What is Connect3d?

[afoygel]

Connect3d seem to be the rock bottom cheapest ATI cards every year. They are often white boxed, and they look a lot like the ATI branded cards. This gets me wonderings, is Connect3d some kind of subsidiary of ATI, maybe an outlet for surplus or substandard hardware? Thi is all speculation on my part, but there are deals to be had and I'm wondering what the word is on this brand.

 

[hans030390]

they're just the crappy brand, similar to xfx or pny.

 

[Powermoloch]

Originally posted by: hans030390
they're just the crappy brand, similar to xfx or pny.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: afoygel
Connect3d seem to be the rock bottom cheapest ATI cards every year. They are often white boxed, and they look a lot like the ATI branded cards.

If you haven't noticed, a LOT of other companies' cards look just like ATI-branded ones. ATI's reference designs are usually pretty good, so many manufacturers do little more than resell the same thing (or take the same design and slap a fancier HSF on it).

AFAIK, the only third-party manufacturer who has made "ATI" brand cards is Sapphire. For a while after the release of the R300/R350 (RADEON 9XXX), Sapphire was producing some of ATI's "Built By ATI" cards in their plants. So often the only difference at that point between a "Sapphire" and "ATI" card was the labeling.

Connect3D is definitely their own company, and not an ATI subsidiary or reseller. Their strategy seems to revolve around producing the lowest-cost version of each model of card, but providing a minimum of warranty and frills (I know they used to only have a 1-year warranty... of course, if you're going to void it anyway, what does it matter?). They're still around, so who am I to argue?

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: Powermoloch

Originally posted by: hans030390
they're just the crappy brand, similar to xfx or pny.

Bull. Used plenty of their products, and they're just as high quality as BBA. Nowhere near buying an XFX or PNY. I don't find floating caps in my Connect3D VGA boxes, thanks.