Radeon X1300 XT = Radeon X1600

Radeon X1300 XT is not a Radeon X1300, it's a Radeon X1600. Hexus has tested this board and it seems the re-branded and re-valued card shares the same GPU as theX1600 Pro series, the RV530Pro. 2 versions have been tested, the Sapphire X1300 XT Overclock Edition 256 MB DDR 3, and the GeCube Radeon X1300XT 256 MB DDR 3 Dual DVI Platinum Edition.

The first has it clocks (core/ memory) at 574/ 1386 Mhz, and the second one at 560/ 1386 Mhz. As a reference, a standard X1300 has 800Mhz DDR 2.

Compared to GeForce 7300 GT DDR 2, both X1300XT cards are faster in all of the tests, and are handling higher resolutions better. Between the two, there is little performance difference to be seen, but Saphire, with its 14 Mhz, slightly leads. However, the GeCube is also overcloacked, so the offer for greater performance is already higher than that of other standard cards.

To further differentiate between the two, GeCube has included composite and S-Video cables, while the Sapphire has the component video breakout cabling. Sapphire has a PowerDVD. GeCube has a better cooler that interfaces with the GDDR 3 chips and the card also features 2 DVI outputs.

The Sapphire can be purchases for around 60£ (The Overclock Edition will be slightly pricier). The GeCube is available for 60£, but it can go up to 80£. The compared card, a GeForce 7300 GT, can be bought for 50£ to 60£, but the performance is worth the extra money.