This is Tomorrow's Video
Written: Oct 08 '99
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: 32 meg of RAM, fast, dvd translation built in
Cons: Early drivers had conflicts with activex
|
|
|
| hroeder's Full Review: ATI Rage Fury Pro |
People who put video cards in their computers usually want some really great graphics. Let's start out with 32 meg of RAM. Try finding that on just about any other card.
ATI is probably most famous in the MAC world, where it is the standard add on video card. While PC users tend to get into Voodoo and 3dFX, ATI has quietly put what may well be the fastest, most complete card on the market.
It's not coincidental that ATI likes to use a racing game to show off the new 128 engine. This is an ideal situation to show what the card can do. The trees, the shadows, the crowd, the tire tracks on the road, the changing color of the track as a line of travel builds up. All of these give some idea of what the card can do.
But let's get down to the nitty gritty. This is an AGP card for a Pentium II user. It does anything that any other 3D card does, including Open GL. It doesn't do proprietary things, like voodoo. But unless your game is written for that platform it doesn't matter.
There is a video out on the card so that you can run a line to your TV. And the card is powerful enough that it will run a DVD player, assuming you've got a DVD drive in your computer. I've watched full screen films on this card, using only ATI's translator. Smooth dvd video at full screen is an accomplishment for any video card, even one with a daughter card translator, which this doesn't need.
There is one thing to watch out with this card. Some of the early versions of the software had problems with activeX controllers. This caused the installation of the software to be quite tedious. ATI has since upgraded the software, which is always available from their web site. If you get the card you won't be sorry. But also make sure that you check for the latest version of the drivers before installing it; because you'll save a lot of time.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
hroeder
|
|
Member: Harry Roedersheimer
Location: Ft. Thomas, KY USA
Reviews written: 109
Trusted by: 8 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.