As with the Pro version, the HIS X800 XT is not a normal ATi reference clone. The same IceQ II cooling system comes with this card as with the pro. The main differences between the retail cooler and the HIS solution, are bulk – the HIS version is a copper and aluminium hybrid cooler that takes up two slots – and cooling efficiency.
The X800 XT has the same “-11°C” printed on the box as the pro version does. In our review of the pro version, we found that the cooler was actually around 15 degrees cooler than the retail solution. With the XT, we found it around 12 degrees cooler than the retail fan, so again HIS are being quite modest with their claims.
The IceQ-II heat sink cools the memory. Whilst DDR-3 is much cooler than DDR-2 at the same clock speed, the addition of this can only serve to improve overclocking. The RAM is also cooled on the back of the card by huge heat spreaders that are attached to the chips by thermal epoxy.
As with all X800 XTs, the HIS version is the VIVO chip model. This means that you can capture video from analogue video recorders, VHS tapes and other sources via the ATI Rage Theatre chip found on the top side of the board.
The software package that comes with the IceQ II is a good one, with two full version games, an extensive demo disk and some excellent video software. The most interesting of these is the 3D-Album PictureEZ Premium digital photo Suite 3.1, worth $39.95. This piece of software is what gives the card its limited edition name since only the 1st 1000 IceQ II XT and Pro VIVO cards will ship with it. It has lots of advanced editing and showcasing options for your photos and would be a worthy install even if you already own a premium photo package.
