Radeon 8500 OEM same as RETAIL ?

[Thor_Sevan]

Hi, how is the Radeon 8500 OEM version hardware compared to the full RETAIL version ?
If the two aren't the same, can the OEM be overclocked to the retail speed ?

What do u suggest ?

THor

 

[HappyPuppy]

OEM is 250/250 and retail is 275/275. From what I've seen on the forums, it isn't difficult to clock it higher than the stock retail. Other than that, it doesn't come with some of the cables/adapters that the retail includes. I have the retail, but if you're an overclocker the OEM would probably be more bang for the buck.

 

[Thor_Sevan]

How is the speed difference without overclocking the oem version ?
At NCIX.com I can have the oem at 332$ and the retail at 408$ CAN.
Or I could have a Leadtek geforce 3 for 413$.



Thor

 

[RSMemphis]

Depends really on what you do with it.
If you play with v-sync enabled, in most games you won't feel a difference, in my opinion.

Some newer games may be a little choppier with 1280x1024 resolutions.
You will feel the lower memory speed when doing anti-aliasing, I think, because of the larger textures. Especially since DDR doubles the deficiency of the memory clocking of the OEM version.
And I read that although the core is easy to overclock, the RAM is not as easy, depending on the manufacturer.

If you do not need dualhead capabilities, the GeForce 3 may be the better deal for you. If you want dualhead though, either one is a sweet deal, the retail will last you a little longer.

Edit: Last sentence: I meant either OEM or retail Radeon 8500 is a sweet deal when you want dualhead

 

[Thor_Sevan]

How are the new drivers in terms of stability compared to others ?

THor

 

[billabong]

From what I read you can flash the OEM models with the retails bios. The retails also run at a higher voltage. So by flashing it you are also increasing the voltage which should help it run at 275/275, a bit easier.

I just got a 7500 and my memory runs at 305Mhz (610Mhz DDR) which out any probs, but I might just be lucky with my card.

 

[Thor_Sevan]

billabong, are you 100% sure that the OEM version can run without any problem at the speed of the retail card ?
Shoud I add more cooling to it ?!

Thor

 

[Hanpan]

<< billabong, are you 100% sure that the OEM version can run without any problem at the speed of the retail card ?
Shoud I add more cooling to it ?!

Thor >>



Some people have ahd problems flashing to retail bios so I would be careful...

 

[Soccerman]

ok here's what I know.

first, u have to be sure to buy a Radeon 8500 that was manufactured by ATi (I don't trust the 3rd party ones until I see reviews on them).

this way, you're assured of the 250/250mhz speed. second of all, some OEM 8500's include the 3.6ns (or was it 3.5 or less to hit 277? I can't remember, and don't want to try figuring it out cause I'm on a Mac with no Calculator) RAM, which means the RAM (which is typically the limiting factor in an overclock and performance) should hit stock Retail 8500 speeds. then u just have to worry about the core (which I think is easier to overclock).

at NCIX.com I can have the oem at 332$ and the retail at 408$ CAN.

sheesh! I just bought a RioVolt SP250 for that price! doh! hehehe

as for the BIOS flash thingy, it'll only work well (ie, no artifacts or crashing) if it does run well when u overclock it to those speeds (275/275).

 

[Bovinicus]

3.6ns memory should be able to operate at 277.78MHz, 3.5ns memory should be able to run at 285.71MHz. Either way, you should be able to hit retail speeds as long as your card is equipped with at least 3.6ns memory.

 

[Thor_Sevan]

Is the Radeon on sold at NCIX.com the one made by ATI ?

Thor

 

[jere01]

First of all "RSMemphis" what did you mean by "the retail card will last you longer" ?

I'm also looking to by the radeon 8500 off of NCIX and am wondering the same things. I've been looking to buy the OEM card and then when I read about the oem card being stripped I've been looking at the retail. It's just that the retail will be quite a bit more expensive. Oh and is the $408 CDN before tax? I know it's about $11 shipping and $7ish for insurance but is this all before tax? Because if you go to checkout it asks you for your CC info before it tells you the total which doesn't seem very good if you trying to get the total price.

 

[Thor_Sevan]

jere01, that is without taxes..... :frown:
Yeah... expensive heh ?

Thor