X800GTO Sudden Artifact Problem

[error_f0rce]

Originally Posted by straybeat

I'm going for the 512 meg Sapphire when the next batch is out.

Well, here's two things to consider before buying that SAPPHIRE version, instead of the PowerColor, both from the FiringSquad review:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...iew/page15.asp

1.) PERFORMANCE
"The Sapphire card has twice the memory at 512MB, but our testing in the past has shown that mainstream cards like the X1950 Pro don’t really take advantage of the extra memory."

2.) COOLING
"Rather than sticking with ATI’s reference cooling unit for their X1950 Pro AGP card, PowerColor has decided to employ Arctic Cooling’s Accelero 2 cooler. The Accelero 2 cooler is a very powerful cooling unit, and it does a great job of keeping the X1950 Pro’s RV570 GPU cool, after all, it was designed to cool much hotter GPU’s like the X1900 XTX’s 48-shader R580 GPU."

[straybeat]

Originally Posted by error_f0rce

Well, here's two things to consider before buying that SAPPHIRE version, instead of the PowerColor, both from the FiringSquad review:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...iew/page15.asp

1.) PERFORMANCE
"The Sapphire card has twice the memory at 512MB, but our testing in the past has shown that mainstream cards like the X1950 Pro don’t really take advantage of the extra memory."

2.) COOLING
"Rather than sticking with ATI’s reference cooling unit for their X1950 Pro AGP card, PowerColor has decided to employ Arctic Cooling’s Accelero 2 cooler. The Accelero 2 cooler is a very powerful cooling unit, and it does a great job of keeping the X1950 Pro’s RV570 GPU cool, after all, it was designed to cool much hotter GPU’s like the X1900 XTX’s 48-shader R580 GPU."

1. I saw that firingsquad report too, so I waited for the other suckers... er... guys to buy it first. They're reporting great benchies in the other forums. So I would have to somewhat disagree with firingsquad.

2. I've been using my old VF-700 and heatsinks on the Visiontek and got great overclocking out of it. So the 700 would immediately go on the Sapphire (or maybe a waterblock, haven't decided yet).

Stray

[ATIonion]

Originally Posted by error_f0rce

Well, here's two things to consider before buying that SAPPHIRE version, instead of the PowerColor, both from the FiringSquad review:
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...iew/page15.asp

1.) PERFORMANCE
"The Sapphire card has twice the memory at 512MB, but our testing in the past has shown that mainstream cards like the X1950 Pro don’t really take advantage of the extra memory."

2.) COOLING
"Rather than sticking with ATI’s reference cooling unit for their X1950 Pro AGP card, PowerColor has decided to employ Arctic Cooling’s Accelero 2 cooler. The Accelero 2 cooler is a very powerful cooling unit, and it does a great job of keeping the X1950 Pro’s RV570 GPU cool, after all, it was designed to cool much hotter GPU’s like the X1900 XTX’s 48-shader R580 GPU."

good points....however

512mb will not give you but a small increase in performance...i am trying to find a test done on both versions but cant..if i remember right it was only like 5-10fps increase if that...

i usually don't knock product manufactures, but in the last month or so at least 7 people at tpu have had issues like yours with ati cards....ranging from the 9800's to the x8xxx line...the one thing they all have in commen is the name Sapphire....

i have owned a few sapphires and will never go back to them again...they all have died in less then a year...idk why this is, and i'm sure some people have had luck with them...but IMHO i would stay away from another sapphire....

i would just spend the few xtra $$$ to get the ATI brand card....sure the cooler is stock but at least you know you have a quality chip...and you can always add a zalman to it....

[65tweet]

Originally Posted by error_f0rce

Any recommendations for a compatible 128mb bios?

I believe you can just modify your bios with rabbit. DOLF is the one to ask about this sort of thing. When I fooled around with bios modding I didn't care if i killed the card. He may have some tips and/or cautions to use.

[error_f0rce]

Originally Posted by 65tweet

I believe you can just modify your bios with rabbit. DOLF is the one to ask about this sort of thing. When I fooled around with bios modding I didn't care if i killed the card. He may have some tips and/or cautions to use.

yeah, i used RaBit to mod my bios to 16 pipes a while back, but have no clue how to reduce the memory usage.

Anyone?

[noneed4me2]

you know your card was not that highly overclocked and even though you added aftermarket cooling and flashed the bios you still could try and rma directly to Sapphire as your card is not that old yet from when you bought it; could be a defective gpu or memory and not because of what you did. Bad pipelines usually dsiplay problems pretty quick after a flash. Just a thought I am not trying to encourage dishonesty. You could ask Dolf to mod your Bios he might be able to help better in that area.

[hat]

New AGP8X card under 200$?
Ho ho! This baby plays doom3 on ultra high w/ 16xAAAF on 1024x768 with a p4 2.8(533FSB) and 1gb ddr400.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150157

[65tweet]

If I remember correctly winflash has an option to change the amount of memory used by the bios. You should be able to modify with winflash then flash with the utility of your choice. It even had an option for 64 Mb of memory which could also help with troubleshooting.

If you didn't harm the card or modify it in any way other than the cooling you should think about an RMA.

[Kammster]

512mb vs 256mb review

http://www.pureoverclock.com/review.php?id=33

[ATIonion]

Originally Posted by hat

New AGP8X card under 200$?
Ho ho! This baby plays doom3 on ultra high w/ 16xAAAF on 1024x768 with a p4 2.8(533FSB) and 1gb ddr400.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150157

i would have to see that.....i had a 6800gtoc and it could do 30-40 fps maxed settings...but the xt? not arguing with you, just saying if that is true for you and you get more then 60+fps then you are a lucky man....

Originally Posted by Kammster

512mb vs 256mb review

http://www.pureoverclock.com/review.php?id=33

thanks for that....thats what i have been looking for.....and i was wrong...5-10fps increase was a bit high...more like 1-2fps increase....at least for todays games..

[hat]

512mb will always pwn 256mb... I dont know why anybody would write an article about it.

[hat]

Originally Posted by ATIonion

i would have to see that.....i had a 6800gtoc and it could do 30-40 fps maxed settings...but the xt? not arguing with you, just saying if that is true for you and you get more then 60+fps then you are a lucky man.

Maybe its the valu ram. Or maybe its because you're running at a higher resolution than me (1024x768 is the max my monitor does)

[ATIonion]

Originally Posted by hat

512mb will always pwn 256mb... I dont know why anybody would write an article about it.

i wouldn't say "pwns".....a couple of fps i hardly noticable...however, with future games the extra 256mb of ram may make a 512mb card usable longer then a 256mb card....

[Jonnycat]

I'd love to see what the "512MB required" textures look like in Q4.

[Ciprianni]

Originally Posted by error_f0rce

Hey all,
My Sapphire X800 GTO has been working great for the past 8 months or so, and was working great this morning. But this evening when it booted up I get this:

Here's what I've tried so far:
-Reconnecting cables, removing/reinstalling graphics card, check temps (normal), check o/c (off).

I've done a few mods (see specs), but nothing in the last 6 months, so what gives? ...any ideas?

(Getting sinking feeling this baby is about to bite the big one...)

Hello,
I had the same problem like u error_f0rce, under vista ultimate after i just messed up a bit with memory timings. i just reinstall and get back to windows xp and now every thing is back to normal. i still overclock the card, btw it's a sapphire x800gto agp 256/256 i guess i was lucky

[x800professor]

Ok, I have some interesting news for you. Last summer, there was a bad batch of X800's with the R430 core. They were unlockable and worked fine for a while, and then started doing exactly what yours did. I had one of them, and your screens brought back memories. My card did the EXACT same thing. Mine was a sapphire just like yours. I had to RMA mine after it did that, as did most everyone who bought one last summer. If you purchased that off of newegg, then I would be willing to bet that you got it from the bad batch. Yours just lasted longer than most of the other ones did. Mine barely made it a week.