We were really impressed by Radeon X1300 Pro performance, far greater than the performance obtained by GeForce 6200 and Radeon X300 models we included in our comparison.
In fact, Radeon X1300 Pro was faster than GeForce 6600 in all tests but Doom 3. So if you are thinking of buying a “plain” GeForce 6600, consider changing your mind into buying a Radeon X1300 Pro instead.
So, calling Radeon X1300 Pro as an entry-level chip isn’t fair. It is clearly a low mid-range chip for users that want an entry-level VGA but can’t stand the low performance of a GeForce 6200 or of a Radeon X300.
The only bad thing about Radeon X1300 Pro is its price, quoted at USD 149 – definitely not we can call an entry-level price. However, final products from ATI partners can be found at a lower price. For example, we’ve seen Radeon X1300 Pro from MSI being sold between USD 106 and USD 123. If you think that you can find a “plain” GeForce 6600 also from MSI between USD 120 and USD 142, choosing Radeon X1300 Pro is a no-brainer: it is cheaper and faster than a GeForce 6600!
In our opinion ATI hit bull’s eye with this new product. So we are giving our "Golden Award" seal for the low-end VGA category.
