Date: February 25th, 2004
Article by: Roger (Hardware
Reviewer)
Product was donated by: ATI Technologies
<----Shop for the ATI Radeon 9600xt Videocard Here
PRODUCT COMPOSITION


The 9600XT comes in a fantastic looking box. I have noticed
that especially as of late, ATI is coming up with some amazing box designs.
It is also very obvious that there is a partnership between ATI and
Valve, as there are Half-Life 2 references all over the box, indicating
that ATI brand cards are 'preferred' for the game (which is expected
out in April of 2004).

The retail version of the 9600XT comes with a coupon for
Half-Life 2. As stated above, the game has not yet been released. There
have been a couple delays due to leaked code, however the current release
date of April of 2004 seems fairly reliable. And when the games comes
out, you'll be able to test out the theory that it works better on newer
ATI cards (namely the 9800 Pro onward, although previously released
cards will undoubtedly fare well also).

The card comes securely packed, although the box contents
are sparse (card, manual, installation cd and Half-Life 2 coupon). This
card isn't about the extras you receive… it's all about the product
itself. And let's be honest, who the hell cares about an S-Video cable
or DVI-VGA adapter that'll just collect dust in your drawer. Certainly,
it would have been nice of ATI to include those in the package, but
they have to keep the retail price down somehow, and this is one cost-saving
measure that I don't mind. I'd rather they pump all they can into the
card, as that's where the magic comes from.
So let's get right to the card.
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