Buying direct from ATI

[Rebel Nugget]

I've been trying to get my hands on an x800 pe or perhaps an x850 now that they exist but of course I can't find them anywhere. That doesn't matter too much because I'm willing to wait.

The normal price for ASUS's x800 pe is around $700 or so from most vendors like monarch and newegg. That is fairly pricey when compared to being able to order the x800 pe straight from ati.com for $500. My friend and I are arguing over the merits of ASUS vs ATI though. He claims that ASUS will do overclocking and whatnot to make the card better whereas ATI just gives you the straight card. Even if that is true, $200 isn't worth a little oc. Does anyone know any other diffences between buying the ATI made card from ATI.com and buying the ASUS manufactured card from a vendor?

 

[Matthias99]

BBA ("Built By ATI" = ATI-brand) cards come with a 3-year warranty. Most OEM boards only have a 1-year warranty (although some have 3-year coverage as well).

*Some* models of OEM boards are overclocked or equipped with better-than-stock cooling out of the box, and are warranted for said modifications. You'd have to be more specific than just "ASUS" to tell.

BBA cards normally don't come with any games or other software. They also usually cost 5-10% more than an equivalent OEM part. At the same clock speeds, they should all perform the same.

 

[rbV5]

Does anyone know any other diffences between buying the ATI made card from ATI.com and buying the ASUS manufactured card from a vendor?

XT cards all support overclocking with Overdrive, but ordering from ATI means waiting in line for OEM and other orders to be filled. I've had my shopATI X800XT PE on order since Aug03...still waiting