The Verdict
So here we are again, a new flagship, a new conclusion. Of course the Radeon x850 XT PE  is the fastest thing around, once you have it in your rig you will absolutely love it. Whatever task you'll assign it in terms of media playback, 2D desktop, recording video and of course playing games You'll simply love it. You better start saving though because the prices of the fastest graphics cards around are getting a bit more steep then is good for them. The suggested retail price for the x850 XT PE is roughly 550 USD. Now if it is low on stock (hard to buy) then I'd not be surprised to see prices above 600 USD. This is also the only negative comment I can get this card as it's gaming heaven on a PCB. Competition wise in a single card solution ATI is the clear winner. But I do wonder in the same price range ...  if you'd go for a SLi configuration (two graphics cards in one system) with 2x GeForce 6 6800 (12-pipes) you'd be at 550-600 bucks also. And that would be even more value for money. But that's the never ending story I guess. If you decide to get this little puppy then be sure that you have the rig that can actually feed the monster. You will need at the very least a 3GHz or better system in order to benefit from the framerates in an optimal way. But since enthusiast people always buy high-end stuff, my bet is that you are prepared.