Good Upgrade for aging X800XL

[Icarusmk2]

Just wanted to know what are everyone's suggestions for a good upgrade from an ATI X800XL. (preferably something that "ACTUALLY" overclocks properly)

I was thinking of:

EVGA 8800 320MB KO ACS3
or
EVGA 8800 320MB Superclock

But would like to know everyone's advice before I buy.

[Computer-Ed]

It seems the latest video cards are not great overclockers, thats okay however since they are all fast. If you are buying now then any of the 8800s will do you well. However ATI is due to release the R600 *edit* sometime in Q2. */edit*

[gvblake22]

If you are looking for high-end performance around the $300 mark, the 8800GTS is your best bet. Below that, the X1950XT or X1950Pro are good alternatives. If you want something around the $200 mark with DX10 functionality, look no further than the 8600GT or 8600GTS. Otherwise, like Computer-Ed mentioned, you would need to wait until the second half of 2007 to see what AMD's newest ATI cards are like.

[Dr. V]

i like the 8800GTS 320MB very very very much, and its ur best solution right now at the pricepoint mentioned. for anything lower, i would not go DX10, straight up i would wait if u cant afford it right now to go at least an 8800GTS. the 85/86 series suck especially for the price. 8500GT is comparable to the 7600GT roughly in DX9 performance, but is cheaper. thats the only good DX10 deal other than said 88 series, but i still wouldnt go nearly that low end for DX10.

[JazzyJake]

unless you're building a rig to get the most out of vista and save money at the same time, the 8500's are where it's at in that case

[Dr. V]

yep he's right.

if ur looking to get good high end, and have game potential for the insanely demanding DX10 games coming, 8500 is a no show, this is where 8800GTS+ comes in. but what JazzyJake said is perfectly true, i agree with it fully. i mean its a completely useless card for DX10 gaming, but for current games its not too too bad, depending on the game, and for Vista its MUCH MORE than adequate.

it all comes down to what you want/need out of this new card.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

It seems the latest video cards are not great overclockers, thats okay however since they are all fast.

Both of the 8800GTS cards I reviewed (Foxconn and EVGA) overclocked fairly well, which was made more impressive by the fact that they came pre-OC'd from the factory to begin with. Here's the quick and dirty rundown of the 8800GTS 320MB GPUs in question:

Reference = 500MHz / 1600MHz
Foxconn = 575MHz / 1800MHz (OC'd to 630MHz / 2000MHz)
EVGA Superclocked = 576MHz / 1700MHz (OC'd to 660MHz / 2070MHz)

Originally Posted by Icarusmk2

Just wanted to know what are everyone's suggestions for a good upgrade from an ATI X800XL. (preferably something that "ACTUALLY" overclocks properly)

I was thinking of:

EVGA 8800 320MB KO ACS3
or
EVGA 8800 320MB Superclock

But would like to know everyone's advice before I buy.

I haven't logged any hands-on time with the AC3, but the EVGA Superclocked 320MB I played with ramped up pretty well, even with the somewhat aggressive pre-OC out of the box. It's also worth mentioning that EVGA is the only company that allows you to overclock their cards without voiding the lifetime warranty, provided you don't physically damage the card (and register online within 30 days of purchase).

Just be aware that overclocking GPUs generally favors benchmarking gurus, and doesn't tend to have a big impact on real-world performance. I wouldn't advise getting too caught up in spending a premium on a videocard known to OC well.

[Computer-Ed]

With the various things that DX10 can do I am not sure I would bother with a budget DX10 card when there are DX9 cards that will blast them in spedd such as the 1950Pro.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

With the various things that DX10 can do I am not sure I would bother with a budget DX10 card when there are DX9 cards that will blast them in spedd such as the 1950Pro.

Except that he's considering the mid-range 8800GTS 320MB, which trumps all DX9 cards on the market, including the 1950Pro, and comes with DX10 capabilities to boot. For anyone upgrading from an X800XL, the 8800GTS/320MB gets a strong 'buy' recommendation from me, especially on a solid Core 2 Duo foundation.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

Except that he's considering the mid-range 8800GTS 320MB, which trumps all DX9 cards on the market, including the 1950Pro, and comes with DX10 capabilities to boot. For anyone upgrading from an X800XL, the 8800GTS/320MB gets a strong 'buy' recommendation from me, especially on a solid Core 2 Duo foundation.

Agreed. If you can swing the cash for an 8800GTS, it is a great buy for sure.