ATI's latest graphics card takes the top spot for performance by a single graphics card. While the X1900 XTX is faster than the XT, the additional cost does not justify the performance boost and the XT is more evenly clocked with the CrossFire card for those looking to run two cards. The card does use a large fan and heatsink so it will take up two slots in a desktop case.
While ATI's latest card may be the fastest when it comes to a single card solution, those looking to run multiple graphics cards are better off with the NVIDIA GeForce 7800GTX. The single card performance is still very strong and worthy of consideration. Another benefit is that the card is designed to fit in a single slot. A 512MB version is available, but difficult to find.
ATI's previous top of the line graphics processor the X1800 is still a very strong performer, but with the release of the X1900, ATI has stopped production of the cards. This means it will be more difficult to find the X1800 XT, but it should also hopefully bring about price reductions that will let those who want a strong card at reasonable prices to find a bargin.
What would you say to performance that is very close to that of the GeForce 7800 GTX but costs about three quarters the price of that card? That is exactly what NVIDIA did when they released the GeForce 7800 GT cards. The very strong performance of the card makes it an exceptional value for those wanting high performance without the extreme prices. And to boost performance, a second card can be used in SLI compatible systems.
One of the biggest detractors to the Radeon X1800XT is the price. Much of this is caused by the 512MB of memory on the card. ATI has a very similar product available with the Radeon X1800XL. The card features the more standardized 256MB of video memory and slower clock speeds for the video core and memory. This makes the Radeon X1800XL a much better value although it does reduce the performance as well.
