VisionTek Xtasy 6564 Review - Page 10

Value

If there is one area that VisionTek is noted for it's providing a performance video card at an extremely attractive price. The Xtasy 6564 is no different in this regard, as it ranks right near the top in any online price engines. In a recent search, the VisionTek Xtasy 6564 was found at a price range of $178-$183, which placed it just behind competing products from PNY and Inno3D. Looking a bit deeper tells a bit different tale, as both of these competing boards are of the bulk/OEM/white box variety, while the Xtasy 6564 is the full retail boxed version. While this might not matter to some buyers, we feel this may give VisionTek a slight edge for many gamers.

While the choice of brand name is a very personal one, and some may feel more comfortable with a card from Hercules or ELSA, we should also note that our VisionTek review cards have performed rock solid through all testing, including some serious overclocking. VisionTek also beefs up their support options through a limited lifetime warranty on the card and toll free phone support.

* Please note that online prices are taken at the time of review and are not intended to reflect long-term trends.

Conclusion

One of our nagging issues with the GeForce3 line of cards was that although they did provide exceptional performance and an intriguing feature set, it was at a price point beyond the budget of most gamers. While doing its best to jack overall performance, the release of the high-end GeForce3 Ti 500 did nothing to alleviate this pricing issue. The GeForce3 Ti 200 is a whole other ball of wax, and finally we can have all the GeForce3 goodies, but at a price that's a bit easier to swallow.

This makes the Xtasy 6564 one of the more interesting video card releases in quite some time. Not only do you get the power needed to run today's hot games, but are set up for the upcoming DirectX 8.X wave of games. Add in some potential overclocking and a low price, and you have the recipe for a killer 3D gaming card. We can see the GeForce3 Ti 200-based cards steadily taking a larger piece of the gaming pie, and the VisionTek Xtasy 6564 represents one of the best values in the whole crop.

Pros:

• Potential GeForce3 Overclock Speeds
• Low Price
• A GeForce3 for the Masses!

Cons:

• Sparse Documentation

Ratings: