PowerColor Radeon 9800 Pro Underclocked?

[TheInvincibleMustard]

I had read somewhere (and, of course, now I can't find/remember where) that the PowerColor Radeon 9800 Pro that they tested was shipped to them severely underclocked from R9800 spec's. Now, while this might account for why the PowerColor is so much cheaper than others, I'm sure there has to be a performance hit with the underclocking like that ... anyone able to verify/debunk this? I'm looking at getting an R9800 for my new machine I'm building this summer, and if I can save some money, that's a plus.

Thanks in advance!

 

[DaveSimmons]

It's on the front page of HardOCP.com but PowerColor is not any cheaper than Sapphire or ATI itself.

 

[TheInvincibleMustard]

Thanks for finding that for me!

I consider PowerColor to be cheaper, as they have a much better bundle than the other cards (Sapphire and retail ATI), so therefore the card itself, bare, is cheaper ... yes/no? Or am I not looking at that in the right way?

Anyway, does anyone out there have an R9800 Pro from PowerColor? Are they still underclocked, or do they ship within specs?

 

[JonnyBlaze]

my powercoloe was clocked fine.

it overclocks much more than hardocp's did also.


JBLaze

 

[squidman]

nonsense!
Powercolor is MADE by ati, on ati's Canadian plant. Unless ATI played powercolor, powercolor didnt play others. It just boxes ati's stuff.
How to check whether your card is made by ati?
1) visual resemblance
2) a plants bar-code that has CN in the beginning, or a 9.
3) Vendors ID should be 1002 (ATI)
Myine is straight up Ati's card. It just lacks the ATI sticker. It even gots the Ati own BIOS.
I think its ridicolous, that the boar is underclocked. I mean, if u buy retail, from legit company - these things shouldnt exist. I remember i heard i person spread the rumor 'bout powercolor:
"I got the powercolor ATi9700 Pro board from some company in California. It was OEM. So when i checked the clocks, it was like "309 and 590". I hate powercolor now". its obvious, that the company itself OC'd the cheaper 9700 board and shipped it as a Pro making 80 bux more. Goodness, people, when u buy OEM CHECK if the wax on the connector is scraped off. If it is - i means someone has already tryed out yo card.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: squidman
nonsense!
I think its ridicolous, that the boar is underclocked. I mean, if u buy retail, from legit company - these things shouldnt exist. I remember i heard i person spread the rumor 'bout powercolor:
"I got the powercolor ATi9700 Pro board from some company in California. It was OEM. So when i checked the clocks, it was like "309 and 590". I hate powercolor now". its obvious, that the company itself OC'd the cheaper 9700 board and shipped it as a Pro making 80 bux more. Goodness, people, when u buy OEM CHECK if the wax on the connector is scraped off. If it is - i means someone has already tryed out yo card.

Um, did you look at the site?

Powercolor sent HardOCP a review sample that was underclocked. Not a rumor, fact. It was either an isolated incident or one bad batch of cards, but it did happen.

Interesting to hear that "ATI makes powercolor" -- I thought it was the other way around, that Sapphire and others made ATI's cards for them.

HardOCP link

 

[Pete]

Um, I wasn't aware ATi makes cards themselves anymore. In fact, they switched away from that business model a few years ago to become more like nVidia--make the tech, outsource the chips and cards.

 

[pelikan]

A review.

 

[squidman]

I guess it was a bad batch then...a company would sent an underclocked card? This is actually good - means most of the Powercolor reviews are legit (unlike Toms hardware, that comes "optimized").
And site talks about performance, that "varies" from Hercules or Sapphire. What kind of BS is that??! Powercolor 9700 and 9700 Pro benchmarks vary from opponents by like +/- 0,4 percent!!! What kind of crap is this site?
The authors of this articles really dont like powercolor for some reason. I am one of happy owners of powercolors (ATI's?) 9700, and will always send in a good word for powercolor (im not talking about 14200 3dmarks on stock), but whats this? Ofcourse, needless to say, if anybody gets an underclocked card he must RMA it. And whats funny - the board still got a 9 out of 10. Interesting. See how easily we are affected by the reviewers opinions?