High End and Future Ultra High End Performance

On the high end, the X1800 XL is a solid competitor to the 7800 GT. In some cases, the X1800 XL is able to compete with the 7800 GTX, but not enough to warrant pricing on the same level. The X1800 XT will not be out for at least a month, and while it does offer good competition to the 7800 GTX, we do want to caution everyone to wait until the part is shipping before embracing it.

Once again, Doom 3 shows NVIDIA to lead the way in performance, this time even with 4xAA and 8xAF enabled. Even the 6800 GT is able to best ATI's new flagship, the X1800 XT.

High-End Card Comparison - Doom 3


The X1800 XT falls just short of the NVIDIA 7800 GTX at 1600x1200 4xAA/8xAF with a score of 59.5 fps. The X1800 XL and XT are good competitors to the 7800 GTX and 7800 GT parts at this resolution under Day of Defeat. We run with all the quality options on the highest setting (including reflect all).

High-End Card Comparison - Day of Defeat


The X1000 line tend to do very well in Far Cry, and the high end parts are no exception. This time around, the defeat isn't that staggering, as the 7800 series seems to keep up well.

High-End Card Comparison - Far Cry


With Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, the X1800 XT dominates. The X1800 XL is competive with the 7800 GTX in this benchmark, which is appropriate based on expected pricing.

High-End Card Comparison - Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory


Looking at the ultra high end, Doom 3 once again favors the NVIDIA line of parts.

High-End Card Comparison - Doom 3


High-End Card Comparison - Day of Defeat


High-End Card Comparison - Far Cry


High-End Card Comparison - Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory


High-End Card Comparison - Everquest II


Mid-Range Performance Final Words
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  • GoatMonkey - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    What?!?! But it's **EXTREME**
  • kilkennycat - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    ...there is an old saying. "Wait to see the whites of their eyes before shooting". Pre-orders mean nothing and delivery dates can change. Never ever order from a vendor that has a pre-order queue, unless you really don't care when you get the item. Who knows where you are in this queue? Few, if any of such vendors ever give you this information - for the obvious reason that thery don't want to risk losing the order. The first shipment might be 5 pieces and you are 20th on the list. Order product from vendors like Newegg or ZipZoomFly that sell only from available stock, but also have immediate auto e-mail notification when a sold-out item is back in stock... first come, first serve then of course, but at least the customer is never ever 'left hung out to dry'.

    I personally view vendors with pre-order queues as somewhat sleazy, but maybe my view is extreme. A pre-order queue is entirely to the benefit of the vendor and not the customer.
  • southpawuni - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    Bad results from ATI.

    Look at the midrange.. I'm guessing most people around here buy that hardware (6800GT/7800GT)..

    disappointing day for ATI.
    Since the NV cards have been out, and are priced right.. I dont see much hope for ATI now.
  • bob661 - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    I was expecting the new ATI cards to be a bit more competitive especially given that they'll be more expensive. Wow, what a shocker! The X1600 isn't even worth buying at less than or equal to 6600GT performance at 6800GT prices. What a bargain!!!
  • segagenesis - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    They are simply arriving late to the game. I curious see how anyone will really want the X1800 XL over the 7800 GT, consideing the price.

    And why no show all the cards on each graph? Why is the 7800 GT missing on the Day of Defeat graph? Are we not trying to compare cards?
  • Questar - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    Simple - Image quality.

    It's been reported just about everywhere else that Nvidia lowered the image quality on the 7800 to gain speed. The image quality comparison in this review proves it.
  • Questar - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    Heh, modded down by the Nvidia fanboys already!

    How about this guys, enable HDR and AA in any game you would like on a 7800. Oops, can't do it!

    Open your eyes and look at the AF charts in this review. ATI has better AF, period.
  • segagenesis - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    They looked like crap to me honestly. And where are you getting this crap about no AA/HDR on nVidia cards? Are you trying to troll? No wonder you got modded down.
  • Questar - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    It's not crap. A 7800 can't do HDR and AA at the same time. Read the HOCP review where they explain this.
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link

    It was mentioned in this article as well. However, HDR already kills performance, and HDR + AA is going to be unplayable on anything short of Crossfired X1800 XT cards. Then again, HDR at 1600x1200 really isn't dying for 4xAA support, and I think many people looking at HDR are running very high-end displays and GPUs.

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