# Sapphire X800 GTO2 Limited Edition



## erinarenauk (Jan 7, 2006)

Hi, Does anybody know if the core of this Radeon card has been changed from the R480 chip to the R430? I've just purchased one and have just run ATITool and been informed that the core is an R430 with 16 pipelines running...I was expecting an R480 with 12 running! Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks


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## Tex75 (Jan 7, 2006)

erinarenauk, 

I also just got a Sapphire GTO2 card from newegg, I did lots of research on this card before buying and wanted the R480 Core for unlocking and OC'ing. I noticed that newegg had 5 different versions they were selling with two distinct differences between the five cards. One version of the cards were dual DVI with VIVO (NEWEGG model#'s oem 100130VIVO and retail 100130VIVOL. The other version of the cards were single DVI and one D-sub and no VIVO capabilities NEWEGG model#'s oem 100130 and retail 100130L. 

I choose to buy the retail 100130VIVOL Sapphire GTO2. I started to run 3dmark05 tests on it and noticed that it said the core was of the R430 flavor not he R480 as I was expecting and that all 16pipe lines were already open. Later today I will be removing the fan and heat sink just to make sure this is a R430 core. I'll let you know what I find.

After thinking about it, I'm guessing that the non-VIVO versions are the ones that come with the R480 core. Everyone that has posted to the reviews section on the non-VIVO version at newegg has posted that they had to unlock their card with the bios flash. Then looking into the reviews section of the VIVO enabled versions people stated the their card already had the 16 pipes open. But none of the actually stated that they received the R430 core on there board. I'm going to send out a few more posts to other places to see if I can validate this theory.


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## Tex75 (Jan 7, 2006)

erinarenauk,  have a look at this very intresting.
http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/forums/showthread.php?t=1022  I'm going to pull my fan and heat sink just to make sure it the R430.


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## erinarenauk (Jan 7, 2006)

Hi Tex75, Thanks for your post. My card is VIVO. I ran 3dmark05 and got over 6000 when I overclocked using the utility that came with the card. This is comparable with the performance of the cards reviewed online having been unlocked and overclocked. I think the core may be the r480 core but the BIOS is reporting it as an R430. If you do pull your fan and heatsink i'd be interested in your findings. Thanks again


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## WingMan (Jan 9, 2006)

Tex75, take out that f*cking fan and tell us now what's under it!! Pleasee!! 

I'm very excited too because I'm about to order a GTO2 too and my seller said that the version comes with VIVO.


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## WingMan (Jan 9, 2006)

Confirmed by Tex75:

Sapphire X800GTO2 w/Dual DVI & VIVO has -in fact- a R4Ñ0 core.


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## Tex75 (Jan 9, 2006)

That's right. Last night I pulled off the fan and heatsink and was very excited. It in fact has the R480 core, and not the R430 reported buy ATITool and 3dmark05. So as stated before, this card Sapphire GTO2 VIVO version has R480 core, all 16 pipes come already unlocked from Sapphire so theirs no need to flash BIOS. Just overclock to your hearts desire!!!! Only Sapphire makes the GTO2 cards. All other GTO cards I've seen and read or heard about are R430 core's.

I was able to OC to 520/600 with stock heatsink and fan (Although I did polish the copper GPU sink as it was very rough) in a Dell 8400 case, stable and no artifacts at 67 degrees C. I will surely be investing in an ATI Artic Silencer v5 rev2.


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## erinarenauk (Jan 9, 2006)

*R480*

Thanks Tex75...I thought that may be the case but it is nice to KNOW! Thanks again.


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