ASUS EAX X1800XT TOP Video Card Review :: The Card

EAX X1800XT TOP
Brand	ASUS
Model	EAX X1800XT TOP
Graphics Chip	R520
Graphics Memory Type	DDR3
Memory (MB)	512
Graphics Core Clock (MHz)	693
Memory Clock (MHz)	1600
Memory Speed (ns)	2
RAMDAC Frequency (MHz)	Dual 400
Active Cooling on Graphics Chip	Yes
Heatsink on Memory	Yes
Video Capture	Yes
Ports
Dual Monitor Support	Yes
VGA Out	DVI-I, D-Sub
Video In and Out	VIVO, S-VideoOut
Package and Support
Printed Manual	Yes
Driver CD	Yes
Performance Tool Software	SmartDoctor 2.0
Major Games	King Kong, numerous 3rd tier games
Major Software	Medi@Show SE 2.0
VR Glasses	No
DVD Player Software	ASUS DVD
Video Recording Software	Medi@Show SE 2.0

The first thing that struck me as I looked at the card was how bulky it was. The X1800XT is a 2-slot solution. This means that you need both an open PCI Express x16 slot and the adjacent PCI slot open to fit the card in a case. The ASUS card is based upon ATI's X1800XT card released late last year with a few modifications to make the card better. The card is taller than most video cards, with an aluminum bracket covering the top of the PCB.

Top bracket

One special feature of the EAX X1800XT TOP card is the external power brick. The PCI Express slot provides for up to 75W of power to the video card. High end cards like the X1800XT use more power than provided by the PCI Express slot and use a 6-pin power connector. ASUS decided to go a step further in providing power. They decided to provide an external power brick to provide additional power to the X1800XT.

Power Brick

Back power connector

The power brick is a standard AC 120V power converter. It provides enough power to give the X1800XT stable operation at the rated clock speed. The power cord goes from the rear of the card where a standard 6-pin PCI Express power connector is to the front of the card where the power brick is attached. If you have a good solid power supply, but ASUS recommends you use the brick.

I/O area

PCI Express connector

The cooling on the ASUS EAX X1800XT TOP is rather unique among X1800XT cards. ATI's reference card is a funnel-like solution with 29 fins for the fan. The ASUS card has an 11-fin fan. ATI outfitted the card with a cooling solution from Artic Cooling. There's four heatpipes that draw the heat from the card to the outside via a liquid filled heat pipe. ASUS also provides a large heat sink made out of aluminum behind the fans.

Rear of card

The input/output area of the EAX X1800XT TOP card is typical of video cards today. There are two DVI-I ports, and a TV-Out port. This allows the user to have monitor configurations of one LCD monitor, one CRT monitor, one LCD+CRT, or two CRT monitors with the included DVI-I to D-sub adapters. ASUS also provides a TV-Out port to play computer games on your TV.