Help. The ATI card that doesn't EXIST?!

[p0tat03]

Okay, I just got my Radeon 8500 today (or so it says).

Funny thing. It's supposed to be a Radeon 8500... Looks like a R8500, 64MB 3.6ns DDR RAM, everything checks out...

But when I go to check the GPU/RAM speed... 230MHz/230MHz? So I look further... The card is supposed to be running 275/275... The LE runs 230/230, but this IS NOT a LE (seeing as how the LE doesn't have a second monitor jack).

I took the part number, and looked it up on the ATI site - it's not listed anywhere... Almost like the card isn't supposed to exist.

The BIOS p/n is identified as the R8500 (normal) BIOS... But the GPU/RAM speed are all LE-speed... And the card itself's p/n doesn't exist.

Any ideas?

BTW: The p/n of the card is 102-8571501

102 = OEM
The second part doesn't match up with ANY product ATI has listed.

 

[dkozloski]

You just found one of the pitfalls of OEM equipment purchases. The card was probably made to spec for some specific customer who wound up dumping them on the market. The great majority of the time OEM is the same as retail without the frills but sometimes, like your case, you can wind up with a real hermaphrodite.

 

[p0tat03]

What would you recommend I do about this card? I mean, I did get it for slightly under the normal 8500 price ($15 cheaper)... Should I keep it? Or what other options can I pursue?

 

[Ryan]

overclock it

 

[Rand]

Are you sure you didnt get a third party ATi Radeon 8500LE?
Some third party 8500LE's do have the dual monitor support that you mentioned yours have.

Most third party 8500LE's are clocked at 250/250.. as per ATi's spec for the 8500LE, but one vendor chose to clock theirs at 230/230. More commonly known as the R8500LELE.

Personally, I'd keep it around long enough to see how it overclocked. With 3.6ns DDR SDRAM it may well o/c very nicely.
If it didnt then I'd probably return it and buy somewhere else that was selling a 'true' Radeon8500LE or the regular 8500, and not the 8500LELE it seems you've got.

BTW, where did you purchase your card?
Last I heard NewEgg was the only one selling the 230/230 8500LELE's.

 

[p0tat03]

I bought this card locally - at a local store (Vancouver, Canada). Strange, it has the ATI marking on it, making it seem like it's first-party...

 

[eplebnista]

Here are a couple of links to some information.

Link 1 (note the part numbers listed)

Link 2

hth,
eplebnista

 

[Kingofcomputer]

8500LELE

 

[ShadowDJ]

I've heard the card uses a different bios than the LE and reatail i'm not sure, but you might have to flash it before overclocking.

 

[tenoc]

An R8500 64mb retail will have a marking "built by ATI" in the upper right corner of the box.

On an end panel it will have part # 100-431001.

Anything else is an le or lele. Caveat emptor!

Nothing wrong with the le or lele so long as you know that's what it is.

If the salesperson led you to believe it was a retail R8500, take it back, kick ass (politely, of course),
and get what you thought you were getting.

In Van, several places are selling it for 270 - 275 CDN.