Well, like I've replied on Studiostriver's thread for his HD 2600 I have a Sapphire 2600XT AGP DDR3 AGP version (with the picture of a girl with goggles), and it really pairs up well with the AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2Ghz socket 754 XP build that I have. Sure the drivers were a pain for a day or two and there definitely were some non-identified incompatibilities but once I found the tutorial it worked well, just had to start over from scratch. Reading this thread made me realize I unknowingly stumbled upon the DDR3 version, I wasn't even aware that there were other possibilities. As for his HD 2600 sure they're different cards but it should be blazing fast and snappy for what he's trying to use it for.

I've never seen the DDR2 variant in action but the DDR3 version is worth it for someone who's looking for a mix of period correctness within the XP era and some extra power for the time. I have a Win7 build anyway so that mix was more than welcome to complement the XP build. No idea about pricing nowadays, I was recommended this card here on Vogons only a few years ago and I was happy for the advice as even at the time I was having trouble finding an affordable Nvidia card.

Around 2005 I had a Nvidia 6600GT or something of the sorts on the same build (that had a Sempron originally) and performance aside, paired with the original AMD cooler, it was the loudest PC I've ever had. I'm sure today most of us almost can't believe how we put up with that at the time but I guess we just did and didn't even think about it. When I got the HD 2600XT I've cleaned it, repasted it and lubed the fan as you do, and decided to finally retire the AMD cooler for good, installing an OCZ Gladiator cooler and a Gelid fan controller. It's not silent, but it's quite close, and I would have been marveled with it at the time. Plus the HD 2600 XT is very compact and thin compared to the Nvidia's which helped a lot with cooling the case as the OCZ Gladiator is BIG.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles and I'm not emotionally invested at all into any of this, it's just my experience. My socket 754 build was always solid as a rock stable and maybe that foundation helped getting over the humps at the beginning. I've since changed around some other components and it's been all smooth sailing. I probably wouldn't think of the card as a default option to go by, but as a worthy option it in the right circumstances (XP era period correctness).

andre_6 wrote on 2025-07-17, 17:09:

Well, like I've replied on Studiostriver's thread for his HD 2600 I have a Sapphire 2600XT AGP DDR3 AGP version (with the pictur […]
Show full quote

Well, like I've replied on Studiostriver's thread for his HD 2600 I have a Sapphire 2600XT AGP DDR3 AGP version (with the picture of a girl with goggles), and it really pairs up well with the AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2Ghz socket 754 XP build that I have. Sure the drivers were a pain for a day or two and there definitely were some non-identified incompatibilities but once I found the tutorial it worked well, just had to start over from scratch. Reading this thread made me realize I unknowingly stumbled upon the DDR3 version, I wasn't even aware that there were other possibilities. As for his HD 2600 sure they're different cards but it should be blazing fast and snappy for what he's trying to use it for.

I've never seen the DDR2 variant in action but the DDR3 version is worth it for someone who's looking for a mix of period correctness within the XP era and some extra power for the time. I have a Win7 build anyway so that mix was more than welcome to complement the XP build. No idea about pricing nowadays, I was recommended this card here on Vogons only a few years ago and I was happy for the advice as even at the time I was having trouble finding an affordable Nvidia card.

Around 2005 I had a Nvidia 6600GT or something of the sorts on the same build (that had a Sempron originally) and performance aside, paired with the original AMD cooler, it was the loudest PC I've ever had. I'm sure today most of us almost can't believe how we put up with that at the time but I guess we just did and didn't even think about it. When I got the HD 2600XT I've cleaned it, repasted it and lubed the fan as you do, and decided to finally retire the AMD cooler for good, installing an OCZ Gladiator cooler and a Gelid fan controller. It's not silent, but it's quite close, and I would have been marveled with it at the time. Plus the HD 2600 XT is very compact and thin compared to the Nvidia's which helped a lot with cooling the case as the OCZ Gladiator is BIG.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles and I'm not emotionally invested at all into any of this, it's just my experience. My socket 754 build was always solid as a rock stable and maybe that foundation helped getting over the humps at the beginning. I've since changed around some other components and it's been all smooth sailing. I probably wouldn't think of the card as a default option to go by, but as a worthy option it in the right circumstances (XP era period correctness).

Well, you've won the lottery twice - got DDR3 and it ended up working fine with your motherboard. If it also works well for the games you want to run that's a match made in haven.

But yeah, DDR2 versions are annoying when trying to shop for this card. Some people simply do not know, some do it on purpose and there are a bunch of offers with DDR2 version for the price of DDR3. And it is not necessarily easy to tell one from another...

Overall they are still pretty common, at least where i live, which probably has something to do with hardware compatibility and cards being resold over and over instead of getting stuck in someone's system.

I guess it is also all a matter of comparison, especially coolers/noise. Here is my card:

The cooler is indeed relatively quiet at idle when the fan is in ok shape and heatsink is clean, but that does not last and it gets hot/noisy under load anyway. There are worse coolers, but there are better too. For example i very much prefer simple heatsink on palit 7600GT i ended up using instead of this card:

It remains cooler, much quieter under load and temperatures are way lower. Though it is double slot and with no girl pictures 😀

Overall i'd say it is great that it worked out for you, but anyone considering this card should still be careful as it does not always go this well.

Archer57 wrote on 2025-07-18, 00:03:

Well, you've won the lottery twice - got DDR3 and it ended up working fine with your motherboard. If it also works well for the […]
Show full quote

andre_6 wrote on 2025-07-17, 17:09:

Well, like I've replied on Studiostriver's thread for his HD 2600 I have a Sapphire 2600XT AGP DDR3 AGP version (with the pictur […]
Show full quote

Well, like I've replied on Studiostriver's thread for his HD 2600 I have a Sapphire 2600XT AGP DDR3 AGP version (with the picture of a girl with goggles), and it really pairs up well with the AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2Ghz socket 754 XP build that I have. Sure the drivers were a pain for a day or two and there definitely were some non-identified incompatibilities but once I found the tutorial it worked well, just had to start over from scratch. Reading this thread made me realize I unknowingly stumbled upon the DDR3 version, I wasn't even aware that there were other possibilities. As for his HD 2600 sure they're different cards but it should be blazing fast and snappy for what he's trying to use it for.

I've never seen the DDR2 variant in action but the DDR3 version is worth it for someone who's looking for a mix of period correctness within the XP era and some extra power for the time. I have a Win7 build anyway so that mix was more than welcome to complement the XP build. No idea about pricing nowadays, I was recommended this card here on Vogons only a few years ago and I was happy for the advice as even at the time I was having trouble finding an affordable Nvidia card.

Around 2005 I had a Nvidia 6600GT or something of the sorts on the same build (that had a Sempron originally) and performance aside, paired with the original AMD cooler, it was the loudest PC I've ever had. I'm sure today most of us almost can't believe how we put up with that at the time but I guess we just did and didn't even think about it. When I got the HD 2600XT I've cleaned it, repasted it and lubed the fan as you do, and decided to finally retire the AMD cooler for good, installing an OCZ Gladiator cooler and a Gelid fan controller. It's not silent, but it's quite close, and I would have been marveled with it at the time. Plus the HD 2600 XT is very compact and thin compared to the Nvidia's which helped a lot with cooling the case as the OCZ Gladiator is BIG.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles and I'm not emotionally invested at all into any of this, it's just my experience. My socket 754 build was always solid as a rock stable and maybe that foundation helped getting over the humps at the beginning. I've since changed around some other components and it's been all smooth sailing. I probably wouldn't think of the card as a default option to go by, but as a worthy option it in the right circumstances (XP era period correctness).

Well, you've won the lottery twice - got DDR3 and it ended up working fine with your motherboard. If it also works well for the games you want to run that's a match made in haven.

But yeah, DDR2 versions are annoying when trying to shop for this card. Some people simply do not know, some do it on purpose and there are a bunch of offers with DDR2 version for the price of DDR3. And it is not necessarily easy to tell one from another...

Overall they are still pretty common, at least where i live, which probably has something to do with hardware compatibility and cards being resold over and over instead of getting stuck in someone's system.

I guess it is also all a matter of comparison, especially coolers/noise. Here is my card:

The attachment 20250612_190751_cut.jpg is no longer available

The cooler is indeed relatively quiet at idle when the fan is in ok shape and heatsink is clean, but that does not last and it gets hot/noisy under load anyway. There are worse coolers, but there are better too. For example i very much prefer simple heatsink on palit 7600GT i ended up using instead of this card:

The attachment PC_internal_cutDs2.jpg is no longer available

It remains cooler, much quieter under load and temperatures are way lower. Though it is double slot and with no girl pictures 😀

Overall i'd say it is great that it worked out for you, but anyone considering this card should still be careful as it does not always go this well.

Interesting, so how can you visually tell the difference between DDR2 or DDR3? Is there even a way?

andre_6 wrote on 2025-07-20, 11:59:

Interesting, so how can you visually tell the difference between DDR2 or DDR3? Is there even a way?

Well, you look for stickers, model numbers of some sort, may be markings on memory chips, google stuff and hope you can figure it out.

More often than not there are stickers on the back of the card which clearly state type of RAM, so as long as you are not assuming malicious intent by the seller those are pretty easy.

Sometimes DDR2/DDR3 versions may have different board layout too, so just googling photos and comparing may be helpful.

Or you could just ask for GPU-Z screenshot again, assuming no intent to scam...

Archer57 wrote on 2025-07-20, 12:20:

Or you could just ask for GPU-Z screenshot again, assuming no intent to scam...

Just be a bit cautious with GPU-Z. It does not always report correct on old cards.
It says my Radeon 9600Pro with DDR2 has DDR memory, which it in fact does not. It uses DDR2.

So pictures of the card + memory IC part numbers are your safest bet!

tehsiggi wrote on 2025-07-21, 08:29:

Just be a bit cautious with GPU-Z. It does not always report correct on old cards.
It says my Radeon 9600Pro with DDR2 has DDR memory, which it in fact does not. It uses DDR2.

So pictures of the card + memory IC part numbers are your safest bet!

Yep, that is a possibility.

Thing is - there are no guaranteed ways. Memory ICs can be covered by heatsinks, like in case of HD2600XT i got - on one side with stock cooler, on another side with small glued ones someone attached.

Stickers on the back of the card may be removed or even swapped, even before the seller got the card. I've seen cards correctly sold as DDR2 with sticker claiming it is DDR3 (someone got scammed?).

Ultimately it is all about price. Dealing with sketchy listings which give no info on RAM and no way to know what it is with 100% probability (good photo of memory IC) is only worth it if the price is low enough. If it is not i would expect all the info right away, so that later i can get a refund if it turns out to be a lie. When it is cheap enough it may be worth taking a risk and trusting a sticker or GPU-Z. After all DDR2 cards are functional too - sure, they are a lot worse, but if cheap enough... AGP cards are scarce enough at this point that even those have a value.

Honestly with current prices i personally resorted to buying "untested" or "broken" stuff as long as i see no obvious evidence it is a repair shop selling hopeless cards...

Just to prove my point, I ran some quick and dirty F.E.A.R. benchmarks with Sapphire Radeon HD 2600XT GDDR3 and Quadro FX1500 (basically same config as 7800GS, 16 pipes, 6 vertex). I'm lazy and not really willing to buy overpriced junk like 2600XT AGP. PCIe versions are sold for peanuts, so it's fine.

1024x768, high, 2x MSAA 8x AF. At these settings I've got 51 fps average on Quadro and only 50 fps average on 2600XT with worse minimal framerate dips. Mind you, Quadro FX 1500 has measly 325 MHz GPU clock and roughly equals to stock 6800GT in performance.

7800GS also have a lot of overclocking potential (especially G71 cards) on the table and will run circles around 2600XT in most scenarios that involve MSAA. Radeon 2600XT just does not overclock where it matters. The chip won't budge over 5-10% mark and while you can overclock GDDR3 on these cards pretty high (they come with 1.2ns memory rated at 1800Mhz) it doesn't help much, because GPU is too busy with MSAA.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2025-07-23, 00:47:

Radeon 2600XT just does not overclock where it matters.

There is either a bug in the video BIOS or a limitation of 857 (or 867?) MHz. With the BIOS from Palit HD2600, it was possible to achieve a frequency of more than 1 GHz.

And that's quite respectable, is not it? For AGP nvidia does not have much to offer past 7800GS/7600GT, only elusive 7800GS with more pipes and unobtainable 7950GT. So being able to compete with 7800GS means near the top of what's available for AGP...

Though yes, i've noticed min FPS issue too. It is very noticeable and significantly affect the experience. Arguably more important than average FPS. The easiest place where it is clearly visible is first game test in 2001SE - when cars are shot at heavy stutter happens on H2600XT. Does not happen on nvidia cards, even slow stuff like FX5700, or on x800GTO i've no also played around with...

Archer57 wrote on 2025-07-23, 06:33:

The easiest place where it is clearly visible is first game test in 2001SE - when cars are shot at heavy stutter happens on H2600XT. Does not happen on nvidia cards, even slow stuff like FX5700, or on x800GTO i've no also played around with...

Hmmm...
Maybe there are some nuances with DirectX8 on later cards if they come up with call translators from DirectX8 to DirectX 9?
Even DirectX 9C compatible video cards are much less compatible with DirectX 8 applications, such as X1xx0 and GF6x00/7x00.
https://github.com/crosire/d3d8to9

P.S.
I still don't understand why you are trying to compare DirectX9 graphics cards (and DirectX was 0-A-B-C) with DirectX10 with a unified shader model and WDDM driver model.
Let's compare comparable models - with nV 8800/8600.
What problems does the 2600 have that the 8600 doesn't?

shevalier wrote on 2025-07-23, 09:01:

Hmmm... Maybe there are some nuances with DirectX8 on later cards if they come up with call translators from DirectX8 to DirectX […]
Show full quote

Hmmm...
Maybe there are some nuances with DirectX8 on later cards if they come up with call translators from DirectX8 to DirectX 9?
Even DirectX 9C compatible video cards are much less compatible with DirectX 8 applications, such as X1xx0 and GF6x00/7x00.
https://github.com/crosire/d3d8to9

Perhaps. Even likely. But that does not change how well the card works for specific task...

shevalier wrote on 2025-07-23, 09:01:

P.S. I still don't understand why you are trying to compare DirectX9 graphics cards (and DirectX was 0-A-B-C) with DirectX10 wit […]
Show full quote

P.S.
I still don't understand why you are trying to compare DirectX9 graphics cards (and DirectX was 0-A-B-C) with DirectX10 with a unified shader model and WDDM driver model.
Let's compare comparable models - with nV 8800/8600.
What problems does the 2600 have that the 8600 doesn't?

AGP.
It just so happens that nvidia stopped making AGP cards sooner, so nowadays looking for fast AGP cards it will be exactly this comparison - GF7 vs AMD HD2,3 or even 4.

If i could have AGP 8800/8600 i would have done that comparison...

There is also nothing wrong comparing between generations. Yes, there are architectural differences, etc. But from practical point of view it does not matter and such comparison makes perfect sense.

Archer57 wrote on 2025-07-23, 06:33:

And that's quite respectable, is not it? For AGP nvidia does not have much to offer past 7800GS/7600GT, only elusive 7800GS with more pipes and unobtainable 7950GT. So being able to compete with 7800GS means near the top

No? Radeon X1650XT, Radeon X1950 GT, Radeon X1950 Pro, Radeon HD 4650 (including GDDR2), Radeon 3850 and even some Radeon X800. 2600XT very quickly falls behind due to MSAA issues on all early Terascale 1.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2025-07-23, 11:55:

No? Radeon X1650XT, Radeon X1950 GT, Radeon X1950 Pro, Radeon HD 4650 (including GDDR2), Radeon 3850 and even some Radeon X800. 2600XT very quickly falls behind due to MSAA issues on all early Terascale 1.

Well, then apparently we have different opinion on this 😀

No reason to argue about it and thanks for tests, which kind of confirmed what i was seeing.

I'm seeing major regressions in GeForce GTX 480 with AMD cpu in Direct X 8 as well (Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2), I wouldn't be surprised if ATI/AMD had similar issues as there would be translation for DirectX 8. NVidia stopped manufacturing AGP versions as it made little sense. We probably need to stop looking for an AGP solution that will cover the whole Windows XP era.