So who is suprised to see the x1950's extra bandwidth not do so much?

redbox

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2005
1,021
0
0
I don't know about everyone else but I am just a little suprised that the extra bandwidth didn't really help them out that much. The GDDR4 looked like it helped out alot with lower power consuption, but as I have stated else where that's really not in my concern as I have a good powersupply. I can see it affecting users who have an ageing powersupply though so it is a good step i guess.

This is OT a little but is it just me or does anyone else find it a bit strange that ATI has three gpu's now that perform about in the same area. I looked at the at bench and they are all only a few frames from each other. :confused: at least Nvidia has a boost when going from the 7900gt to the 7900gtx or 7950GX2.
 

imported_Crusader

Senior member
Feb 12, 2006
899
0
0
I'm surprised. I've been posting, and have been eagerly anticipating this card. I was hoping for closer to GX2 speeds without ANY multiGPU pitfalls (broken games ect) and I'd get a ton of performance out of a 100% efficient solution.

I assumed ATI knew what they were tweaking here, and were going to have a massively faster card than the X1900XTX.

Power consumption is better. I cant really say much more cuz I'm a bit disappointed.

Going to stick with my 7900GTX. All the same league of performance with the X1900XT and XTX... and really the 1950 as well.
They're all pretty close, but I'm keeping my NV driver support, quiet operation, low power consumption and lifetime warranty from BFG. Not to mention I already have an SLI board if I ever go multiGPU again.
 

imported_Crusader

Senior member
Feb 12, 2006
899
0
0
I was also hoping this card would/will bring down the GX2s price as a side-effect. I'm not sure it has the clout to do that.. but heres to hoping.
 

Wreckage

Banned
Jul 1, 2005
5,529
0
0
Yeah, it's pretty bad when the Inq bashes them for it.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33872

We are not impressed with the X1950XTX card. We expected more but the card failed to meet our expectations. It is obvious that even for 2048x1536 resolution you don?t need that much memory bandwidth. The card is up to seven per cent faster and that is all you are going to get from it.

I think people were hoping for a GX2 killer, which it's not.

However it is an improvement over the 1900 and if it's the same price, that's a very good thing. Better cooler, better memory, a little better performance for the same price.
 

josh6079

Diamond Member
Mar 17, 2006
3,261
0
0
I'm disappointed as well. The only pros I can see this card offering is the better power draws, better cooler, and better memory. However the price is at too much of an increase to warrant the performance as of now. The MSRP bumped up $50 more because of ATI's poor planning with launch cycles and revenue. If it were to cost around $30 more than an X1900XTX I could see that as a more realistic aspect, but nearly $100 more for something that only gives 2~5fps more than an X1900XTX? ATI loves to kill their own high end cards by doing this.
 

Creig

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,170
13
81
Originally posted by: Crusader
I assumed ATI knew what they were tweaking here, and were going to have a massively faster card than the X1900XTX. I cant really say much more cuz I'm a bit disappointed.

I'm sure they KNEW what they were tweaking much better than you GUESSED what they were teaking. They made the the fastest single GPU video card even faster, much quieter, more energy efficient with what all review sites are calling an outstanding price point and you're "disappointed".

Wow. What a shock.


Originally posted by: Wreckage
I think people were hoping for a GX2 killer, which it's not.

What people would that be exactly? Everybody here knew it was just going to be a refresh of the X1900XT. A very NICE refresh, as it turns out, but a refresh nonetheless. A single GPU card that can equal or beat the Nv 7950GX2 avacado sandwich yet still retails significantly less.

Originally posted by: josh6079
I'm disappointed as well. The only pros I can see this card offering is the better power draws, better cooler, and better memory.

It's a refresh, what did you expect them to come out with? They're improved on just about everything they COULD without coming out with a whole new card.
 

imported_Crusader

Senior member
Feb 12, 2006
899
0
0
Originally posted by: Creig
Originally posted by: Crusader
I assumed ATI knew what they were tweaking here, and were going to have a massively faster card than the X1900XTX. I cant really say much more cuz I'm a bit disappointed.

I'm sure they KNEW what they were tweaking much better than you GUESSED what they were teaking. They made the the fastest single GPU video card even faster, much quieter, more energy efficient with what all review sites are calling an outstanding price point and you're "disappointed".

Wow. What a shock.

Dear Toolbag,

Everyone else is disappointed to.

You just want this to be some great victory cuz you support ATI endlessly, troll.

I was looking forward to this card to be my next ATI card to try out.

And BTW you got me wrong, what I'm saying is that I assumed ATI knew better than to bother going GDDR4 if it only gave these paltry gains.

The single fastest card is the GX2.
Most of us were looking for a GX2 match, or killer. But its not.

Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.
Its all price performance and this thing still loses.

You still have to go the GX2 to get outside the X1950XTX/X1900XTX/7900GTX realm of performance.

Love the eternal hatred in your sig for Rollo BTW. Get a life you simpleton. Time to move on.




You are standing on my last nerve. See you in a week.
AnandTech Moderator

 

Creig

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,170
13
81
Originally posted by: Crusader
Dear Toolbag,

Everyone else is disappointed to.

You just want this to be some great victory cuz you support ATI endlessly, troll.

I was looking forward to this card to be my next ATI card to try out.

And BTW you got me wrong, what I'm saying is that I assumed ATI knew better than to bother going GDDR4 if it only gave these paltry gains.

The single fastest card is the GX2.
Most of us were looking for a GX2 match, or killer. But its not.

Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.
Its all price performance and this thing still loses.

You still have to go the GX2 to get outside the X1950XTX/X1900XTX/7900GTX realm of performance.

Love the eternal hatred in your sig for Rollo BTW. Get a life you simpleton. Time to move on.


Still shaking your fist at ATI in the hopes of taking Rollo's place on the AEG "Hardware Review" panel I see. :) Good luck with that one.

Why don't we just do a quick search and see how "disappointed" all the people who have actually REVIEWED the card are?

______________________________________
DriverHeaven - Heavenly Hardware Gold Award

Conclusion - For anyone who doesn't own an X1900XT or 7900GTX the X1950XTX is a card well worth considering. It delivers low noise with great performance and a very thorough set of features although it is by no means a massive performance jump over anything currently available in stores.


HardOCP - Editor's Choice Gold Award

The Bottom Line - ATI has proven they are a leader and not a follower with the X1950 XTX. ATI has released the world?s first consumer 3D graphics card with GDDR4 memory clocked at the highest ever stock speed that chews through games when it comes to high definition gaming. Memory bandwidth looks to one again be the defining factor in 3D performance. With a re-designed heatsink/fan unit, faster memory, and lowered price, the ATI Radeon X1950 XTX and CrossFire Edition are both serious 3D gaming video cards for the hardcore that offer some value over NVIDIA?s more expensive 7950 GX2. ATI?s CrossFire dual GPU gaming platform looks to have just grown up.


Bjorn3D

Conclusion - The X1950XTX might not be the most impressive or interesting product if you already got a X1900XTX. As a refresh product it is mean to appeal to those who do not buy the first card in a generation. As such it is a very nice card with an appealing price. The new cooler works very well and hopefully means quieter systems even when running the cards in Crossfire mode.


HardwareZone 4.5 out of 5

Conclusion - Just when we had thought that the battle for high-end graphics supremacy has reached an unofficial ceasefire with NVIDIA seemingly winning over the enthusiasts with both performance (the 'SLI-on-a-card' GeForce 7950 GX2) and mostly better value, ATI has revived its challenge with a late rally. While work continues from both sides on their respective next generation processors, the competition has intensified with ATI's plans to release new products aimed squarely at NVIDIA's best performers.


Hexus - Xtreme Editors Choice

With a quiet cooler, GDDR4 memory and reduced power consumption, the X1950 XTX makes a very appealing card. If you're already running high-end GeForce 7 or Radeon X1000 series hardware, then you're best staying put, but if you're in the market for a new high-end solution, the Radeon X1950 XTX is a clear winner on multiple fronts.


HotHardware

With a proposed MSRP of $449, the Radeon X1950 XTX's price should lands somewhere in between the GeForce 7900 GTX and GeForce 7950 GX2. Looking at our benchmark results and accounting for its 2GHz GDDR4 memory and redesigned cooler, that's a fair position to be in. The Radeon X1950 XTX out-muscled a 7900 GTX most of the time, and traded victories with the GX2. The Radeon X1950 XTX is a strong performer, and is arguably the fastest single-GPU card we've ever tested.


techPowerUP - Editor's Choice

First of all, the X1950 XTX is not such a big upgrade from an X1900 when it comes to performance. This is more of a product refresh where existing weak points have been addressed. Most important, the new cooling system which offers quieter operation and lower temperatures.
The other major change is the move to GDDR4 which runs cooler and faster. Being able to run 1000 MHz real memory clock gives a nice performance boost. About 8% in the benchmarks. While this is not huge it is still nice if you consider that the same generation GPU is used on the board.
NVIDIA will not be happy to see such a product out on the streets going for $449. I think this card will be very interesting to people who are using an older card like an X800, maybe with AGP. If you are considering an upgrade to Conroe, PCI-Express and DDR2 the Radeon X1950 XTX might be just the right video card for you with its excellent price/performance ratio.
______________________________________




But I suppose you'll go with the Inq since they weren't impressed with it.

Crusader and the Inquirer. Sounds like a match made in heaven.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,396
8,559
126
Originally posted by: Crusader

Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.

my how the tables have turned since the V5-geforce debates

Originally posted by: josh6079
I'm disappointed as well. The only pros I can see this card offering is the better power draws, better cooler, and better memory. However the price is at too much of an increase to warrant the performance as of now. The MSRP bumped up $50 more because of ATI's poor planning with launch cycles and revenue. If it were to cost around $30 more than an X1900XTX I could see that as a more realistic aspect, but nearly $100 more for something that only gives 2~5fps more than an X1900XTX? ATI loves to kill their own high end cards by doing this.
MSRP on the 1900XTX is $400, MSRP on this new card is $450. i don't know where you're getting $100 difference from.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,396
8,559
126
Originally posted by: Genx87
This link will give you an idea on why we dont see a big increase in performance from memory bandwidth increases like we used to see back in the day.

http://www.beyond3d.com/reviews/ati/r580/index.php?p=02

think its worth upgrading my x1900xt to a x1950xtx?

no

that and the timings are probably looser for the GDDR4 running at 2000 MHz than GDDR3 running 1550 MHz.

and, of course, who knows how CPU bound these things are. if you look at legit reviews, quake4 is clearly CPU bound.
 

josh6079

Diamond Member
Mar 17, 2006
3,261
0
0
Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.
Its all price performance and this thing still loses.
Your own sentence compromises itself. If one is all for price performance, an SLI-on-a-stick solution and SLI are not valid options as they have some of the worst price per performance ratios.

Let go of your logo Crusader. Others aren't as disappointed as you and I. I do see that it is a refresh with the same core and should have known better to assume such great advanments, but the fact remains that I believed a significant bandwidth improvement would let the R580 core stretch it's legs. It did, but not to the extent I thought it would.

That said, I still may get one out of curiosity for overclocking reasons. I'd be interested to see what this thing could do on my water cooling.

Edit:

Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: josh6079
I'm disappointed as well. The only pros I can see this card offering is the better power draws, better cooler, and better memory. However the price is at too much of an increase to warrant the performance as of now. The MSRP bumped up $50 more because of ATI's poor planning with launch cycles and revenue. If it were to cost around $30 more than an X1900XTX I could see that as a more realistic aspect, but nearly $100 more for something that only gives 2~5fps more than an X1900XTX? ATI loves to kill their own high end cards by doing this.
MSRP on the 1900XTX is $400, MSRP on this new card is $450. i don't know where you're getting $100 difference from.
The X1950XTX was originally projected to have an MSRP of $400 IIRC. Ever since the news of the September availability, the MSRP was increased to $450 to cover ATI's revenue.
 

ShadowOfMyself

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2006
4,227
2
0
Originally posted by: Creig
Originally posted by: Crusader
Dear Toolbag,

Everyone else is disappointed to.

You just want this to be some great victory cuz you support ATI endlessly, troll.

I was looking forward to this card to be my next ATI card to try out.

And BTW you got me wrong, what I'm saying is that I assumed ATI knew better than to bother going GDDR4 if it only gave these paltry gains.

The single fastest card is the GX2.
Most of us were looking for a GX2 match, or killer. But its not.

Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.
Its all price performance and this thing still loses.

You still have to go the GX2 to get outside the X1950XTX/X1900XTX/7900GTX realm of performance.

Love the eternal hatred in your sig for Rollo BTW. Get a life you simpleton. Time to move on.


Still shaking your fist at ATI in the hopes of taking Rollo's place on the AEG "Hardware Review" panel I see. :) Good luck with that one.

Why don't we just do a quick search and see how "disappointed" all the people who have actually REVIEWED the card are?

______________________________________
DriverHeaven - Heavenly Hardware Gold Award

Conclusion - For anyone who doesn't own an X1900XT or 7900GTX the X1950XTX is a card well worth considering. It delivers low noise with great performance and a very thorough set of features although it is by no means a massive performance jump over anything currently available in stores.


HardOCP - Editor's Choice Gold Award

The Bottom Line - ATI has proven they are a leader and not a follower with the X1950 XTX. ATI has released the world?s first consumer 3D graphics card with GDDR4 memory clocked at the highest ever stock speed that chews through games when it comes to high definition gaming. Memory bandwidth looks to one again be the defining factor in 3D performance. With a re-designed heatsink/fan unit, faster memory, and lowered price, the ATI Radeon X1950 XTX and CrossFire Edition are both serious 3D gaming video cards for the hardcore that offer some value over NVIDIA?s more expensive 7950 GX2. ATI?s CrossFire dual GPU gaming platform looks to have just grown up.


Bjorn3D

Conclusion - The X1950XTX might not be the most impressive or interesting product if you already got a X1900XTX. As a refresh product it is mean to appeal to those who do not buy the first card in a generation. As such it is a very nice card with an appealing price. The new cooler works very well and hopefully means quieter systems even when running the cards in Crossfire mode.


HardwareZone 4.5 out of 5

Conclusion - Just when we had thought that the battle for high-end graphics supremacy has reached an unofficial ceasefire with NVIDIA seemingly winning over the enthusiasts with both performance (the 'SLI-on-a-card' GeForce 7950 GX2) and mostly better value, ATI has revived its challenge with a late rally. While work continues from both sides on their respective next generation processors, the competition has intensified with ATI's plans to release new products aimed squarely at NVIDIA's best performers.


Hexus - Xtreme Editors Choice

With a quiet cooler, GDDR4 memory and reduced power consumption, the X1950 XTX makes a very appealing card. If you're already running high-end GeForce 7 or Radeon X1000 series hardware, then you're best staying put, but if you're in the market for a new high-end solution, the Radeon X1950 XTX is a clear winner on multiple fronts.


HotHardware

With a proposed MSRP of $449, the Radeon X1950 XTX's price should lands somewhere in between the GeForce 7900 GTX and GeForce 7950 GX2. Looking at our benchmark results and accounting for its 2GHz GDDR4 memory and redesigned cooler, that's a fair position to be in. The Radeon X1950 XTX out-muscled a 7900 GTX most of the time, and traded victories with the GX2. The Radeon X1950 XTX is a strong performer, and is arguably the fastest single-GPU card we've ever tested.


techPowerUP - Editor's Choice

First of all, the X1950 XTX is not such a big upgrade from an X1900 when it comes to performance. This is more of a product refresh where existing weak points have been addressed. Most important, the new cooling system which offers quieter operation and lower temperatures.
The other major change is the move to GDDR4 which runs cooler and faster. Being able to run 1000 MHz real memory clock gives a nice performance boost. About 8% in the benchmarks. While this is not huge it is still nice if you consider that the same generation GPU is used on the board.
NVIDIA will not be happy to see such a product out on the streets going for $449. I think this card will be very interesting to people who are using an older card like an X800, maybe with AGP. If you are considering an upgrade to Conroe, PCI-Express and DDR2 the Radeon X1950 XTX might be just the right video card for you with its excellent price/performance ratio.
______________________________________




But I suppose you'll go with the Inq since they weren't impressed with it.

Crusader and the Inquirer. Sounds like a match made in heaven.


This post is already the ownage of the month, and I will gladly add to it...

So Crusader, arent you gonna brag about how much less noise/power consumption/heat the new 1950 has? I thought it was a major selling point for 7900 GTX when every nv fan realized it couldnt even beat the x1900, nor match it IQ wise!! :roll:

Double standards rule :p
 

OvErHeAtInG

Senior member
Jun 25, 2002
770
0
0
Originally posted by: Genx87
This link will give you an idea on why we dont see a big increase in performance from memory bandwidth increases like we used to see back in the day.

http://www.beyond3d.com/reviews/ati/r580/index.php?p=02

think its worth upgrading my x1900xt to a x1950xtx?

no

What that article points out is very true. However, I haven't yet seen a Crossfire 1950 setup tested in a review yet. (I've only read a couple).

Bear in mind: when you go SLI or CF, you double the fillrate, shading power, all that. However, effective memory bandwidth stays the same. (Someone correct me, but this is basically true). Therefore, a Crossfire system should have a far greater benefit from faster memory than single. Add in the fact someone with a CF system is likely to be playing with high resolution and high levels of AA and AF, which are what actually place more traffic on the bus, and you see what I think.

CF benchies? :)
 

LittleNemoNES

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2005
4,142
0
0
Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Originally posted by: Creig
Originally posted by: Crusader
Dear Toolbag,

Everyone else is disappointed to.

You just want this to be some great victory cuz you support ATI endlessly, troll.

I was looking forward to this card to be my next ATI card to try out.

And BTW you got me wrong, what I'm saying is that I assumed ATI knew better than to bother going GDDR4 if it only gave these paltry gains.

The single fastest card is the GX2.
Most of us were looking for a GX2 match, or killer. But its not.

Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.
Its all price performance and this thing still loses.

You still have to go the GX2 to get outside the X1950XTX/X1900XTX/7900GTX realm of performance.

Love the eternal hatred in your sig for Rollo BTW. Get a life you simpleton. Time to move on.


Still shaking your fist at ATI in the hopes of taking Rollo's place on the AEG "Hardware Review" panel I see. :) Good luck with that one.

Why don't we just do a quick search and see how "disappointed" all the people who have actually REVIEWED the card are?

______________________________________
DriverHeaven - Heavenly Hardware Gold Award

Conclusion - For anyone who doesn't own an X1900XT or 7900GTX the X1950XTX is a card well worth considering. It delivers low noise with great performance and a very thorough set of features although it is by no means a massive performance jump over anything currently available in stores.


HardOCP - Editor's Choice Gold Award

The Bottom Line - ATI has proven they are a leader and not a follower with the X1950 XTX. ATI has released the world?s first consumer 3D graphics card with GDDR4 memory clocked at the highest ever stock speed that chews through games when it comes to high definition gaming. Memory bandwidth looks to one again be the defining factor in 3D performance. With a re-designed heatsink/fan unit, faster memory, and lowered price, the ATI Radeon X1950 XTX and CrossFire Edition are both serious 3D gaming video cards for the hardcore that offer some value over NVIDIA?s more expensive 7950 GX2. ATI?s CrossFire dual GPU gaming platform looks to have just grown up.


Bjorn3D

Conclusion - The X1950XTX might not be the most impressive or interesting product if you already got a X1900XTX. As a refresh product it is mean to appeal to those who do not buy the first card in a generation. As such it is a very nice card with an appealing price. The new cooler works very well and hopefully means quieter systems even when running the cards in Crossfire mode.


HardwareZone 4.5 out of 5

Conclusion - Just when we had thought that the battle for high-end graphics supremacy has reached an unofficial ceasefire with NVIDIA seemingly winning over the enthusiasts with both performance (the 'SLI-on-a-card' GeForce 7950 GX2) and mostly better value, ATI has revived its challenge with a late rally. While work continues from both sides on their respective next generation processors, the competition has intensified with ATI's plans to release new products aimed squarely at NVIDIA's best performers.


Hexus - Xtreme Editors Choice

With a quiet cooler, GDDR4 memory and reduced power consumption, the X1950 XTX makes a very appealing card. If you're already running high-end GeForce 7 or Radeon X1000 series hardware, then you're best staying put, but if you're in the market for a new high-end solution, the Radeon X1950 XTX is a clear winner on multiple fronts.


HotHardware

With a proposed MSRP of $449, the Radeon X1950 XTX's price should lands somewhere in between the GeForce 7900 GTX and GeForce 7950 GX2. Looking at our benchmark results and accounting for its 2GHz GDDR4 memory and redesigned cooler, that's a fair position to be in. The Radeon X1950 XTX out-muscled a 7900 GTX most of the time, and traded victories with the GX2. The Radeon X1950 XTX is a strong performer, and is arguably the fastest single-GPU card we've ever tested.


techPowerUP - Editor's Choice

First of all, the X1950 XTX is not such a big upgrade from an X1900 when it comes to performance. This is more of a product refresh where existing weak points have been addressed. Most important, the new cooling system which offers quieter operation and lower temperatures.
The other major change is the move to GDDR4 which runs cooler and faster. Being able to run 1000 MHz real memory clock gives a nice performance boost. About 8% in the benchmarks. While this is not huge it is still nice if you consider that the same generation GPU is used on the board.
NVIDIA will not be happy to see such a product out on the streets going for $449. I think this card will be very interesting to people who are using an older card like an X800, maybe with AGP. If you are considering an upgrade to Conroe, PCI-Express and DDR2 the Radeon X1950 XTX might be just the right video card for you with its excellent price/performance ratio.
______________________________________




But I suppose you'll go with the Inq since they weren't impressed with it.

Crusader and the Inquirer. Sounds like a match made in heaven.


This post is already the ownage of the month, and I will gladly add to it...

So Crusader, arent you gonna brag about how much less noise/power consumption/heat the new 1950 has? I thought it was a major selling point for 7900 GTX when every nv fan realized it couldnt even beat the x1900, nor match it IQ wise!! :roll:

Double standards rule :p

Total ownage. Nvidia trolls, you're losing your wit.
 

zephyrprime

Diamond Member
Feb 18, 2001
7,512
2
81
I was expecting some more perforance also.

But take a look at some of the specific components of performance. Specifically, there seems to be an anomaly in multitexturing performance.

Here are some numbers from the inquirer:

Composite Figures 3Dmark 05...............Single Texturinng..........Multi Textur.
ATI X1900XTX....................650/1550 MHz...............5060.8...............10237.4
ATI X1950XTX....................650/2000 MHz...............6307.2...............10209.2
ATI X1950XTX OC.............700/2200 MHz...............6711.2...............10971.8

As you can see, the single texturing performance is scaling roughly linearly with memory clock speed. Multitexturing showed no improvement at all which I think is surprising. Pixel shading is little changed which is to be expected.

The other reason for the rather small improvements could due to the fact that pixel shading showed very little improvement.
 

Wreckage

Banned
Jul 1, 2005
5,529
0
0
Originally posted by: Creig

Why don't we just do a quick search and see how "disappointed" all the people who have actually REVIEWED the card are?

Or you could take a poll of the people who own one, or at least see how many people have ordered one......oh wait.

:laugh:

 

secretanchitman

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2001
9,352
23
91
Originally posted by: gersson
Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Originally posted by: Creig
Originally posted by: Crusader
Dear Toolbag,

Everyone else is disappointed to.

You just want this to be some great victory cuz you support ATI endlessly, troll.

I was looking forward to this card to be my next ATI card to try out.

And BTW you got me wrong, what I'm saying is that I assumed ATI knew better than to bother going GDDR4 if it only gave these paltry gains.

The single fastest card is the GX2.
Most of us were looking for a GX2 match, or killer. But its not.

Single GPU, sure.. ? But who cares about single GPU vs dual GPU? :disgust: Big deal.
Its all price performance and this thing still loses.

You still have to go the GX2 to get outside the X1950XTX/X1900XTX/7900GTX realm of performance.

Love the eternal hatred in your sig for Rollo BTW. Get a life you simpleton. Time to move on.


Still shaking your fist at ATI in the hopes of taking Rollo's place on the AEG "Hardware Review" panel I see. :) Good luck with that one.

Why don't we just do a quick search and see how "disappointed" all the people who have actually REVIEWED the card are?

______________________________________
DriverHeaven - Heavenly Hardware Gold Award

Conclusion - For anyone who doesn't own an X1900XT or 7900GTX the X1950XTX is a card well worth considering. It delivers low noise with great performance and a very thorough set of features although it is by no means a massive performance jump over anything currently available in stores.


HardOCP - Editor's Choice Gold Award

The Bottom Line - ATI has proven they are a leader and not a follower with the X1950 XTX. ATI has released the world?s first consumer 3D graphics card with GDDR4 memory clocked at the highest ever stock speed that chews through games when it comes to high definition gaming. Memory bandwidth looks to one again be the defining factor in 3D performance. With a re-designed heatsink/fan unit, faster memory, and lowered price, the ATI Radeon X1950 XTX and CrossFire Edition are both serious 3D gaming video cards for the hardcore that offer some value over NVIDIA?s more expensive 7950 GX2. ATI?s CrossFire dual GPU gaming platform looks to have just grown up.


Bjorn3D

Conclusion - The X1950XTX might not be the most impressive or interesting product if you already got a X1900XTX. As a refresh product it is mean to appeal to those who do not buy the first card in a generation. As such it is a very nice card with an appealing price. The new cooler works very well and hopefully means quieter systems even when running the cards in Crossfire mode.


HardwareZone 4.5 out of 5

Conclusion - Just when we had thought that the battle for high-end graphics supremacy has reached an unofficial ceasefire with NVIDIA seemingly winning over the enthusiasts with both performance (the 'SLI-on-a-card' GeForce 7950 GX2) and mostly better value, ATI has revived its challenge with a late rally. While work continues from both sides on their respective next generation processors, the competition has intensified with ATI's plans to release new products aimed squarely at NVIDIA's best performers.


Hexus - Xtreme Editors Choice

With a quiet cooler, GDDR4 memory and reduced power consumption, the X1950 XTX makes a very appealing card. If you're already running high-end GeForce 7 or Radeon X1000 series hardware, then you're best staying put, but if you're in the market for a new high-end solution, the Radeon X1950 XTX is a clear winner on multiple fronts.


HotHardware

With a proposed MSRP of $449, the Radeon X1950 XTX's price should lands somewhere in between the GeForce 7900 GTX and GeForce 7950 GX2. Looking at our benchmark results and accounting for its 2GHz GDDR4 memory and redesigned cooler, that's a fair position to be in. The Radeon X1950 XTX out-muscled a 7900 GTX most of the time, and traded victories with the GX2. The Radeon X1950 XTX is a strong performer, and is arguably the fastest single-GPU card we've ever tested.


techPowerUP - Editor's Choice

First of all, the X1950 XTX is not such a big upgrade from an X1900 when it comes to performance. This is more of a product refresh where existing weak points have been addressed. Most important, the new cooling system which offers quieter operation and lower temperatures.
The other major change is the move to GDDR4 which runs cooler and faster. Being able to run 1000 MHz real memory clock gives a nice performance boost. About 8% in the benchmarks. While this is not huge it is still nice if you consider that the same generation GPU is used on the board.
NVIDIA will not be happy to see such a product out on the streets going for $449. I think this card will be very interesting to people who are using an older card like an X800, maybe with AGP. If you are considering an upgrade to Conroe, PCI-Express and DDR2 the Radeon X1950 XTX might be just the right video card for you with its excellent price/performance ratio.
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But I suppose you'll go with the Inq since they weren't impressed with it.

Crusader and the Inquirer. Sounds like a match made in heaven.


This post is already the ownage of the month, and I will gladly add to it...

So Crusader, arent you gonna brag about how much less noise/power consumption/heat the new 1950 has? I thought it was a major selling point for 7900 GTX when every nv fan realized it couldnt even beat the x1900, nor match it IQ wise!! :roll:

Double standards rule :p

Total ownage. Nvidia trolls, you're losing your wit.

huh? all i see is that "its a good card if you dont have a 7900GT/GTX/GX2 already." "its not such a big upgrade from an X1900 when it comes to performance."

all ati did was address "issues" that plagued the X1800/X1900 cards.

well...that is what nvidia is doing with the 7950 series cards.

who cares if ati beats nvidia...its called competition people.
 

Ackmed

Diamond Member
Oct 1, 2003
8,499
560
126
Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Actually you might wanna read this one

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/378/1/

Nice gains there, and in case you're wondering why the XFX 7900 falls so much behind, its because they always use HQ mode with nvidia cards

Im starting to like Legitreviews more and more

Nice to see reviews actually use settings that we would as well. And settigns that put NV's IQ closer to ATi's. B3D had this to say about driver settings;

Lastly -- and it's something Beyond3D feels strongly about -- we urge all buyers thinking about a graphics SKU at the high-end of the market to consider changing away from the default image quality settings in the driver for their hardware, and especially for hardware with as plentiful memory bandwidth and raw performance as Radeon X1950 XTX. If the IHV won't do it for you in the driver on install, showing them conclusively that you'll do so regardless of what they set as a reasonable IQ default would go a long way to advancing the out-of-the-box and overall image quality experience going forward. It's about time final pixel quality took the top seat in consumer graphics, rather than performance, which we come to assume significant advances in by default, and expect the IHVs to deliver on without question.

(Bolded mine)

Disappointed? Not hardly. Would I have liked more performance? No dobut. Refreshes generally do not give a huge increase in performance. From the GF3/GF3Ti, 9700Pro/9800Pro/5900U/5950U, the list goes on and on.

Lets take a look at a few points.

1. Performance is a little better, say a few percent, more in some cases. CF master cards, are now the same speed as the normal XTX. And the same price, of $449.
2. People complained that the X1900's were not HDCP compliant, the X1950 is.
3. People complained that the X1900's consumed a lot of wattage, the X1950 dropped usage, by about 20w. Not a huge amount, but some. In CF, that would be about 40w less.
4. People complained that the X1900's ran "hot". The X1950's run cooler now, about 10c less now under load.
5. People complained about the noise from the X1900's. The X1950's run much quieter now.
6. People complained that prices were going too high. The X1900XTX was a MSRP of $650, the X1950XTX has a MSRP of $450. Thats $200 less, for a little more performance, lower power consumption, cooler running, quieter running, etc.

Why would I be disappointed if the card costs $200 less than the last launch, and is better in every aspect.?

See a trend here? Lots of issues were addressed, and if not "fixed", at least made better. No the speed is not that much faster, when did they say it was supposed to? This was not supposed to be some overhaul, just a tweak of an already fast card. Just as has been done in the past. GF3, GF3Ti. 9700 Pro, 9800 Pro. 5900U, 5950U. Its been going on for years. I guess you just cant make everyone happy. In fact, you cant make some people happy at all.

While not totally on the X1950 subject, two other cards did launch. People complained about the lack of a true budget card, at the $100 price point. ATi now has a few cards that are pretty good performers at that price range.

NV still has some viable solutions. Not everyone cares are IQ, sadly. Or even look at minimum frames in reviews. The G80 is rumored to be out in about two months, Im sure they'll have a good card. Hopefully with better AF, HDR+AA, and less shimmering. Funny that a certain someone used to rag on ATi for their "2+ year old tech" with the X800's, and now NV is in the same spot. Heh.
 

Ackmed

Diamond Member
Oct 1, 2003
8,499
560
126
Originally posted by: Wreckage
Originally posted by: Creig

Why don't we just do a quick search and see how "disappointed" all the people who have actually REVIEWED the card are?

Or you could take a poll of the people who own one, or at least see how many people have ordered one......oh wait.

:laugh:

Per the poll, most people prefer to see reviews first, and then buy a few weeks later.

Not that you would buy a high end card, let alone two of them. You're on a budget PC...
 

jiffylube1024

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
7,430
0
71
Quite frankly I don't understand why some people were expecting massively improved performance when they kept the GPU core frequency exactly the same! More memory bandwidth means better performance in high res, and the ability to turn on more AA. With no other major architectural changes, expecting a dramatic improvement with zero core frequency boost is a bit too optimistic.

The fact that they finally got their coolers right (no more need to run out and buy an Accelero first thing!), cut a bit of power consumption, and hit the 2 GHz barrier on DDR sounds pretty decent to me. The fact that it even sniffs a GX2 in performance, let alone competes with it in many cases is quite impressive! Imagine a 4 GPU ATI solution (ridiculous power consumption aside!).
--------------

But what doesn't surprise me is seeing the exact same 4 guys make the exact same accusations as when I left AT (shortly before Rollo was ousted as an AEG member, leaving several of his buddies behind IMO). "I expected more; ATI disappoints yet again, etc."

If ATI's the fastest, it's disappointing. If they're trailing, it's disappointing.

In my opinion, ATI hasn't been in this good a shape at the top since the 9800 Pro days (or possibly the X850XT PE, but that's an entirely different discussion).

If only the X1900GT and everything below weren't so mediocre...