Sapphire X800 XT Platinum Edition 256MB Video Card Review

Not surprisingly, if you want the fastest graphics card on the market (and at this time, the X800 XT Platinum Edition is certainly that, by a long shot), you’ll be paying a premium price for the thrill. While ATI stuck a $499 MSRP on the card, early demand for these cards have sent prices around the world upwards. If you’re looking to get one of these cards in the early going, be prepared to shell out around $600 for the privilege. We have little doubt that prices will drop when worldwide availability increases, but for now, it’s a hard sell. It’s looking more and more that nVidia’s upcoming GeForce 6800-series cards will be suffering a similar fate.

..With a price tag so high, cards like the Radeon 9800XT and X800 Pro look like much better values for the money in comparison to the X800 XT Platinum Edition. Both of these cards can handle modern titles with ease, and won’t make you take out a second mortgage. Still, if you want the best, the X800 XT doesn’t have any competition at this time. It’s the fastest thing on the market, and unless nVidia has something magical up their sleeves, it will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Sapphire X800 XT Platinum Edition 256MB @ GamePC