darkangeln's Full Review: ATI RADEON 9000 PRO, (64 MB) AGP Video Card
Just a little background about my video card. I had a GeForce 2 MX previously so the comparisons I draw will be between the GeForce 2 MX and the Radeon 9000
I was looking for a new video card to go with my AMD XP 1800 . What I wanted was a video card that would provide adequate graphic quality when I play games but does not have a pricey tag attached to it. That’s when I met the Radeon 9000 and married it. But like all marriages, problems arise as time passes.
Price vs. Quality
This was the main reason why I bought this video card. I could’ve gotten the Radeon 9700 Pro, but that would’ve cost me over $500 dollars. This one was a lot cheaper; I got it for $160 CAN. Now $160 may sound like a lot, but considering what I got it for, it was worth it. This video card will be able to handle any video game available now with the graphic options set on high. However, for future games, this might not be enough.
Installation
I have some computer background, so it was easy to install. If you have no knowledge of computers, there is a manual you can refer to. Basically you just open the case, unscrew and pull out the old video card. Than position the new video card where the slot is and push STRAIGHT down. Than fasten it with a screw and you’re done. The package comes with a CD to install the drivers. Just pop the CD in the cd-rom and it will auto run. Follow the instructions and it will install the drivers for you. Easy.
Normal Application
There seems to be no difference between my old video card and this one. Word still looks like word. Windows XP still looks like Windows XP. When I watch videos, it is still as smooth as before, no real difference. So if you don’t require any graphic intense programs, you won’t need this card.
Graphic Software
This would be the next notch. When I run programs like Photoshop, Flash, etc they run a little smoother. There’s not much of a difference. However, in Photoshop for example, I can work a lot faster than before. The different effects and fills render a lot faster reducing any “waiting” time.
Gaming
Yeah, this is what it’s about. This is the main reason why I bought this card. I’ve tried this card on the following games: Hitman 2, No One Lives Forever 2, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale 2, Counter-strike and some other ones. Right off the bat, I noticed a MAJOR difference. First, I am able to set all the graphic options to the max and it runs fine. Before I usually had the options set on the “medium” tab and it was run a little laggy. Now I have it set on the “high” tab and it runs fine. Frame rates immediately increase. I jumped from 40 frames per second with normal graphic settings to 60 frames per second with high graphic settings (playing counter-strike). Graphics are crisp and smooth. This card is also capable of handling dynamic shadows. What’s that you say? Well, when a character has light shone on them, a shadow occurs. If there’s two light sources, than there’s two shadows. Three light sources, than three shadows and so on. Usually this requires a LOT of power since the shadow also moves along with the character. The Radeon 9000 handles this with no problems. It has worked perfectly for me. Particle effects are also very nice. An example of particle effect is when you run through a dirty carpet and you see the dust float up. Usually you won’t notice these features with an old video card but with this new one, you can just stare in awe at the eye candy this card is capable of producing.
ATI Software
The software bundle is easy to use and user-friendly. There are many options available such as changing screen size etc without having to touch your monitor’s control. There is also an ATI DVD player and other useful software which would suit anybody’s multimedia needs.
TV OUT
I’ve had little experience with this, and they haven’t been too good. TV-out is the ability to use a television as a display median instead of a computer monitor. When I tried using video out, the picture on the TV is pixilated and unclear. With DVD’s however, that's a different story. It looks a lot better on a TV than it does on a monitor, partially because of the size. But normal usage is something I wouldn’t recommend.
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