
Ah - Spring. Mystical time of rebirth. Nature's starting point in the cycle of the seasons. And, not to forget, that wondrous time of year when graphics companies, both Canadian and American, put their new chips on the table. And once again, the poker game for the biggest market share is in full swing. You could say that NVIDIA has already "played its cards" with the introduction of its new product line-up - the high-end FX 5800, the mid-range FX 5600, and the entry-level FX 5200. That means it's ATi's turn. Now ATi is playing its own trump card in the mid-range segment in the form of the Radeon 9600 and 9600 PRO, which should be available through the retail channel come May and are aimed squarely at NVIDIA's FX 5600 and FX 5600 Ultra.
Offering a very attractive price/ performance ratio, this market segment is the most interesting for the consumer. Aside from the low-cost OEM market, this is where the card makers must try hardest to gain and retain their slice of the pie. High-end cards, on the other hand, are more a matter of prestige than profit. The low quantities in which they are produced simply don't offer enough of a margin to get by on.
- Introduction
- Radeon 9600 PRO, Alias RV350
- The Radeon 9600 PRO In Summary
- Radeon 9600 PRO Card Versions
- A Matter Of IQ
- A Matter Of IQ, Continued
- Test Setup
- Benchmarks
- Unreal Tournament 2003: 2x FSAA
- Unreal Tournament 2003: 4x FSAA
- Unreal Tournament 2003: 8x Anisotropic
- Unreal Tournament 2003: 4xFSAA + 8x Anisotropic
- Serious Sam - Second Encounter: Standard Test
- Serious Sam - Second Encounter: Min FPS
- Serious Sam - Second Encounter: 2x FSAA
- Serious Sam - Second Encounter: 4x FSAA
- Serious Sam - Second Encounter: 8x Anisotropic
- Serious Sam - Second Encounter: 4xFSAA + 8x Anisotropic
- Splinter Cell: Standard Test
- Splinter Cell: Min FPS
- Aquanox 2: Standard Test
- Codecreatures: Standard Test
- Codecreatures: Avg # Of Polys
- 3D Mark 2001: Standard 1024x768
- 3D Mark 2001: Game 4 Nature
- 3D Mark 2001: High Polygon Count
- 3D Mark 2003: Standard 1024x768
- 3D Mark 2003: Vertex Shader Speed
- Conclusion