ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon X1800 XL
Our Summary & Conclusion
Performance Summary: The All-In-Wonder X1800 XL performed well throughout our entire battery of benchmarks. When no additional pixel processing was used, the XFX GeForce 7800 GT we tested as a reference point had superior performance in the majority of the tests, but the two cards were much more evenly matched when anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering were used. When AA and aniso were enabled simultaneously, the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL and XFX GeForce 7800 GT put up similar numbers, with the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL performing better in the Direct3D tests and the GeForce excelling in the OpenGL tests.
We couldn't help but be impressed by the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL. ATI has taken the already powerful Radeon X1800 XL and equipped it with all of the multimedia functionality that has made their All-In-Wonder product line a success over the years. The card's performance in many of today's popular games may not have overwhelmed its main competition, the GeForce 7800 GT, but performance with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering was nonetheless very good. Even though there are more powerful graphics cards out there from a pure gaming standpoint, the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL is unmatched in terms of overall features. Simply put, this card can run any game you throw at it with more than acceptable framerates, while offering an unsurpassed assortment of multimedia, TV and video functionality as well. The All-In-Wonder X1800 XL is arguably the most feature-rich video card produced to date. Couple that with the new software bundle what includes some popular applications form Adobe and Gemstar's Guide+, and ATI has an obvious success on their hands. Further sweetening the deal is the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL's MSRP of $429. This card isn't cheap by any measure of the word, but it's only marginally more expensive than the standard Radeon X1800 XL that debuted with an MSRP of $449 only five short weeks ago. ATI also claims that cards will be shipping to retailers today, so hopefully we'll see prices drop below MSRP relatively quickly, as they did with the standard Radeon X1800 XL. We really liked the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL and are giving it a 9 on the Heat Meter.
•_Feature-Rich •_Excellent Multimedia Capabilities •_Single Slot •_Promised availability very soon •_Only marginally more expensive than "standard" Radeon X1800 XL •_Fastest All-In-Wonder Yet •_Remote Wonder Plus •_Adobe Software Bundle •_Free Guide+ |
•_Geforce 7800 GT offers better overall gaming performance |