Connect3D X850 XT PE - 03 - A closer look

In spite of the architecture of the X850XT PE being very similar to that of the X800XT PE, the look of the card has drastically changed.

The front side of the card.(click for hi-res).

A new cooling solution has been used to ensure it can handle the higher clock speeds of the core and memory modules.

The back side of X850 XT PE(click for hi-res)

Air flows in...

and out of the case...

The new fansink solution has a major drawback. Just like Nvidia, ATi could no longer hold the size of the card to a single slot and as you see in the picture above, in order to install the X850 XT you have to sacrifice a second PCI slot.

Removing the fan exposes the R480 core.

The new power connector

Another thing that has changed on the X850 XT PE board is the new PCI-Express power socket. It seems the 75W that the PCI-Express bus supports is not enough for the card and it needs some extra power to operate correctly. Inside the packaging you will find an adaptor to connect your power supply with the card.

(An interesting article can be found at Spode's Abode : How to make a PCI-E Power Connector )

The adaptor cable is included in the package.

Two DVI outputs and a single D-sub found on the card's rear

The ATI Rage Theater chip