ATI Technologies Radeon 9800 Pro 256 MB Visual Processing Unit

ATI Technologies' Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB is the most advanced 3D performer available, delivering to hardcore gamers the immersive and cinematic experience they crave. The Radeon 9800 Pro visual processing unit (VPU) offers 256MB of fast DDR-2 (double data rate-2) memory. The Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB delivers full-quality at full speed all the time.

Built on the highly successful Radeon 9800 Pro architecture, the chip features 8 full-precision pipelines that provide the brute force and agility needed to render real-time, Hollywood-caliber graphics. The additional memory provided in this new board significantly increases performance at the highest resolution and quality settings. The Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB sets a new standard in 3D entertainment, allowing users to experience cinematic rendering on their PCs.

The Radeon 9800 Pro's 256-bit memory interface provides the bandwidth for real-time 3D graphics and ensures that high-resolution textures and characters are rendered precisely. Exquisite image quality is not at the expense of performance.

The Radeon 9800 series of visual processors is the most visually advanced 3D performer on the planet, delivering an immersive, cinematic experience for the most demanding next-generation games with up to 256MB of DDR memory and a 256-bit memory interface. Merging advanced stability with revolutionary features, Radeon 9800 series is the only Visual Processing family in its 3rd generation.

Radeon 9800 series is the ultimate accelerator of the most demanding next-generation 3D titles, scenes and environments
Featuring highly programmable cinematic shader engines and support for the latest Microsoft DirectX 9.0 and OpenGL feature sets
Experience unparalleled 3D visual realism with the advanced engineering of ATI technology
256MB of DDR memory provides increased performance when rendering high resolution textures, characters, and environments
256-bit memory interface delivers the bandwidth for real-time 3D graphics and barrier-free performance
8-pixel pipeline architecture doubles the rendering power of other graphics processors
SMARTSHADER 2.1 supports the latest Microsoft DirectX 9.0 feature set, enabling cinematic quality lighting and shadow effects
SMOOTHVISION 2.1 delivers the sharpest, clearest textures without sacrificing frame rates
128-bit full floating-point precision enables billions of color variations to render the same lighting and effects as Hollywood studios
Featuring CATALYST, the industry's most stable 3D acceleration software
Supports the latest Microsoft DirectX 9.0 and OpenGL feature sets, ensuring long-term compatibility with the hottest gaming releases
FULLSTREAM removes blocky artifacts from streaming Internet video to deliver smoother looking, higher quality online content
VIDEOSHADER integrates features to provide unprecedented support for digital and high definition video

Only Products designed and built by ATI offer:

Hassle-free manufacturers warranty
Responsive and knowledgeable Customer Service Team
Extensive online user resources and updates through ATI.com
Feature-rich, frequently updated, ATI designed CATALYST software

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
... but did you also know you need it? Why? Because on a top end machine the following games have settings that go way past the limitations of even this card - Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, Doom 3, FarCry and the soon to be released Half-Life 2. These are all new engines that will drive the games of tomorrow, meaning that I will probably be trading this one in for Xmas 2005 when the 512 line should make its mark. Anyway how does this card pan out? First of all it is a nightmare if you setup your card on a television and then forget to change it back for use with a monitor. So learn a lesson well about these monitor/television compatible cards. Make sure to change the Display Properties to whichever type you are using next because if you don't then you will not see anything and thus can not change it back. Next you need to know that these cards are top of line and make quite a great deal of noise. We are talking about listening to something like a 50cfm fan in your box doing the rounds. You are probably going to want to run your box cooler with these types of high-end chipsets running to get the most out of them so go searching on the net for a good environmental setup. All these new series of graphics card come with DirectX 9.0c or higher but the real key to unlock this God is with the new ATI range of drivers that enhance and accelerate the visual experience - CATALYST™ (Basically complete Real-time 3D immersive game play*). The four games for this card I have already mentioned (Playing it with Counter-Strike: Source is extremely good although I believe maybe a 128mb would give virtually the same playability for now). So if you want those games then consider this card. FarCry has an exceptional environment with something like X100 zoom on your binoculars. The enemy AI is unreal but in terms of graphics it is a real ride with this card. I believe you need this card for the full FarCry experience; however I do not believe that it pushes this card to its limit. MS Flight Simulator 2004 does push this card past it limits. Put everything up full in the details panel and look out the window over populated areas. You will see a delay and suddenly several sectors start to pop up. A 512mb card will make that game real-time. Doom3 has the ability to actually configure to a 512mb card if one existed now. Doom3 is an experience and a half, not 100% but unlike anything you have seen before and pretty scary to say the least. Anyway with this card the demon disintegration graphics are akin to watching someone getting beamed up in front of you. The lighting dynamics are also crucial to the game play. Get Doom 3 and this card and you will be stunned by something that looks like an XBOX 2 or PS3. Half-Life 2 is not yet released (Nov. 16th 2004 release date) but if you buy the new Bronze edition from Steam you can DL the encrypted HL2 files onto your HD along with CS: Source and Play Source right away which is a big improvement on any version of CS you have seen. Anyway it looks top spec on this card but I believe a 128mb card can play Source at it highest settings. Anyway the point is to look for the HL2 video and know that in reality HL2 is going to cost you $300 if you want the full experience. It's a tough cookie but let's face it. You have no choice. Now go work or Beg for it. We all did it! *As for using unsupported ATI drivers for this card. Well even Catalyst is unsupported (Use at your own risk from ATI sort of thing) so hammering around with this card is probably not a bad idea however it is always useful to do that after the card has passed its warranty but the choice is there is you want it. Personally I would stick to the ATI releases and get some good tutorials on your computer environment 5 Stars but an XBOX is almost the same price.