Bought a used x850 p - 16 pipes already enabled

[RobxMcCarthy]

Ok, I bought an X850 pro.. Looks like an X850 pro. Didn't specify "used" and looks brand new. I installed it and checked ATI tool to see this ->

http://tinypic.com/iz3mo8.jpg

Is there any way to be sure that that's correct? (the 16 pipes that is) When I look at the card in the device manager it just says X850 series.

At 500mhz by 500mhz I got 10616 in 3dmark 03 with my computer (clocked kind of low) at 2400 mhz 200 * 12.

My max overclock was about 555 , 588 with the fan locked at 75% (stock cooling) (100 was rediculous) Are these numbers good / bad?

Basically my question is, is there any way to tell if the card has already been flashed successfully to x850 xt? And has this one. Thanks. I'll probably try to flash it to an XT-PE since it can apparently handle it.

[RobxMcCarthy]

Got 12,050 3dmark03

But my framerate in wow still sucks... Other games seem better but wow must be CPU or ram limited for me right now.. *unfortunate*.

[Cheator]

I don't think those pipes are open. My xt pe gets about 13000. Even before my tiny OC, I get about 12700

[RobxMcCarthy]

Wouldn't that make you think that it is open? After all I overclocked it to xt PE speeds and got 1000 points less than you on a 2500+ athlon at 2.4 ghz (non 64 bit) with crappy ram. I'd think the difference would be much greater if they were closed. But oh well I'm going to test it out now and see how she fares after modding it to xt-pe.

[Cheator]

Right sorry. they must be unlocked. I hadn't noticed your system. sorry about that.

[chris64]

its 16 pipes if ati tool says it is. That score is about right being on a regular Athlon.

[RobxMcCarthy]

Ok, thanks. I just flashed to XT-PE. Re-ran 3dmark03 and ended up with a

12,297 This is almost twice my old score of 6500 (average) and 7000 when my comp was maxed out, so I'm happy.

And the screenshot:
http://tinypic.com/izqeyb.jpg

[IWasHungry]

You sure that wasn't a X850XT in a X850PRO box?
Is the heatsink X850PRO or X850XT specific? (X850PRO heatsink is like that on the X800XL, while X850XT heatsink takes up two slots)

[theELVISCERATOR]

That card needs more power!

[RobxMcCarthy]

That card needs more power!

What do you mean Elviscerator? A better computer to back it up, more volts (volt mod), or what?

I already ordered a zalman as all of my overclocking issues are with heat so far. (runs perfect at 100% fan but god damn that's loud...)

And yeah, it has the x800 pro heat sink, not the XT.

[Cheator]

I have a P180 case and it has that fan that blows air on the video card. I find that it helped my temps alot and would recomend you do something like that as well. It should make a reasonable difference

[RobxMcCarthy]

Yep, I infact also have a fan like that. But as far as overclocking goes this heat-sink is just not cutting it.. It can't handle the heat at all. Seems like the heat capacity of the sink itself is WAY too low. The fan can dissipate it quickly enough, but there just isn't enough mass to the sink. If you look at it is is infact very cheaply constructed. (folded pieces of copper soldered onto a copper base).

This is the non pro version. I honestly think that my 9800 pro heatsink was better than this heap. not to mention that the fan gets abnoxiously loud on high... I am all-together a little disapointed with that design aspect. The card itself gets VERY hot.. After the new bios flash I believe the temperature readings have become inaccurate, as it states that it often goes above 99C.. yet I see no artifacting. I used the "beta" "fan control" bios. (doesn't seem too great).

[theELVISCERATOR]

What do you mean Elviscerator? A better computer to back it up, more volts (volt mod), or what?

I already ordered a zalman as all of my overclocking issues are with heat so far. (runs perfect at 100% fan but god damn that's loud...)

And yeah, it has the x800 pro heat sink, not the XT.


Yes more cpuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[RobxMcCarthy]

Yeah, unfortunately a new cpu means a new motherboard, means I'll have to go with the one that has agp + PCI, and I don't necessarily want to do that. Also means I'll have to spend about ( ) this much money, which translates to a butt-ton.

I'm happy for now. (but I agree)

[RobxMcCarthy]

Ok, seems like this is the max I can get with my current setup (until I clean the green water out of my water cooling loop (gross) or the new video card heat-sink gets to me.
http://tinypic.com/j58tqg.jpg