MSI RX1650XT-T2D256EZ (Radeon X1650 XT 256MB)

Zitat

It has taken a long while and there have been many false starts, but ATI finally looks to have a competent mid-range competitor against NVIDIA's GeForce 7600 GT in the form of the new Radeon X1650 XT. Equipped with the new 80nm core and one of only two ATI cards to support internal CrossFire now, the Radeon X1650 XT is not your usual blend of recycled cores and adjusted clock speeds, though at its heart it has the same, albeit handicapped core of the Radeon X1950 PRO.

[...]MSI's own take on the Radeon X1650 XT was to remove the default fan-based cooler and change it to its own custom heat pipe passive cooler. This makes the MSI RX1650XT-T2D256EZ suitable for systems where silence is valued while the new cores probably contributed to the more than satisfactory operating temperatures on the card. While we naturally recorded higher temperatures than the GeForce 7600 GT, it was not to an alarming degree. However, the lack of HDCP support for the outputs does cripple its usefulness for HTPCs though cost is probably a factor here and besides which, it will be a long while more before HDCP becomes mandatory. The other MSI touches include the integrated D.O.T in its custom version of the Catalyst Control Center while the bundle comes with the usual MSI utilities and a rather new game. Of course, you can expect to pay more for the silent cooler compared to the reference card.

Overall, the MSI RX1650XT-T2D256EZ provides another alternative in the mid-range segment beyond the many brands of GeForce 7600 GT. At the moment, with the limitations in the Overdrive utility of ATI's Catalyst Control Center, the overclocked GeForce 7600 GT cards should have a slender performance advantage over the overclocked Radeon X1650 XT. Hopefully, overclocking tools will soon recognize and allow the Radeon X1650 XT more overclocking leeway. If you're not into overclocking, then this card would be a solid choice, else the GeForce 7600 GT should provide more overclocking adventures.