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ATI: Ripping Customers?
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Posted by: TotalRecall
Since the Radeon 8500 came out, ATI has been placing some slower chips inside different cards without marking them. The actual card is supposed to be clocked at a 275MHz core and 275MHz DDR memory, but some cards have been showing up with speed ratings of 250MHz core / 250MHz DDR.
The consumer who buys a computer system (or an OEM card) with a "Radeon 8500" inside will get a card that might be more appropriately called a Radeon 8200. OEM cards will be measurably slower than retail versions, but the two cards are sold as one and the same product. ATI has regularly engaged in such practices in the past, but ATI's new model numbering scheme offers ample room for the company to do the right thing and clarify the issue. ATI has apparently elected not to do so.
Since the lower speeds have a negative effect on framerates, SourceMagazine asked ATI about the problem. ATI responded with two interesting comments... They backed HardOCP's conclusion that stated ATI was "optimizing / cheating" by enhancing performance at the application level (being the Quake 3 engine). They also responded to the clock speed question with something along the lines of "ATI sells the 250/250 chips to OEMs and third parties who produce boards with these speeds...".
Were they lying? To find out, the Tech Report picked up a white-box OEM Radeon 8500 manufactured by ATI. It turned out to be coupled with the chips rated at 250 Mhz. Be careful when you buy...
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