X1K Series Visual Quality...

[Devnull]

So I have been using a Sapphire X800 XT PE for a while. I am having a ton of problems with it so I managed to get a hold of a Sapphire X1600 Pro to use for the weekend.

I really can't believe the difference in quality. In games the ghosting that I previously attributed to my LCD is no longer present and in windows the 2d quality is sharper.

Playing videos it is even better. I have a 30" CRT HDTV and 720p/1080i or even regular DVD content looks so much better. Is there REALLY that much of a difference or is it me? I am really crazy for watching/encoding videos, especially watching HDTV content. So I figure I might as well get an X1K series card myself. Should there be any differences in IQ(especially on the video side) between cards?

I'm not sure which card I will get, mainly looking for a deal on something a little faster in gaming than the X1600. I see some good deals on the X1800 XT, but I may just wait for the X1950 Pro.

 

[Stereophile]

IMHO, at this point the X1950 is not worth the extra money over the X1900.
They are starting to appear in retailer inventories at between $475 and $500.
You can get a X1900XT for $320 and an XTX for $340.
From the benchmarks I've seen, it's not worth $150 more for faster memory and
better cooling. Unless you plan on running super high res, the difference is less
than 5%.

 

[dderidex]

Playing videos it is even better. I have a 30" CRT HDTV and 720p/1080i or even regular DVD content looks so much better. Is there REALLY that much of a difference or is it me? I am really crazy for watching/encoding videos, especially watching HDTV content. So I figure I might as well get an X1K series card myself. Should there be any differences in IQ(especially on the video side) between cards?

Well....in a word....YEAH. ATI's X1K-series cards all feature their 'AVIVO' technology, for vastly improving DVD and HD-content playback...both performance and quality. The X800-series does not have this.

As you've already noticed - it's a pretty amazing improvement. Back in the X800 days, an nVidia card with Purevideo was easily the better choice (as far as 'quality' is concerned) for DVD playback. When the X1K and 'AVIVO' hit, though, the tables turned completely.

Article and article.

IMHO, at this point the X1950 is not worth the extra money over the X1900.

He said X1950 *Pro*, not XTX. The 'Pro' is basically the same thing as the currently-available X1900GT, just clocked slightly faster, and on a smaller process (so it should consume less power and put out less heat). IIRC, scheduled to debut at $199.

Definitely an interesting looking buy!

 

[Devnull]

Yes I said the pro. Honestly my X800 played everything I could throw at it, even played oblivion on my HDTV fast enough for my tastes. So I don't really need the best of the best, just an improvement. By the time somthing that really strains my video card is out, hopefully I will have more money by then and DX10 cards will be out.


I had read about avivo previously, and I had seen X1K cards in action and I was impressed. But I never saw it on my HDTV I read an article on the X1600 where the guy from ATI in charge of the X1600 team says they compared the card to an nvidia card and a $20,000 DVD player in terms of DVD playback quality. The X1600 blew them all away, now I believe it.

 

[Stereophile]

My mistake. Yeah the X1950pro looks like a nice card at $200.
I'd snatch one up.