Pixel-Churners: A round-up of Radeon 9700 PRO cards

The Cards, Up Close & Personal

ATi Radeon 9700 PRO

Original/ "Built by ATi" graphics cards are available in the U.S. and Canada. In Europe and in other countries, the Canadians only deliver their "bulk" versions to the OEM market.

The reference.

Back of the card.

The ATi board defines the reference design that is the basis for all the other cards. ATi throws in the mandatory power cable to operate the card, a DVI-VGA adapter to connect a second CRT monitor, and an S-VHS and composite cable that can be connected to the board via an adapter. The only software ATi includes is the complete Catalyst driver suite with Hydravision and the MultiMedia Center, which, in turn, contains a DVD player; rather slim pickings, considering the premium you pay in comparison to the third-party cards.

• Plus points:
• 
  Original ATi board with ATi support
  Multimedia Center incl. DVD player
  Hydravision
• Minus points:
• 
  Most expensive card in test
  Puny software bundle
  Only available in the U.S. and Canada