X-bit labs

ATI Intros RADEON X800 GT, Targets Mainstream Market.

Category: Video

by Anton Shilov

[ 08/11/2005 | 08:10 PM ]

ATI Technologies along with a number of industry partners unveiled its new product aimed at the mainstream market, the RADEON X800 GT, which is powered by the company’s most-recent graphics architecture for high-end graphics cards, but that comes at very affordable price-points.

“The RADEON X800 GT is efficiently designed to feature ATI’s break through image enhancement technology, including 3Dc , SmartShader HD , SmoothVision HD and Hyper Z HD , to offer High-Definition gaming power with unparalleled value,” a statement by ATI Technologies reads.

ATI RADEON X800 GT-based will be equipped with code-named R480 or R423 graphics processors made using 0.13 micron low-k manufacturing technology that have 8 pixel and 6 vertex processors enabled. By contrast, graphics cards with the mentioned visual processing units (VPUs) features 12 or 16 pixel processors. The VPU of the RADEON X800 GT will operate at 470MHz or 475MHz. ATI RADEON X800 GT-based graphics cards may be equipped with 128MB, 256MB or 512MB of memory that has 256-bit interface and functions at up to 980MHz.

Recommended pricing for 128MB version of the RADEON X800 GT is expected to be around $139, whereas 256MB flavour is expected to cost below $200, the level at which ATI sells its RADEON X800 product that features VPU with higher performance.

With the RADEON X800 GT Markham, Ontario-based ATI Technologies wants to offer its customers something better than the GeForce 6600 GT, which has become very popular because of affordable price and relatively high performance. It is unclear whether ATI has enough R423 and R480 chips originally developed for high-end graphics cards to satisfy the needs of mainstream market. It is also uncertain what will happen to ATI RADEON X700-series of products, which is also sold in $100 - $200 price-range.

Currently four of ATI Technologies’ add-in-board partners offer RADEON X800 GT-based graphics cards, including GeCube, HIS, Sapphire and Tul Corp. All of the mentioned manufacturers have received ATI’s certification of their RADEON X800 GT products currently offered.