The X1600XT

The X1600XT uses the RV530 core which is a reconfigured R520 chip and therefore makes use of the 90 nanometer process. Where as the 520 features 16 “pipelines” the RV530 runs on 12. Clocks for the X1600XT are set to 590mhz core and 690mhz memory (1.38ghz data rate). Comparing these clocks to the X1800 series cards we see that they are much closer to the X1800XT than XL.

Where as Pixel Shader units are cut from 16 to 12 in the X1600XT its nice to see that ATI have kept the Geometry pipelines intact at 8. Where things differ again however is the memory bus used by the X1600 series and its disappointing to see this is the case. Rather than stick with the 256bit bus used by the X1800 the X1600 uses a 128bit bus…this could severely hamper the performance of the card when compared to competitor parts…we’ll see more of that later in the review…

As the X1600 is a derivative of the X1800 series the X1600XT comes with the same features as the more expensive cards. This means that we have support for Shader model 3.0 and HDR. Additionally unlike the 6800 series cards the X1600 supports the use of Anti-Aliasing with HDR which is an excellent feature. Additionally the card supports Avivo and full acceleration of HD video.

The card (XT)

What first strikes you about the X1600 hardware is the size of the card. Compared to most current hardware it is diminutive in stature. Despite this ATI have managed to fit 256mb of GDDR3 onto the card and as you can see from the above picture the card has space for the rage theatre chip should partners choose to include it. You can also see the card doesn’t feature an external power connector. An added benefit for some.

The output connectors are an area in which the card also excels. The usual S-video out is there however more importantly it’s accompanied by 2 digital outs.

The rear of the card, like the 6800GS is relatively normal. No memory chips here and no other major components either. Where as we were able to show the SLI connector on the 6800GS we can’t do similar for the X1600XT…the card is Crossfire capable though.

Card size comparison