ATI Radeon X1800 GTO

INTRODUCTION

Today ATI is introducing a new X1800-based card, the X1800GTO, their “newest and most cost efficient member” so far. It is aimed at the value enthusiast market and with a RRP of only $249 for a 256 MB card it does indeed look like a very interesting card if you need performance without wanting to put a fortune on the video card.

SPECIFICATIONS

The specifications of the X1800GTO are as expected the same as for the other X1800 cards. It is based on the R520 core and has all the relevant features we expect from ATI’s latest cards:

• Ultrathreaded SM 3.0 Engine Architecture with fast dynamic branching
• 500 MHz Core Speed
• 1000 MHz Memory Speed
• 12 Pixel Shader Processors
• 8 Vertex Shader Processors
• 512-bit Ring Bus memory controller
• 256-bit GDDR3 memory interface
• Avivo Technology: unparalleled video & display quality, H.264, HDTV, 10-bit display processing engine
• Dual-Dual-link DVI
• Supports HDR with Anti-aliasing
• CrossFire

As you can see the card is very similar to the X1800XL, just with 4 less pixel Shader processors. In ATI's press briefing material for the GTO they only mention the 512 MB X1800XL and no longer the 256 MB X1800XL. With similar performance but a lower price the X1800GTO is a much more cost-efficient card and thus much more interesting for us consumers.