ATI rebranding?

[Alfred Geskin]

Does it matter whether I buy an ATI card, Saphire, HIS, etc? Do they all
have the same chips and drivers?

Is the main difference the cooling fan and bundled software?

I am looking for an ATI x1600 AGP. Does it matter how much memory it has
(128,256,512)?

thanks a lot,
Afred

 

[First of One]

Does it matter whether I buy an ATI card, Saphire, HIS, etc?

Yes. Note differing warranty lengths, price and availability.

Do they all have the same chips and drivers?
Yes.

Is the main difference the cooling fan and bundled software?

Yes (in case of HIS IceQ versions). Otherwise see above.

I am looking for an ATI x1600 AGP. Does it matter how much memory it has
(128,256,512)?

Get the 256 MB version, unless the 512 MB card can be had for just a little
extra. Call of Duty 2 (and so far only that title) benefits from 512 MB of
video RAM.

 

[John Doe]

I am looking for an ATI x1600 AGP. Does it matter how much memory
it has (128,256,512)?

I think the minimum is 256 MB.
More memory definitely does not mean faster.

If you are thinking about buying the Sapphire version at NewEgg. On
the backside of that card (as illustrated at NewEgg), there is a
small chip surrounded by pink padding. It gets burning hot. After
having read a convincing user review about that, before even
installing the card, I cut up an old aluminum CPU heatsink and
superglued a 1 inch cube piece to that chip, and even that heatsink
is too hot to handle. Doing that voids the warranty, but returning
the card would be a major hassle anyway, you just have to get it
right the first time.

Good luck.

 

[First of One]

I think the minimum is 256 MB.
More memory definitely does not mean faster.

http://www.amdzone.com/modules.php?...s&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=182&page=3

Call of Duty 2 seems to like 512 MB of video RAM. However, this is the only
game, and being a console port, it is coded like shit. So spending extra
hardware money on this title is a matter of debate.

If you are thinking about buying the Sapphire version at NewEgg. On
the backside of that card (as illustrated at NewEgg), there is a
small chip surrounded by pink padding. It gets burning hot.

Aff. That's the PCIe-AGP bridge chip. The pink padding is there to protect
the chip from damage in transport and installation; it can be removed.

having read a convincing user review about that, before even
installing the card, I cut up an old aluminum CPU heatsink and
superglued a 1 inch cube piece to that chip, and even that heatsink
is too hot to handle. Doing that voids the warranty, but returning
the card would be a major hassle anyway, you just have to get it
right the first time.

Don't use superglue, because it is a poor conductor. There are dedicated
thermal adhesives, relatively cheap. Then again, if the heat sink gets hot,
then it's doing its job.

 

[Alfred Geskin]

Thanks that is all very helpful.

 

[John Doe]

Don't use superglue, because it is a poor conductor. There are
dedicated thermal adhesives, relatively cheap. Then again, if the
heat sink gets hot, then it's doing its job.

Are there any real tests that say superglue is a poor conductor?
Would be nice to know, but I would think there isn't much interest
since gluing a heatsink is something very few people do.

Maybe you could superglue a heatsink onto your CPU and let us know.
You really do want to know?

 

[First of One]

Are there any real tests that say superglue is a poor conductor?
Would be nice to know, but I would think there isn't much interest
since gluing a heatsink is something very few people do.

There are no official tests, because often the hardware doesn't survive with
a superglue-attached heatsink. There are enough uninformed users in the ECS
K7S5A forums who burned the motherboard's northbridge this way.

It is, however, pretty common to use four drops of superglue on the corners
for attachment, and normal thermal grease in the center for heat conduction.

Maybe you could superglue a heatsink onto your CPU and let us know.
You really do want to know?

That would be utterly retarded, if for no other reason than it making the
ZIF socket lever inaccessible afterwards.

 

[John Doe]

If you are thinking about buying the Sapphire [X1600 256MB]
version at NewEgg. On the backside of that card (as illustrated
at NewEgg), there is a small chip surrounded by pink padding. It
gets burning hot.

Aff. That's the PCIe-AGP bridge chip. The pink padding is there to
protect the chip from damage in transport and installation; it can
be removed.

By the way, thanks for that information.