Directory  Reviews Graphics Card Reviews |
| Sapphire X1300XT - Crossfire On The Cheap |
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Page 4 of 4 Performance: Due to the encroachment of competition from NVIDIA's seven series cards last year, ATI was forced to upgrade their entire line. With the release of the X1950XT, ATI took the RV530 Core from the X1600 pro series and downgraded it to an X1300XT.This was most likely done to increase its competitiveness with NVIDIA, meaning the system is essentially running two X1600 pros with downgraded ram. Let us see what these two budget cards can do. First, let us take a quick look at exactly what crossfire is doing with these two would-be paperweights. In CrossFire mode, the workload is distributed among the cards in one of four methods to increase performance or quality. They are Scissor, Alternate Frame Rendering, SuperTiling, and Super Anti-Aliasing.
Real world situations were thrown at these two Sapphire X1300XT's to see if combining the two would extend the life of an ailing PCI-E system. The gauntlet included eight games varying in age from Counter-Strike: Source to the recently released Medal of Honor Airborne. This will give a good peek at how these cards will fare with games already being played, as well as games recently added to the platter. First on the list is Colin Mcrae Rally 05. Originally, we wanted to test Dirt. Unfortunately, at this time, crossfire does not work with the game. Colin performed flawlessly at all resolution settings without AA or AF turned on. Regardless of how fast or dense the scene became, the two cards kept cranking out the frames. All tests were in the optimum playability range of ~60+ fps. Even when Full AA and AF were employed, the only resolution that phased the setup occurred at 1600 x 1200. A playable 31 FPS with a 24 FPS baseline is still achieved at the highest settings. It is safe to say that these cards have this game pegged.   Following the rally king, an old favorite called Counter-Strike: Source is up. Because the source engine is designed with ATI in mind, these two X1300XT's easily navigate the engine's beautiful rendering. The game happens to include a stress test session that is a good benchmark. Without AA or AF, the game is fluid and consistent. Because this game supports AA as well as HDR, it is a good chance to try out the simultaneous HDR and AA rendering. At the crisp resolution of 1600x1200 with 6x MSAA/16x AF enabled, the two cards produce a respectable 42 FPS in the video stress test. However, at these limits the card dips as low as 17 FPS in those smoke laden action packed scenes. Definitely pretty, but not the best for optimal play.     Something that is getting old, but is still providing a bar to pass, is the game Far Cry. With the newest 1.4 patch, SM 3.0 adds to the engine's repertoire, which greatly extends the life of the game. When matched against the crossfire setup, the two cards do well. At highest resolutions, they still manage around 50 FPS and maintain a baseline of 31 FPS. While factoring in AA and AF, the cards maintain the 60+ FPS playability range on resolutions 1024x768 and below.       The quasi sequel/tech demo of the coveted game Half-Life 2 is Lost Coast. This rendition has an updated Video Stress Test that showcases Half-Life 2: episode one graphics. Without AA or AF turned on, the X1300XTs bode well in this ATI centric engine. The polished source engine shines and provides an immersing environment. It also presents the point of no return for these cooperative video cards. While trying to maintain maximum playability, this is the first game where compromises had to be made. Until now, it was a crank it up and play situation. With the visual quality enhancements enabled, 1024x768 is the best possible playability compromise. Luckily, we have yet to reach the wall where visual quality must be toned down. So far, the crossfire setup has been impressive from a budget standpoint. Let us kick it up a notch with a more modern game.     The Fourth rendition of the long-lived battlefield series is Battlefield: 2142. This seems to be the limit for worry free gaming. The lush battlefields and constant action really give this system a run and stretch its legs. Without AA or AF, the maximum playability achievable is at 1024x768, with an average FPS of 48. At higher resolutions, the system bogs down under bombardment or any other processor intense action. Here is where AA and AF smack these cards into VGA resolutions in a hurry. At 800x600 and full AA/AF, the system maintains 45FPS. However, with a combination of 1024x768 and mild AA and AF, these cards can do their best. Achieving high quality playability for this game is impressive. These cards are turning out to be quite the surprise.     
    Following EA's newest FPS is an RPG called Two Worlds. Lush vegetation covers the landscape, and distant horizons are full of swaying trees. This game will tax almost any setup. The X1300XT in CrossFire only pushes 23.7 FPS at 800x600. This is barely playable, but this is at the highest settings. At the lowest settings, the cards pull a hearty 45 FPS. There is a decision for which side of the fence to fall on: Quality or Speed. That choice is mostly a matter of personal preference. For this system, a reduction in draw distance helps greatly. The depth of field helps to cover any degradation in visual quality. It is more than acceptable for the price of the cards. Overall, playing the game can be acceptable if tweaked right.     
Rounding up the real world gaming tests is the newest hit from 2k games, called Bioshock. The creators of Bioshock have engineered one of the most engaging and active environments. Once again, the optimum resolution for playability is 800x600. At minimal resolution, the Crossfire setup from Sapphire pushes a respectable 31 FPS. This is not with the DX10 textures. Because these games are designed for xbox 360, developers have been holding a special place in games for the mediocre graphics setups. This compatibility inadvertently gives this older system a chance at holding its ground. The cards also do not drop below 24 fps during game play, which makes this game the most impressive visual accomplishment. Expectations were little to none, but the cards manage to pull it off.         Performance Continued Because the real world results are positive, interest grows for how well the cards will perform in a synthetic benchmark. For the sake of curiosity, the cards are run through the gambit of flagship 3D benchmarking programs. This includes 3DMark 01 - 06 at the default settings. When compared with the solo rendition of the X1300XT and 7300GT, there is a marked difference in performance. On average, the Crossfire setup provided a ~33% increase over the solo X1300XT's performance. When compared to the 7300GT, on average, there is ~50% increase in performance. The benefits of Crossfire are obvious in this case. 
*in game video stress test
  
Following the gaming and synthetic benchmarking, another pertinent test is HD performance. While playing various forms of media, there is no slow down. 1080P content is smooth even when post processing is turned to its highest. These cards can also handle HD DVD VC-1 20 megabit/s media files with no trouble. This setup will make a preferred HDHTPC which could double as a light gaming station for console emulation, etc.. The HD outputs, specialized 1080 output settings, and acceleration of most codec forms put this card at home in the living room. Conclusion The thought of an X1300XT does not exactly stir feelings of joy or glee. However, they do the job required. The excellent performance boost in older games and the respectable achievement among the newest and greatest puts this CrossFire setup in a positive light. By themselves, the cards are not impressive, but the CrossFire and full DX9 supports allow the two to keep pace with today's games. As long as there is already a card present and money is tight, this is definitely the way to go. 
This extra card will be great for anyone biding their time to upgrade, but still wanting to play the newest games. The best solution is definitely a HTPC. It is an efficient way to retire an old gaming system. If shopping for a budget system to build from scratch, it would not be advisable to consider these. Newer cards are available that blow these out of the water for the same price. Due to age of the setup vs. the performance, the Sapphire Radeon X1300XT earns a recommended award from FastSilicon.com 
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