Connect 3D and Sapphire Blizzard Radeon X1900 XTX
by Josh Venning on April 10, 2006 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Blizzard Radeon X1900 XTX
The Blizzard Radeon X1900 XTX is a unique water cooled version of the X1900 XTX made by Sapphire. The design of this card is quite different than most that we've reviewed in that it is basically two separate units. It has a single-slot GPU, but there's a second water reservoir that takes a second slot and the two pieces are connected by two flexible hoses. The GPU is basically stripped of it's HSF, and the hoses run from the processor to the water block. The reservoir portion also circulates water via a quiet 12 volt "mini pump."
The Blizzard comes completely assembled and already filled with coolant, so it's fairly simple to install and get running. An extra 4-pin Molex power connection is required for the cooling solution in addition to the graphics card's standard 6-pin connection, and this will add to the power load on you PSU. Of course, if the GPU runs cooler it should draw less power, so we will have to wait for the empirical tests to find out which design actually requires less total power.
The Blizzard X1900 XTX comes with a factory overclock, which is something we've not seen with X1900 XTXs that we've tested in the past. The core clock comes set at 675 MHz as opposed to the standard 650MHz, and the memory clock is 800MHz versus the stock speed of 775MHz (1600 MHz effective vs. the default 1550 MHz). This overclock will give a slight boost in performance and makes for an attractive solution for those looking for something a little faster than the standard X1900 XTXs out there.
The Blizzard also comes with a familiar software bundle along with two Sapphire Select unlock keys. This allows you to choose two games from a selection of four: Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, or Richard Burns Rally. None of the titles are really new, but all four are at least reasonable offerings. At least you have a reasonable chance of getting two new games this way, rather than getting a second copy of a game you already own.
The Blizzard Radeon X1900 XTX is a unique water cooled version of the X1900 XTX made by Sapphire. The design of this card is quite different than most that we've reviewed in that it is basically two separate units. It has a single-slot GPU, but there's a second water reservoir that takes a second slot and the two pieces are connected by two flexible hoses. The GPU is basically stripped of it's HSF, and the hoses run from the processor to the water block. The reservoir portion also circulates water via a quiet 12 volt "mini pump."
The Blizzard comes completely assembled and already filled with coolant, so it's fairly simple to install and get running. An extra 4-pin Molex power connection is required for the cooling solution in addition to the graphics card's standard 6-pin connection, and this will add to the power load on you PSU. Of course, if the GPU runs cooler it should draw less power, so we will have to wait for the empirical tests to find out which design actually requires less total power.
The Blizzard X1900 XTX comes with a factory overclock, which is something we've not seen with X1900 XTXs that we've tested in the past. The core clock comes set at 675 MHz as opposed to the standard 650MHz, and the memory clock is 800MHz versus the stock speed of 775MHz (1600 MHz effective vs. the default 1550 MHz). This overclock will give a slight boost in performance and makes for an attractive solution for those looking for something a little faster than the standard X1900 XTXs out there.
The Blizzard also comes with a familiar software bundle along with two Sapphire Select unlock keys. This allows you to choose two games from a selection of four: Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, or Richard Burns Rally. None of the titles are really new, but all four are at least reasonable offerings. At least you have a reasonable chance of getting two new games this way, rather than getting a second copy of a game you already own.
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haelduksf - Monday, April 10, 2006 - link
Because a well-designed water-cooling setup is more efficient than any heatpipe-based air cooler. See any overclocker's forum on the internet for proof.NullSubroutine - Monday, April 10, 2006 - link
i could have been mistaken, but i thought the x1900xtx and the 7900 gtx xo edition from evga were pretty much tied?z3R0C00L - Monday, April 10, 2006 - link
Not really..The x1900XTX has more features, performs better in newer games and also support HDR+AA. There are no extra's over the x1900 series that you can get with the 7900GTX.. save maybe 5FPS more in OpenGL games... but not many people play those games.
The x1900XTX is the better card for HighEnd buyer's.. better drivers, better performance and more features.
NullSubroutine - Monday, April 10, 2006 - link
i know it was the inquirer, but the did an article on the overclocked 7900 and it showed they pretty much tied in most situations. granted, it came factory overclocked. i still personally would take x1900xtx for a single card solution, but would take the 7900 for sli (if you can actually find two cards).