fx5900 vs fx 5900xt for overclocking to 5950

[||BOD||FLUX]

Which is better to use if you plan on flashing the bios to a 5950 or is there a difference?

[Blackmage]

I would say the 59xt as it will be running at higher speeds so when you flash you wont force you card to run at really high speeds then needed

[JimboZ88]

Actually the 5900xt is the crappy version of that card. That's like recomending a 9800se instead of a 9800

[Blackmage]

oh sory i was thinking of a ati cards i mean get an 5900U

[||BOD||FLUX]

A 5900u is just weeee bit out of my price range. I am looking at buying a 5900 and flashing it to a 5950 but I am wondering which basic model is better to flash the 5900 or the 5900 xt the 5900 runs at 400mgz standard and the xt runs 390 mgz but I cant figure wich will flash to the 5950 better

[kindred]

The 5900XT's were only released for a short period of time because they were made from the left over 5950 GPU's. They are great overclockers. I've had huge success in overclocking the 5900XT and so have many others. Check my sig.

[Shuzzy]

i've got a bfg 5900 (non ultra) and it is flashed flawlessly to a 5950u. it's got an aftermarket heatsink on it though so that always helps. generally you see a lot of the 5900xt and 5900 having success flashing to 5950u.

[JimboZ88]

Instead of getting a 5900 or 5900xt, i highly suggest getting a 6600gt, and if that's not in your price range a 6600 is good too. Unless you can find a really killer deal on a 5900 or xt, then i recommend the 6600 series.

[Quailane]

I would get the regular 5900 because it is the same high quaility pcb and components that the 5950 uses. The pcb the 5900XT uses is cheaper to make and uses worse components. That is if both are equal price. If the 5900xt is significantly cheaper, go with that, but it may not have as high of a success rate in flashing to a 5950.

[||BOD||FLUX]

thanks for the info guys. I recently purchased for a chaintech 5900 for 100 bucks and just wanted to make sure I got one that I can flash to 5950 easily it sounds like this card is going to do good for it

[kindred]

Be careful....

[David Coleman]

Watch the ram speed. thats the biggest limitation in flashing to 5950. Many xt's were 700mhz default with 2.8ns or 2.5ns ram, while nu's were 850 with 2.2ns or 2.0ns ram. I just picked up a nu with 850mhz default speed (dunno what chips till it gets here) for 120 shipped in the classifieds...