The 2600 is actually basically the same as the X1600, with OpenGL 2.0 and DirectX 10 bolted on, 65nm instead of 90nm, and a slightly faster core and memory clocks.
Pretty close. The 2600 also boasts the UVD, or universal video decoder, which shifts video decoding to the GPU and not the CPU. For example, the CPU load can be reduced from 50-60% all the way down to 10% while the GPU uses its own hardware to hardware decode H.264 for example. Pretty nifty for DVD playback and so on.
BornAgainMac said:
I wish the numbers meant something. Technically the newer card should be 1000 (units) better. If the cards about the same then maybe it should be called X1601. With the current numbering system, I have no way to judge how the card will perform
Actually AMD/ATI and NVIDIA both have pretty consistent number schemes. Although previously ATI used the X symbol in front of their cards for the previous two generations to symbolize they were in the ten thousands, that X is simply replaced with HD for high def I believe.
For example, the previous generation ATI Card was the X1000 series. Previously, it was the X800 series. And before that, it was the 9000 series. As you can see, the X simply states that they are in the 10,000's. The newest generation ATI card is of the HD2000 series.
For example, there is the HD2400, HD2600, HD2900, etc.
So the first number is the generation (in this case 2), the second number designates whether it is low/middle/high end (the higher the number, the higher end the card is. For example, the HD2900XT is the high end card, while the HD2600 would be the mid range, HD 2400 is the low end. Previously, the X1600 would be mid range while the X1950 would be the high end).
Also, the third number often designates whether its a refresh. For example, X850 and X1950 were refreshes of the X800 and X1900. Though this isn't always true, as the X1900 itself was a refresh of the X1800. This varies generation to generation depending on release date, level of competition, etc. The 2900 series has yet to have a refresh yet, though one is supposedly pending.
Finally, the letters at the end designate the performance level within that range. For ATI, IIRC it has traditionally been:
XTX > XT > PRO > XL > GTO > GT
So, for example, the X1950XTX was the highest performance king of the X1K series, which was better than the X1950XT, which was better than the X1950PRO and all the X19---- were the high end performance cards.
NVIDIA follows similar numbering schemes such as 8800 designates 8 series, the second 8 meaning high end (if they had a 8900, the 9 would be a refresh of the 8).
Hope that helps
NVIDIA follows this lettering: Ultra > GTX > GTS > GT > GS
