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Unreal Tournament 2003 Demo |
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The Final Say-So |
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The RADEON 9700 dominates once
again, demonstrating a 34% advantage over the GeForce4 Ti
4600 at 1600x1200 (Flyby) and a 50% lead over the prior
generation All In Wonder RADEON 8500.
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Number Seven - Bringing it Together with MMC 8.0 |
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The Final Link |
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One of the most important
factors in making the All In Wonder successful is the
software that brings together each hardware subsystem.
We've already looked at the TV and DVD software, but the
software suite also consists of a File Player, a CD Player
and a VCD Player.
There is also a
Multimedia Center Library, which helps manage media files.
It also recommends files for deletion, depending on the
filtering method you choose.
Though not
related to the Multimedia Center, ATI bundles a specially
modified version of Pinnacle Studio 8, for creating and
editing video. The All In Wonder has the ability to
run a video stream through the 3D pipeline, adding
transitions and effects with pixel shaders. However,
this capability won't be exposed until DirectX 9 is release.
Also included in the package is Matchware Mediator 7 and
Morrowind - The Elder Scrolls III.
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Compatibility |
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Can't We All Just
Get Along? |
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Seeing as
one of the All in Wonder RADEON 9700 Pro?s features is AGP
8x compliance, we first tested the card in a SiS 648
platform. Time after time, a 3D benchmark would start, only
to lock or spontaneously reboot the system. More than one
All in Wonder card demonstrated similar behavior in more
than one SiS 648 motherboard (with different power
supplies), so we?d safely say that there is still a problem
plaguing that combination of hardware.
Just to be
safe, we also tested motherboards based on Intel?s i850 and
i845 families with no incident. VIA?s KT400 and P4X400
chipsets performed similarly ? it seems to be a problem
limited to SiS and ATI.
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Overclocking |
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When 'Stock' Just
Isn't Enough |
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It would
seem that the R300 chip is a bad candidate for
overclocking. To begin with, at 110 million transistors, it
is extremely complex. And considering the die is
manufactured on a .15-micron process, it is extremely
large. ATI is already operating the board at an aggressive
325MHz ? more than many skeptics believed was possible.
However, we were still able to pull an extra 25MHz from the
core before it demonstrated signs of instability.
Similarly, the memory modules were also good for an
additional 25MHz DDR (50MHz effective), resulting in an
overclocked frequency of 350/335MHz.
The idea
behind the ?home-theater PC? is as exciting now as it was back in 2000 with
introduction of the first the
All in Wonder RADEON. In fact, with the advent of High
Definition television and wireless networking it has become
even easier to integrate a PC into the traditional home
theater rack with full broadband connectivity. The All in
Wonder RADEON 9700 takes this concept one step further by
offering TV-ON-DEMAND, GemStar?s programming guide, support
for component output, DVD decoding, the most complete 3D
feature-set on the market (along with the most impressive
performance), and finally, the Remote Wonder, every
couch-potato?s dream.
The card
isn?t without flaw, though. Most high-end cards now include
the option for a second display, through either a DVI-I port
or another 15-pin VGA connector. Unfortunately, the All in
Wonder RADEON 9700 Pro only supports one display. ATI
simply ran out of room on the card?s back plate. Secondly,
while AGP 8x is understandably in its infancy, general
incompatibility with multiple SiS 648-based motherboards is
a little harder to understand.
Even still,
this has been a stellar year for ATI and the success will
likely continue with the All in Wonder RADEON 9700 Pro. The
card will feature a suggested retail price of $449 (ATI
anticipates the board will be found for around $400 from
online retailers), just $50
more than the RADEON 9700 Pro. Put into perspective, the
card includes a $50 Remote Wonder, a $30 component output
adapter, and several software titles ? we haven?t even taken
the multimedia features of the card into consideration and
already, the All in Wonder RADEON 9700 Pro seems like a
better ?value? than the RADEON 9700 Pro. In the words of
Ferris Bueller, ?It?s so choice, I highly recommend picking
one up, if you have the means.?
HotHardware's PC Hardware Forum is all the rage! Are
you in?
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