out in the wash very well

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer

Originally posted by: Gstanfor

if engineers ran the show....man would life be different, we'd have some pretty funky stuff.

Thats just it - at ATi engineers Do run the show and you end up with over-engineered chips that don't focus on what's really needed and wanted in the marketplace by their customers - they are just engineered for the sake of engineering - witness the ring bus and 512bit memory bus.

no, at AMD, monkeys run the show, theres a difference.

you have kinda proved my point though....i didnt say if you let engineers run the show you end up with a supreme end result. what i was hinting at is you end up with some very quirky/queer/funky stuff.....R600 is just that, its not exactly a beast but as a piece of engineering its fascinating. the ideas are there, they just didnt come out in the wash very well

actually it did ... if you can somehow comprehend that is a sub$400 card ... --nothing more nothing less ... it is aimed at the GTS ... and IMO - kill's it's target

the *only problem* is that HardOCP is not a "proper review" .. short of having nvidia post THEIR review of r600 .. there is NOTHING else published that supports HardOCP's agenda.

 

[Dent0n]

I know I don't have many posts here but I just want to thank apoppin for the best laugh I've had all year.

 

[Gstanfor]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: DefRef
Oh, boo-friggedy-hoo, ATI fanchimps! It's amazing that you're so blindly loyal to ATI that you'd rather pay more money for a slower card that sucks power and runs like a furnace than go with the clearly superior nVidia product. And no, I'm not a viral marketer - just someone who's amused that people would rather stick with failures like 3Dfx and ATI than go with what's best. Suit yourselves. Enjoy your slow furnaces, bought out of spite.

blindly loyal?

you are ... to your "clearly superior" overpriced card ... i don't want to spend $600
--UNDER $400 ... and there is NOTHING nvidia has - for under $400 that will 'touch it'

the *only* issue is power draw .. PERIOD ... and it is a faster card then the GTS which it competes with

strange *you* would bring up Viral Marketing ... you use their methods
:Q

*best performance* is 8800ultra for $800 ...

for that *same* $800 - 2 $400 HDXTs that will outperform it and leave it licking it's dust ... if you just want "performance"

spite ... there is only one reasonable choice in the "under $400" price ... the slower GTS or the faster HD-XT ...
tough choice for me

I can find *PLENTY* of GTS 640's under $400 on newegg - Text
Stupid newegg search - i specified GTS 640 and it returns GTS 320 results also!, anyhow, still plenty to choose from and one under $350

 

[golem]

Originally posted by: Dent0n
I know I don't have many posts here but I just want to thank apoppin for the best laugh I've had all year.

I know. He's chosen his stance and will defend it no matter what, ridiculing anyone or any site that disagrees.

Course, later on he might flip flop and defend the other side just as vigorously.

 

[nemesismk2]

HardOCP are very well known for being pro-nvidia, there isn't anything wrong with that but you have to keep that in mind when reading their reviews!

 

[CaiNaM]

and DH is well known for being pro-ati, yet their conclusion:

"All is not lost with the product though. Most of our main issues can be fixed by two changes; the first is a complete redesign of the cooling solution to create one which is as quiet, if not more so than it?s main competitors and the second is a drop of the retail price by at least £50 or $75 (from RRP $399) to compensate for the fact that overall the card is slower and has less memory than the nearest competition (The Geforce 8800 GTS 640Mb). If AMD or its partners can do both the Radeon HD becomes a much more attractive purchase, as it stands now however, we simply cannot recommend this hardware."

so it's not like HOCP is alone in their "opinion".

 

[HigherGround]

I guess it comes down to a simple question. Do people want a video card that has a potential to be faster or a card that is just plain fast. To be fair, I'm sure the 'driver team' will improve the scores for some popular games, especially those used heavily in benchmarks across the hardware review sites, but will they fix the performance in less popular titles, probably not. I'm afraid that the cat drivers for R600 will look something like this...

if(running_oblivion)
....
else if(running_stalker)
....
else if....

which just sucks. Finally, people, who think that they will be some magic driver version that will just 'make everything go faster', are simply delusional.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: golem

Originally posted by: Dent0n
I know I don't have many posts here but I just want to thank apoppin for the best laugh I've had all year.

I know. He's chosen his stance and will defend it no matter what, ridiculing anyone or any site that disagrees.

Course, later on he might flip flop and defend the other side just as vigorously.

of course .. it is my right to change my mind .. unlike a real fanboy or viral marketer
-who 'locks' themselves into a "brand"

after i get it .. if i do .. i may run into "issues", overheat, noise, crap drivers
--or i *may* LOVE it

yes, i have chosen my stance - as you have
-i thought i made it pretty clear .. i LIKE it

and it is also clear that you have closed you mind ... you *don't* like it
--i get it ... no problem ... i *respect* your 'choice'

several reviewers ALSO *don't like it* .. you have 'company' in your view

but then .. the majority of reviewers - i believe - DO like it
they UNDERSTAND that it is a sub-$400 card aimed at the GTS ... the product i WAS looking at .. otoh, the GTX is an"A+" expensive card i am not even considering - completely OUT of my price range

have you EVER been *intrigued* with a newly launched product ... so MUCH so that you want to "test" it for YOURSELF



that is how i feel about HD2900xt


i want to get my hand on it and rip it apart
:Q

- figuratively

 

[CaiNaM]

Originally posted by: apoppin

of course

after i get it .. if i do .. i may run into "issues", overheat, noise, crap drivers

or i *may* LOVE it

yes, i have chosen my stance - as you have

and it is clear that you have closed you mind ... you *don't* like it

i get it ... no problem ... i *respect* your 'choice'

several reviewers ALSO *don't like it*

but then .. the majority of reviewers - i believe - DO like it
the UNDERSTAND that it is a sub$400 card aimed at the GTS ... the product i WAS looking at .. the GTX is an"A+" expensive card i am not even csonsidering - OUT of my price range

have you EVER been *intrigued* with a newly launched product ... so MUCH so that you want to "test" it for YOURSELF



that is how i feel about HD2900xt


i want to get my hand on it and rip it apart
:Q

- figuratively

nothing wrong with that; in fact it makes much more sense than those defending it simply based on some of the more 'positive' reveiws.

just quit being an ati(amd) apologist by defending it so vigorously until you see for yourself

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: golem

Originally posted by: Dent0n
I know I don't have many posts here but I just want to thank apoppin for the best laugh I've had all year.

I know. He's chosen his stance and will defend it no matter what, ridiculing anyone or any site that disagrees.

Course, later on he might flip flop and defend the other side just as vigorously.

of course

after i get it .. if i do .. i may run into "issues", overheat, noise, crap drivers

or i *may* LOVE it

yes, i have chosen my stance - as you have

and it is clear that you have closed you mind ... you *don't* like it

i get it ... no problem ... i *respect* your 'choice'

several reviewers ALSO *don't like it*

but then .. the majority of reviewers - i believe - DO like it
the UNDERSTAND that it is a sub$400 card aimed at the GTS ... the product i WAS looking at .. the GTX is an"A+" expensive card i am not even csonsidering - OUT of my price range

have you EVER been *intrigued* with a newly launched product ... so MUCH so that you want to "test" it for YOURSELF



that is how i feel about HD2900xt


i want to get my hand on it and rip it apart
:Q

- figuratively

I can't afford the 8800 GTX so I was waiting for the HD 2900 XT to be released so I could compare it against the 8800 GTS which is in it's price range. The HD 2900 XT does well against the 8800 GTS and it's performance sometimes even gets close to a GTX level. I also have faith in ATI to get the most out of the HD 2900 XT and to supply decent drivers for Vista!

This is why I will be getting a HIS ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT SILENT Heatpipe 512MB instead of a 8800 GTS

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: CaiNaM

Originally posted by: apoppin

of course

after i get it .. if i do .. i may run into "issues", overheat, noise, crap drivers

or i *may* LOVE it

yes, i have chosen my stance - as you have

and it is clear that you have closed you mind ... you *don't* like it

i get it ... no problem ... i *respect* your 'choice'

several reviewers ALSO *don't like it*

but then .. the majority of reviewers - i believe - DO like it
the UNDERSTAND that it is a sub$400 card aimed at the GTS ... the product i WAS looking at .. the GTX is an"A+" expensive card i am not even csonsidering - OUT of my price range

have you EVER been *intrigued* with a newly launched product ... so MUCH so that you want to "test" it for YOURSELF



that is how i feel about HD2900xt


i want to get my hand on it and rip it apart
:Q

- figuratively

nothing wrong with that; in fact it makes much more sense than those defending it simply based on some of the more 'positive' reveiws.

just quit being an ati(amd) apologist by defending it so vigorously until you see for yourself

thanks CaiNaM, perhaps i was UNCLEAR yesterday

i DID get caught up in a certain "excitement" of this product launch .. without ANY doubt or denial

and - of course - i am using positive reviews to support my PoV ... you think i am gonna use HardOCP's negative conclusion?

perhaps i will come to agree with them ... and *everyone* here will know
-and the ATi boys will then hate and debate me

i am used to the *love* here


will i buy one?

i dunno

i am satisfied with the performance of my current rig ... and not for $400 ...
so it may be 'awhile'

or i may come to my senses and not buy anything

i will likely not make that decision today .. or tomorrow

but don't ask me to stop defending myself .. or to stop thinking the HDXT is a good value
-right now, i think it IS.

 

[josh6079]

Thats just it - at ATi engineers Do run the show and you end up with over-engineered chips that don't focus on what's really needed and wanted in the marketplace by their customers...

Yeah because they've offered a 7800 GTX 512 MB equivalent, or even an 8800 Ultra...

Oh...wait...

 

[Wreckage]

Everyone bashes Hardocps review style. I like that they do things differently. Most sites just post FPS scores for 3Dmark, HL2, Oblivion and maybe a few other of the same.

It would be nice if every site had a truly unique review style.

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
Everyone bashes Hardocps review style. I like that they do things differently. Most sites just post FPS scores for 3Dmark, HL2, Oblivion and maybe a few other of the same.

It would be nice if every site had a truly unique review style.

We bash HCP because its like handing out different exams to every student in school, and then trying to compare them :roll:

Its impossible, you get absolutely no info from their reviews, I dont care what Kyle thinks is playable or not, if I intend to buy the card, I will try the settings myself and chose what fits me best

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself

Originally posted by: Wreckage
Everyone bashes Hardocps review style. I like that they do things differently. Most sites just post FPS scores for 3Dmark, HL2, Oblivion and maybe a few other of the same.

It would be nice if every site had a truly unique review style.

We bash HCP because its like handing out different exams to every student in school, and then trying to compare them :roll:

Its impossible, you get absolutely no info from their reviews, I dont care what Kyle thinks is playable or not, if I intend to buy the card, I will try the settings myself and chose what fits me best

A little bitter are we?