KarsinTheHutt's Full Review: ATI RADEON, (32 MB) AGP Video Card
ATI's all out attack on the high end video card market truly covers all bases. I've already reviewed the bleeding edge 64 MB Radeon card and the feature packed All-In-Wonder Radeon - but I'd like to say a few words about the humbler yet still powerful 32 MB DDR Radeon.
The 32 MB DDR card has slower DDR memory and lower core clock speed than the more expensive retail 64 MB DDR model (166 MHz versus 183 MHz), resulting in performance that is comparable to the All-In-Wonder Radeon card. If you absolutely must have the fastest framerates, go with the 64 MB version - but keep in mind that the 32 MB DDR Radeon is by no means a slowpoke.
Why buy the 32 MB DDR card? Cost is the most obvious answer. A 32 MB DDR card sells for roughly 225 $US, versus 320 $US for a 64 MB DDR card (All prices are for retail, NOT OEM products).
Here's a quick list of what I feel are Radeon's most important gaming features:
1) Hardware Transform and Lighting (T&L) - Right now, this feature doesn't do very much, but software developers are producing games that will take advantage of it. T&L promises to free up CPU power for more frame rates and improved AI.
2) 32 MB DDR-SDRAM - Today's games require incredible memory bandwidth for fast frame rates. DDR, or Double Data Rate technology, allows SDRAM to transfer data on the rising and falling edges of a clock cycle, effectively doubling bandwidth.
3) "Hyper-Z" - This proprietary ATI technology reduces the memory bandwidth bottlenecks. Normal video cards uselessly render thousands of polygons that a person can't see - for example, the back of a rock, or parts of objects hidden by a rock. Hyper-Z prevents some of this wasteful rendering, thus allowing the card to render faster and with more detail.
All but the most rabid of gamers should be satisfied with Radeon's performance in games such as Quake 3 and Unreal tournament. The only caveat of this card's performance is rather lackluster 16-bit color performance. Users of this card should play games in 32-bit color, where the Radeon blows away most competitors in sheer speed.
One other issue concerning gamers may be ATI’s past driver support. ATI has traditionally had terrible driver support for its video cards, resulting in products that did not perform as well as they should have. ATI has promised to be timelier with Radeon driver updates – but only time will tell if they can deliver or not.
Like the other two Radeon cards, the 32 MB DDR version supports DVD and MPEG2 decoding.
The 32 MB DDR Radeon is probably best for people who want decent 3D gaming and don't need the extra features found in the AIW and 64 MB Radeon cards. The 32 MB DDR Radeon provides decent speed at a reasonable price, and certainly won't be obsolete anytime soon.
This 512MB memory module designed to enhance the performance. Compatible with select Tyan, SuperMicro, Intel, Gateway and Nokia models. PC DDR-SDRAM D...More at MacMall
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