MSI RX800XL-VT2D256E

MSI RX800XL board

The back of the card

While reducing noise has only recently become a concern for some card manufacturers, MSI has been producing near silent graphics cards for some time now. In fact, the first MSI card we reviewed built with this philosophy in mind, the GeForce4 Ti4200-based G4Ti 4200-VTD8X, was released nearly three years ago.

In order to produce a near silent graphics card, MSI selects better-than-reference cooling components. For instance, MSI uses copper-based heatsinks on many of their cards rather than the aluminum heatsink that the reference design calls for. Going from aluminum to copper costs a little more for MSI, but thanks to copper’s superior thermal conductivity characteristics, a slower, quieter fan can be used to keep the graphics core cool.

This philosophy isn’t unique to MSI’s pricier high-end cards either. A quick glance at MSI’s website reveals X300 and X300 SE that also feature copper cooling.

In addition to better cooling, another aspect MSI has traditionally gone the extra mile in is the card’s software bundle of games and accessories. Whereas graphics cards used to ship with games that were over two years old, MSI constantly refreshes their game bundle lineup. MSI’s NBOX significantly upped the ante in the software bundle department, since then more card manufacturers have followed MSI’s lead, refreshing their software bundle with newer, better, games.

Copper heatsink fins

With their RX800XL-VT2D256E, MSI continues this tradition, and builds on it by providing more hardware accessories than the ATI reference board.

Cooling aficionados will be glad to see that MSI uses a copper cooler on their RX800XL-VT2D256E card. The inspiration of the RX800XL’s cooler looks to be NVIDIA’s GeForce 6600 GT (with the obvious addition of copper), as the same semi-oval shape is used. A copper plate sits directly above the R430 VPU, while a small group of copper fins sits over the right half of the VPU. In comparison to some of the other X800 XL manufacturers in this roundup, only the Sapphire card’s heatsink has a smaller surface area. It’s also important to note that the entire apparatus just misses cooling the board’s memory modules.

The card’s fan is located slightly offset of the graphics core for improved efficiency; a duct is used to channel air just like the other manufacturers. MSI finishes the RX800XL’s cooler off by including a blue LED in the center of the card’s fan.

As the “VT2D” designation implies, MSI’s RX800XL-VT2D256E is equipped with dual DVI and video input support. These additions should make the board more appealing to video enthusiasts as well as those of you with two high-end LCD monitors. If these two features in particular interest you, be sure to remain on the lookout for the “VT2D” designation, as MSI sometimes releases multiple card SKUs based on the same graphics chip. MSI produced multiple SKUs for the RADEON X600 and X800 PRO AGP (MSI’s GeForce4 Ti4200 line alone had over six SKUs in its lifetime!), and we already know a follow-up version of the RX800XL-VT2D256E will be released next month, so MSI will be producing at least two SKUs for the X800 XL.

MSI unique VIVO box, component and S-Video out on this side

Inputs on this side, as well as component/S-Video switch

Hardware accessories bundled with the card include a unique VIVO adapter, which includes VIVO and component/S-Video outputs all in the same chassis (pictured above), a second S-Video cable, and two DVI adapters.

Cooler up close

6600GT-like cooler

On the software side, MSI continues to deliver. Games included with the RX800XL-VT2D256E card are copies of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, XIII, and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Software applications bundled are PowerCinema, Power2Go, Virtual Drive 7, and Restore It 3 Professional Version.