|
 ATi
has
been
manufacturing
video
cards
and
other multimedia
products since 1985 and
was
one
of
the
earliest
companies
to
institute
the
concept
of
a
combination TV/Video
card.
The theory seemed simple, combine
a
quality graphics
card
and
TV
tuner
into
a
single PCB, that
would give
the consumer
the
best
of
both
worlds
in
a
single
product.
And
so
the All-In-Wonder
product
line
was
born.
These
days, ATi
has
been
releasing
new
models
of
the All-In-Wonder
at
a
feverish
pace,
with
three
new
versions
since
last fall alone,
the All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV,
the All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500,
and
now
the All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500.
Not long
before the holiday season of 2001, Dave had the chance to
review the first All-In-Wonder
to
incorporate
the Radeon 8500
GPU.
The
All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV targeted the video
enthusiast looking for advanced video editing capabilities
as well as exceptional 3D Graphics quality. Powered by
a 240MHz. Radeon 8500 GPU and 190MHz. DDR RAM (380MHz.), the
8500DV proved to be both a
well-rounded, and well-endowed, graphics and video
solution. Nevertheless, with a price tag
around $400 for the All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV, customers
got it "all" but they also had to pay for it. Enter
the All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500.
The
All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500 answered the prayers of many users
looking to pick up a good TV/Video card without having to
break the bank. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity
to review the
All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500, a TV/Video card targeted
toward the value minded customer with its competitively
priced MSRP of $200. The All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500 may
have been significantly cheaper than the 8500DV, yet it
still offered many of the same TV features as the more
expensive card. Powered by a Radeon 7500 GPU running @
260MHz., and 64MB of DDR RAM running at 190MHz. (360MHz.),
the All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500 proved to be both a capable
and economical TV/Video card. With such features as a
stereo TV tuner, TV-On-Demand, and the same Remote Control
feature as the AIW Radeon 8500DV, ATi could now provide a
simpler solution for those users on a tight budget, who may
not need all the advanced features of the premium model.
Still,
something was missing. What about the true gaming
enthusiast who wants a TV tuner but doesn't want to
sacrifice an ounce of performance? The All-In-Wonder
8500DV had a good amount of horsepower, but the memory
speeds hampered gaming performance somewhat and the
All-In-Wonder Radeon 7500 was more of an entry level
graphics card. Well, today we have the chance to take
a look at ATi's answer to that question, the latest addition
to the All-In-Wonder product line, the All-In-Wonder Radeon
8500.
The
All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500 is ATis direct response to those
hardcore gamers that want a powerful gaming card along with
quality TV capabilities. The AIW Radeon 8500 is the
most powerful "All-In-Wonder" yet, with its robust 275MHz.
Radeon 8500 GPU and 128MB of 275MHz. (550MHz.) DDR SGRAM .
Clearly, this new card is ATi's most ambitious All-In-Wonder
to date, with the strength to take on some of the fastest
gaming cards on the market today. So let's take a peek
at some of the All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500's finer qualities
and then we'll put ATi's latest "Wonder" to the test, to see
how "Wonderful" it may perform when we compare it to the
competition.
 |
|
Specifications of the ATi All-In-Wonder Radeon
8500 |
|
You Really Do Get
What You Pay For. |
|
|
FEATURE
SUMMARY
Awesome
3D
gaming
and
graphics
-Powered
by
the
revolutionary
RADEON 8500
GPU @275MHz.
and
128MB
DDR
memory @275MHz.
for
the
most advanced 3D
graphics
in
its
class
-ATI's
innovative
TRUFORM, SMARTSHADER
and
SMOOTHVISION
technologies
make
3D
characters
and
objects
more
realistic
-ATI's
HYPERZ
II
technology
conserves
memory
bandwidth
for
improved
performance
in demanding
applications
-ATI's
latest
3D
rendering
technologies,
CHARISMA
ENGINE II
and
PIXEL
TAPESTRY II, power
incredible
3D
processing
capabilities
leading
to
unbelievable
graphics
quality
Amazing
TV
features
TV-ON-DEMAND
-Pause
live
TV
or
record
live
broadcasts
and
watch
them
later
-Get
instant
replays
of
favorite
programs
-Click
through
the
transparent
live
TV
window
to
access
your
desktop
-
no
more
moving
the
TV
window
to
get
to
your
work!
-Use
the
integrated
Gemstar
GUIDE
Plus+
TM
Interactive
Program
Guide
1
to
view
and
search
TV
listings
by
category,
actor/performer,
or
date.
Schedule
and
record
programs
at
the
click
of
a
mouse
-
all
the
benefits
of
a
Personal
Video
Recorder
without
the
monthly
fees
Amazing
TV
features
including
-TV
Magazine
1 -
images
and
text
from
TV
programs
allowing
you
to
read
and
archive
TV
Programs
-Hot
Words 1 - real-time
notification
when
selected
words
are
detected
in
programming
-Zoom
&
pan
-
zoom
in
on
the
action
on-screen
and
choose
your
own
close-up
-Intelligent
Teletext
on
your
PC
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