Final thoughts
Reiterating what we've written before, the ATI Radeon X800 GTO 256MB SKU, priced at around £120, offers excellent value-for-money. Board partners would have to do something drastically wrong to launch a bad card. Connect3D and GECUBE, fortunately, have both architected decent designs.Connect3D has used ATI's R423 core for its Radeon X800 GTO 256MB card which, surprisingly, beat out the R480-powered GECUBE card in our overclocking tests. The choice of cooler is also a decent one, with the reference Radeon X800 PRO/XT heatsink and fan combination barely being audible when under gaming load. Connect3D has tried to add value to its package by included ATI's basic VIVO-capable Rage Theater ASIC. Other than that, though, there's little innovation here, as the card runs at GTO default speeds of 400MHz core and 980MHz memory. The bundle is basic and there's no games included in the package.
Having a basic, no-frills package has allowed Connect3D to compete well on the basis of cost. Priced at £117.99, it offers excellent value for money to the consumer who's interested in framerates above all else. The competitive price makes the cheaper Radeon X800 GT 256MB models, priced at between £100-110, look rather unattractive in comparison.
GECUBE adopts a different strategy for its X800 GTO 256MB card. Dubbed Ultimate and pre-clocked with a core running at 450MHz and using GECUBE's excellent UniWise cooling, it was, on average, around 8% faster than the stock-clocked Connect3D card in our gamut of tests. GECUBE's use of ATI's current range-topping R480 core, albeit a stunted one, was nice to see, too. Much in the vein of Connect3D, the accompanying bundle is bereft of games and GECUBE is, it seems, also basing its selling strategy on price. Speaking of which, the Ultimate card (VIVO-less, remember) retails for £124.99, making it a touch more expensive than Connect3D's.
Both Connect3D and GECUBE have launched competitive Radeon X800 GTO 256MB cards that offer something different to the consumer. If you're inclined to meddle with VIVO and want a midrange card that packs a decent performance punch, Connect3D's is an obvious choice. However, given the choice between the two, we'd raid the piggy-bank and cough up the extra money for GECUBE's faster-clocked interpretation. It offers greater performance and fantastic cooling for just a few pounds extra. Got £125 and want a PCI-Express card now? If the answer is yes, the GECUBE Radeon X800 GTO Ultimate 256MB is currently pretty hot stuff.
- Connect3D Radeon X800 GTO 256MB
- GECUBE Radeon X800 GTO Ultimate 256MB
