The Hardware
The AIW version of the Radeon isn't exactly the same as the Radeon reviewed by Tom a few weeks back as this board is only 32 MBs of 6ns memory and is clocked at a slightly slower (166 MHz core and 333 MHz memory). Obviously this isn't a big deal to most fans of this type of card as 3D performance typically is the second most important thing as video performance is the main concern. Aside from this, there is a slight change in design to fit the additional components for the TV tuner and audio processing chip. The TV tuner simply gives you the ability to connect local cable or an antenna to your video card. The audio chip is used to process incoming TV audio and redirects the signal to your audio card. The changes seem fairly simple but obviously the 3D performance will take a hit due to some of the downgraded parts.
On the backside of the card, you'll notice a mini-din in/out, coaxial input and a DVI-I connector. Notice the lack of a VGA connector? ATi supplies a DVI-I to VGA converter dongle to provide you with VGA output. A strong number of AIW users will take advantage of the DVI-I output and with space becoming an issue with such a congested board; this was probably the best solution to offer both connection types on the same board. See a picture of the converter below.
