r8500le Brand Question

[HolyShiznit]

I was looking at Radeon 8500le prices at NewEgg.Com. They've got a sweet deal for an 8500LE 64MB at $72, but it is powered by ATI *manufactured by Sapphire*. For $86 (not currently in stock) they also have what looks to be an ATI-built 8500LE 64MB.

Is there a significant difference between the official and non-official brand cards? Are the parts used a lot different? (I would search for this topic on the board, but the connection seems really slow right now.)

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Guns kill people just like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
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[chuck232]

I don't know specifically for this card, but some powered by 8500/LE cards have been clocked at insanely slow speeds with crappy RAM so that you can't overclock to retail speeds. You can always take a risk...

...And all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put my computer back together again...

 

[Crashman]

Newegg.com has user reviews too. Read them. Your best bet would be the 8500 OEM, not the LE, as it comes clocked at 275/275 and SHOULD have the 3.3ns memory (even though 3.6ns would do).

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[HolyShiznit]

I have ordered it. It gets good reviews from the people who have bought it. With my XP 2000+ I should get a 3dMark of ~8000. Not bad for $72.

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Guns kill people just like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
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[the_Prisoner]

Too bad the 8500 OEM (not the LE) is always out of stock. I have been checking for awhile on differenet sites to upgrade an older computer for a friend's kids.

Even ATI's website does'nt list it anymore. I did read somewhere that they will be re-making it as a Radeon 9100,
for a higher price I assume!

If you could give me a link with one in stock that would be nice.

Best Regards,

the Prisoner

I'm not a number, I'm a free man!

 

[Crashman]

I talked to someone a couple days ago who ordered it from another place found on Pricewatch. I think they paid $93. The same place offered a DVI to VGA adapter for $6.

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[HolyShiznit]

From the benchmark tests Tom's ran, I'd have to say that for gaming, the 8500le is certainly no worse than the 8500 oem, if not better at times. It's cheapter too. A great video card.

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Guns kill people just like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
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[Crashman]

What are you talking about, they're the SAME CARD, with a few exceptions:
1.) Most LE's don't have a second RAMDAC so they can't be used with the DVI to VGA adapter, this has no affect on performance
2.) The OEM card is clocked higher at 275/275. While many LE's come clocked at 250/250, some are clocked as low as 230/166 (look at the Crucial card with 6ns memory or the Saphire 128MB card with 200MHz 5ns memory).

So basically the LE is a cheaper version of the OEM card, with the second RAMDAC removed, and clocked slower. It CANNOT be faster in ANY test, they are the same PCB, same chip, just a lower clock rate and a blank spot where the second RAMDAC would go. Tom probably tested a 250/250 card which would only be slightly slower, it's the even slower ones you have to watch out for (which is why reading the buyer reviews at Newegg is helpfull).

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[shybull]

I purchased the Saphire Radeon 8500LE 128MB from NewEgg and the processor was clocked at 250 but the memory was clocked at 200. I have over clocked the memory to 225 but I think I'll return it. No sense in having to overclock the card to get what I paid for. I probably get a Geforce4 TI4200.

 

[chuck232]

No you got what you purchased for. It was an OEM card and therefore you can't know what it's clocked at.

...And all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put my computer back together again...

 

[the_Prisoner]

Thanks for the info. We may have go the ebay route if I can not find one.

the Prisoner

I'm not a number, I'm a free man!

 

[shybull]

NewEgg's web site and Saphire's web site both say that memory is clocked at 250. I've already talked to someone at NewEgg and he said if the memory speed was not 250 they would gladly give me my money back. It's not 250 it's 200.

 

[Rob423]

what the hell, im getting pissed @ this f*cking NEWEGG place... first time i use them and i got royally FUC*D! now you..

i advise you guys to stick with GOOGLEGEAR!

Is THG Slightly Slacking??

 

[HolyShiznit]

Too bad about false advertising. Still, you get what you pay for. My $72 is still going pretty far with that card. It beats a GF4MX.

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Guns kill people just like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
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[Crashman]

Right, I've been warning people about the 8500LE 128MB cards comming with 5ns memory, but nobody listens. Once in a while they even tell me to shut up, especially when I tell them the 8500LE 64MB is a much faster card. They figure they'll take the chance that it comes with 3.6ns memory anyway. Well, I do my best to start the message going around these circles, but nobody else wants to help spread the word. I think I've issued that warning at least 50 times in here.

Most, but not all, of the Saphire 8500LE 64MB cards are comming with 3.6ns RAM. Still, to avoid risk, I recommend the OEM Full Version instead of the LE, because it comes clocked at 275/275. For them to release a card an call it an 8500 it has to be 275MHz, otherwize the must call it an LE (although somebody could just lie, I haven't seen it happen).

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[GeneticWeapon]

On Christmas I bought a built by ATI Radeon 8500LE 64mb, it came 250/275, and has 3.3ns memory part#100-431038. I paid $79.00 for it at Fry's electronics in Sacramento Ca. I use Rivatuner to Overclock it at startup via Registry Key and it runs stable at 290/300 with properly installed Ramsinks

Craig M

 

[LancerEvolution7]

Googlegear has an unsatisfactory BBB rating. How did you get it royally with newegg anyways?

For everybody that got a BBA 8500LE clocked at 250/275, you got a good deal because its not a LE. Its a lower clocked BBA 8500 full. ATI made them to for oem manufactures to lower their costs.

 

[Crashman]

what pray tell did newegg do to you?

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