Sapphire VS ATI

The items you speak of (Sapphire & ATI) are both one & the same. They are
one & all ATI video cards. It's all a difference of degrees (so to speak)
depending on what you have for a system & what ur needs for a video card
are.

I have a Radeon 9800 SE Atlantis powered by Sapphire. It is a 128 MB card
w/256 bit architecture. Which means you (with the right driver software) can
open up all 8 pipes & make it run like a Radeon 9800 Pro @256 MB. I had
thought about a decent 256 MB card but wasn't prepared to shell out $250.00
to $300.00 for a decent one. That & the great reviews was what prompted me
to but this video card.

When softmoded with the right driver software, & all 8 pipes opened, it runs
like a bat out of hell. However; when using very demanding video games (like
Star Wars Galaxies) there is an artifact / issue of checkerboarding.

Where every 20-30 seconds you get the "checkerboard" effect at random spots
on your monitor. After 15-20 minutes I started to get a headache. Was afraid
after 1 hour someone would find me stroked out & face down on the keyboard.
(hehe!!)

After re-installing the stock driver software & running it at 128MB / 128
bit architecture it was easier on the eye & ran spankingly fast. Ran the
3D Benchmark 2001 test from the MadOnion & the results were 7,369. -(no
tweaks, modifications, or tuned up for that matter)

The detail (graphics wise) was incredible, & my FPS ranged from (50-100 with
everything turned on) all the way up to the top end which was between
195-200 FPS.

This is a really great card & I would reccomend it to anyone. However: when
it comes to video cards you literally get what you pay for. Bottom line is
be prepared to shell out at least $125.00 to $150.for a decent 128 MB video
card otherwise you will have nothing but crap.

Warlock