Sapphire introduced their X1950 Pro just a short time ago and they have already updated it with new features. The flat heatsink/fan has been replaced with a cooler from Zalman. They also upped the memory speed which Sapphire claims to increase performance by 5%. I guess we will have to put it to the test.
First Impression
Sapphire has packaged the Ultimate X1950 Pro in something I have not seen yet; a clear plastic box. I love this idea as it allows you to get a 360 degree view of the video card and lets you see any details that would help you decide to purchase this product.
There is not all the normal information that Sapphire packs onto the box because they want you to have a clear view of the card, but they do give you all the information you need to help you learn about the product.
Specifications:
Features
36 pixel shader processors
8 vertex shader processors
Up to 256-bit 8 channel GDDR3 memory interface
Native PCI Express® x16 bus interface
Plug-and-play (native) CrossFire™
Shader Technology
Support for Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 programmable vertex and pixel shaders in hardware.
Shader Model 3.0 vertex and pixel shader support:
Full speed 32-bit floating point processing
High dynamic range rendering with floating point blending and anti-aliasing support
High performance dynamic branching and flow control
Complete feature set also supported in OpenGL® 2.0
Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering
2x/4x/6x Anti-Aliasing modes:
Sparse multi-sample algorithm with gamma correction, programmable sample patterns, and centroid sampling
New Adaptive Anti-Aliasing mode
Temporal Anti-Aliasing
Lossless Color Compression (up to 6:1) at all resolutions, up to and including widescreen HDTV
2x/4x/8x/16x Anisotropic Filtering modes:
Up to 128-tap texture filtering
Adaptive algorithm with performance and quality options
Improved rendering with higher subpixel precision and LOD computation levels
New rotational high quality rendering mode
3Dc+™ — Advanced Texture Compression
High quality 4:1 compression for normal maps and luminance maps
Works with any single-channel or two-channel data format
New fully associative texture, color, and Z cache design
Hierarchical Z-Buffer with Early Z Test
Lossless Z-Buffer Compression (up to 48:1)
Fast Z-Buffer Clear
Z Cache optimized for real-time shadow rendering
Optimized for performance at high display resolutions, up to and including widescreen HDTV
Avivo™ Video and Display Engine
New advanced video capabilities, including high fidelity gamma, color correction and scaling
Dual independent display controllers that support true 30 bits per pixel throughout the display pipe
Full symmetry on both heads
Each display interface supports display resolutions beyond 2560x1600
Advanced DVI capabilities, including 10-bit, 16-bit HDR output
YPrPb component output for direct drive of HDTV displays
Seamless integration of pixel shaders with video in real time
MPEG1/2/4 decode and encode acceleration:
DXVA support
Hardware motion compensation, iDCT, DCT and color space conversion
All-format DTV/HDTV decoding
Adaptive per-pixel de-interlacing and frame rate conversion (temporal filtering)
CrossFire™
Multi-GPU technology
Four modes of operation:
Alternate frame rendering for maximum performance
Supertiling for optimal load-balancing
Scissoring for compatibility
Super AA for maximum image quality
Native CrossFire support simplifies setup by requiring no dedicated slave or master hardware
24-bit CrossFire connection enables high resolutions and refresh rates
Supports the broadest range of platforms for both Intel and AMD
Sapphire says:
The ULTIMATE Champion of the Mainstream Gaming
Targeting the enthusiast with near-silent cooling and jaw-dropping performance, Sapphire delivers adrenaline inducing features to the mainstream with the ULTIMATE ATI RADEON™ X1950 PRO. The SAPPHIRE ULTIMATE ATI RADEON™ X1950 PRO promises to awaken the senses with blistering frame rates and awe-inspiring graphics while not interfering with your senses due to the use of its near-silent ULTIMATE cooling solution. Free your imagination from the shackles of PC hardware limitations while remaining affordable with the latest edition to the Sapphire ULTIMATE family. The Sapphire X1950 PRO makes for a welcome addition to the family with its robust hardware offerings such as: the industry acclaimed X1950 GPU, 256MB of GDDR3 of onboard memory, CrossFire support, DirectX and OpenGL acceleration along with enhanced support for the Windows Vista™ 3D environment. Experience the price vs. performance champion with the Sapphire ULTIMATE X1950 PRO!
