Fourth video card: Sapphire 9800 SE

Hmmm...I miss this card. I sold it already to someone else just recently. Bought in May 2004 due to its unlocking capability. Anyway, this card helped me a lot when enduring NFS Underground and Underground 2, emm...Half-life 2 (no doubt about it, it's ATi anyway!!), and a few other games that I can't remember. I just stop its contribution to my gaming world when it was downright sucked at playing Doom 3. Fair or not, many will have to agree, that game is one SOB.

Allright, on to the card itself. It is among the most sought after card around middle 2004. Why? Apart from 9500 Non-pro can be unlocked to Pro 'softmodding' festival, this card also drew attention because it's unlockability to provide further 4 pixel pipelines,

I got to admit, the Powercolor 9800 SE was more popular. I guess the reason is it's almost quaranteed to get another good quad pipelines when softmodding it. Furthermore, there were speculations saying that not all 9800 SE in the market that time sported 256-bit memory interface. Got the catch??

Sapphire that time, released 2 models of 9800 SE (from my observations) : 128-bit and 256-bit memory to mention their exact achitectural difference. Maybe there were more, but this point is important. Why? Because the aim is to softmod this guy to become 9800 Pro! Get 4 more pipes, 256-bit memory ready, and overclock the standard 370/340(680) clock to beat the 9800 Pro (some were more motivated to reach the 9800 XT performance, wow!)

I was lucky that I got this card. I added more juice to it by slapping Coolviva cooler to it (at All IT, Low Yat, it costs RM60 now!) , replacing the stock heatsink.

And Sapphire magically ties me still, with his X800 GTO...

Another note : I'm not an ATi fanboy anyway..