Viper documentation and software include a warranty card, a quick start guide, the bonus software CD and the driver CD. The one-year-only warranty is short, but sadly typical of the industry. Restrictions abound, and the warranty states that only defects in materials and workmanship are covered without mentioning normal wear. Diamond requires a $9 service fee for repairs submitted after the first 90 days of ownership.

Drivers And Tools

The Driver CD includes ATI Catalyst 6.2 for Windows XP and 2000, plus versions for Linux and even Windows ME. Not included are any additional ATI applications, such as the Multimedia Center or the ATI DVD decoder.

Diamond Tools allows a wide range of clock settings, but this beta version caused complete system crashes, even when using the Set Default Settings button. As free beta software, most buyers should thus avoid its use.