DH Review: Overclocking the ATI Radeon X800 GTO

Kombatant · Nov 26, 2005, 05:37 PM

Our latest review is online, and it takes a closer look in one of ATI's best selling cards, the ATI Radeon X800 GTO. Forums around the internet are full with reports that this particular card can overlock very well, and we wanted to see what speed increases one would witness after such an overclock. Are 12 pipelines enough for today's games?

To make a long story short, this is not yet another GTO review, so I thought we should get this out of the way first. I am certain that this particular card has been benchmarked to death, and there are many capable reviews out there that will give you an idea of how well it stacks up either against its competition or other ATI offerings.
What this review is about really, is what to expect from the card after you decide to get it. Don't get me wrong, this is one popular card, and many people wished that ATI had released such a card much sooner than they did (and in quantities, thank you very much). But, as they say, you can't change the past, so what's done is done.

Read the review here.

Erroneus · Nov 26, 2005, 07:04 PM

A great card and the connect 3d card which is modable, can be bought for under 150$.

This card and 7800gt for 275$ is proberly the best buys atm.

Chaos · Nov 26, 2005, 07:27 PM

Good review man. They sure are nice cards for the dollar. I am lucky enough to have the Sapphire GTo2 and it's sweet. It is hitting over 13K in 3DMark03 and 6733 in 3DMark05 clocked to 540/620.

riles9262 · Nov 26, 2005, 07:32 PM

If i bought any card right now, it would likely be the gto2 (i think the best price/performance, especially after the mod), but the gto is still a great deal. Very good review as well...thanks guys. I love the graphs on this one

**temeteus82** · Nov 26, 2005, 07:37 PM

Nice review

I use ATT for overcloking and I'm using 550 for core and 560 mem in games that need more pover from gpu

As you see in my sig I have saphires card that hast the direct-heat exhaust cooller... but I'm going to replace it soon... It makes terrible noise :P

Kombatant · Nov 26, 2005, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riles9262

I love the graphs on this one

We have Zardon to thank for that; he's done an excellent job

The_Neon_Cowboy · Nov 26, 2005, 11:00 PM

one thing that wasn't coverd that on most cards you can open the other pipies
with a flashto make it a full 16 piped card at thaose speeds!

Kombatant · Nov 26, 2005, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Neon_Cowboy

one thing that wasn't coverd that on most cards you can open the other pipies
with a flashto make it a full 16 piped card at thaose speeds!

That's actually not accurate; only on Sapphire GTO2s and (some) Connect3D GTOs it's possible. Plus, if you noticed, I link to W1zzard's article about modding, and he has done a great job already setting the record straight on which cards can be modded and which cannot (and how to do it)

**temeteus82** · Nov 27, 2005, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kombatant

That's actually not accurate; only on Sapphire GTO2s and (some) Connect3D GTOs it's possible. Plus, if you noticed, I link to W1zzard's article about modding, and he has done a great job already setting the record straight on which cards can be modded and which cannot (and how to do it)

BTW. Some cards like mine needs some hardware modifications before you can flash it

RobertBruce · Nov 27, 2005, 04:52 AM

Whats the difference between the gto and gto2? I've been looking at getting a connect3d card to try to mod.....

Kombatant · Nov 27, 2005, 12:43 PM

The GTO2 from Sapphire is easily moddable to 16 pipes, whereas the rest of the GTOs (with the possible exception of the Connect3D GTO) are a hit and miss thing.

Erroneus · Nov 28, 2005, 12:29 AM

Also the GTO2 from sapphire runs with better ram.

**temeteus82** · Nov 28, 2005, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erroneus

Also the GTO2 from sapphire runs with better ram.

You mean it has 1.6 ns RAM? I have the fireblade edition and it has ns 1.6 ram from samsung

DiaperJe|\|i3 · Dec 2, 2005, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by temeteus82

You mean it has 1.6 ns RAM? I have the fireblade edition and it has ns 1.6 ram from samsung

True but the fireblade doesn't have an unlockable core. It is designed to be oc'ed though.

**temeteus82** · Dec 2, 2005, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiaperJe|\|i3

True but the fireblade doesn't have an unlockable core. It is designed to be oc'ed though.

I've read in finnish tech site that some one did some hardware modding to fireblade and were able to unlock it

he even posted how he did it...

DiaperJe|\|i3 · Dec 5, 2005, 02:49 PM

Very nice! Luck bastardo

Any, any info on the agp part and how it OC's? I can find bubkas on the web. I realize the core unlocking is pretty much nill but will it oc? Particularly the Sapphire agp part.

virgo · Dec 24, 2005, 10:49 AM

To anyone that wants an easy way to softmod their Sapphire X800GTo2, a guy on the Overclockers UK forums called Locutus12, made a program that installs from cd and is so easy to use. I know it works because I have modded both our cards and they are now running great.Below is a link,

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...php?t=17481933

Nov 26, 2005, 05:37 PM	#1
Kombatant DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Athens, Hellas Posts: 644 Rep Power: 60	DH Review: Overclocking the ATI Radeon X800 GTO Our latest review is online, and it takes a closer look in one of ATI's best selling cards, the ATI Radeon X800 GTO. Forums around the internet are full with reports that this particular card can overlock very well, and we wanted to see what speed increases one would witness after such an overclock. Are 12 pipelines enough for today's games? To make a long story short, this is not yet another GTO review, so I thought we should get this out of the way first. I am certain that this particular card has been benchmarked to death, and there are many capable reviews out there that will give you an idea of how well it stacks up either against its competition or other ATI offerings. What this review is about really, is what to expect from the card after you decide to get it. Don't get me wrong, this is one popular card, and many people wished that ATI had released such a card much sooner than they did (and in quantities, thank you very much). But, as they say, you can't change the past, so what's done is done. Read the review here. __________________ There is no spoon... Kombatant's Lair Last edited by Kombatant; Nov 29, 2005 at 12:10 PM.

Nov 26, 2005, 07:04 PM	#2
Erroneus Get off my lawn! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 13,343 Rep Power: 114 System Specs	A great card and the connect 3d card which is modable, can be bought for under 150$. This card and 7800gt for 275$ is proberly the best buys atm. __________________

Nov 26, 2005, 07:27 PM	#3
Chaos Number Nine Join Date: May 2002 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 5,269 Rep Power: 165 System Specs	Good review man. They sure are nice cards for the dollar. I am lucky enough to have the Sapphire GTo2 and it's sweet. It is hitting over 13K in 3DMark03 and 6733 in 3DMark05 clocked to 540/620. __________________

Nov 26, 2005, 07:32 PM	#4
riles9262 Driverheaven brewmaster Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,842 Rep Power: 70 System Specs	If i bought any card right now, it would likely be the gto2 (i think the best price/performance, especially after the mod), but the gto is still a great deal. Very good review as well...thanks guys. I love the graphs on this one __________________ A beer a day keeps the doctor away.

Nov 26, 2005, 11:00 PM	#7
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	one thing that wasn't coverd that on most cards you can open the other pipies with a flashto make it a full 16 piped card at thaose speeds! __________________

Nov 27, 2005, 04:52 AM	#10
RobertBruce HardwareHeaven Addict Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 255 Rep Power: 44 System Specs	Whats the difference between the gto and gto2? I've been looking at getting a connect3d card to try to mod.....

Nov 27, 2005, 12:43 PM	Thread Starter #11
Kombatant DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Athens, Hellas Posts: 644 Rep Power: 60	The GTO2 from Sapphire is easily moddable to 16 pipes, whereas the rest of the GTOs (with the possible exception of the Connect3D GTO) are a hit and miss thing. __________________ There is no spoon... Kombatant's Lair

Nov 28, 2005, 12:29 AM	#12
Erroneus Get off my lawn! Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 13,343 Rep Power: 114 System Specs	Also the GTO2 from sapphire runs with better ram. __________________

Dec 5, 2005, 02:49 PM	#16
DiaperJe\|\\|i3 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 42 Rep Power: 0 $DiaperJe\|\\|i3 is on a distinguished road$	Very nice! Luck bastardo Any, any info on the agp part and how it OC's? I can find bubkas on the web. I realize the core unlocking is pretty much nill but will it oc? Particularly the Sapphire agp part.
$DiaperJe\|\\|i3 is offline$

Dec 24, 2005, 10:49 AM	#17
virgo DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 37 Rep Power: 0	To anyone that wants an easy way to softmod their Sapphire X800GTo2, a guy on the Overclockers UK forums called Locutus12, made a program that installs from cd and is so easy to use. I know it works because I have modded both our cards and they are now running great.Below is a link, http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...php?t=17481933