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ASUS Extreme AX800 XT 256MB PCI-E Review |
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Written by Mavke
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Sunday, 03 October 2004 |
The ASUS Extreme AX800 XT 256MB PCIe graphics card has been reviewed by Hexus. ATI has been slow in getting its Radeon X800 XT AGP cards out to partners and the retail market. Slow is perhaps being kind. Reviewers first passed judgement on the Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition over five months ago and we're still waiting for retail to become widely available. That, frankly, is simply not on. Enthusiasts are given a taste of gaming nirvana and then subjected to an interminable wait. ATI is having another bash at releasing an R420 variant. This time the fun is packaged in PCI Express (PCIe) format, perfect for that high-performance PCIe PC you're thinking of building.
 ASUS Extreme AX800 XT 256MB PCI-E Review
ATI's adopted a native approach to PCIe design that doesn't rely on bridging a conventional AGP interface. As you'll no doubt know, PCIe offers a sleeker and faster conduit to the rest of the system, perfect for high-definition video and upcoming games that require ultra-fast data transfer. ASUS is one of the first manufacturers to get its hands on the R423 core, which is driven through PCIe and resembles a Radeon X800 XT AGP card in performance and architectural setup. Sounds like an impressive package on paper.
The ASUS Extreme AX800 XT package has a number of positive features going for it. The card is small, well-built, quiet, and looks damn good. The very fact that you can pop it into a small PCIe-based system is a real bonus. ATI/ASUS also use a native PCI-Express design with no bridge chip in between. The benefits of the faster PCIe link won't manifest themselves until applications require massive streaming from motherboard to GPU (and vice-versa), but it's nice to know that architectural bottlenecks aren't going to hold up progress. GPU specifications-wise, it's identical to an AGP-powered Radeon X800 XT, although ASUS has taken the PCIe opportunity to hang a couple of DVI-I ports off the back. This is another real bonus for users with two DVI-compatible TFTs, as is ASUS' standard 3-year warranty.
I like the ASUS Extreme AX800 XT. It has beguiling power in a small form factor. ASUS needs to ensure that SmartDoctor works with shipping cards, probably by means of a software update and, crucially, needs to get cards into the retail channel quickly. That's been ATI's stumbling block over the past few months. ASUS' PCIe Radeon X800 XT card will be successful if available very soon. Having to wait, say, 2 months will take away from the package's attractiveness.
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