Introduction

Today we herald the release of the new ATI graphics solution. Though the R420 is still based on DX9's PS2.0, performance numbers look to be on par with what we would expect from a company who has lead the industry in performance for nearly two years. The two new board configurations based on R420 at which we will be looking today are the Radeon X800 Pro, and the Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition. The Radeon X800 Pro is shipping today, but the XT Platinum Edition won't make it out the door until later this month (ATI cites May 21st as the shipping date).

We were skeptical, when the GeForce 6800 Ultra was thrust into the spotlight, that ATI would be able to keep up with their toughest competitor. From the first briefing we had regarding the R420 GPU, we knew it would be an intense fight. Both the NV40 and R420 architectures are very sound and well founded, and the next six months will be a very good time for consumers of computer technology. But before we start handing out the nominations for happiest customer, let's take a look at the new kid on the block.

The Chip
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  • saechaka - Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - link

    wow. very impressive. i was set on getting an nvidia but just don't know anymore
  • Phiro - Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - link

    The message is clear; Matrox has failed!
  • Brickster - Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - link

    Show me the money!
  • MemberSince97 - Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - link

    Advanced features are worthless if your driver team keeps breaking them..
  • f11 - Tuesday, May 4, 2004 - link

    kinda starting to feel sorry for nvidia now. each generation they stuff their cards with more feautures than they need to, end end up with a slower and more featured card. If anyone's expecting SM3 to be a big hit, remember that the original FX line had lots of extensions to DX9 and they never really made much a difference.

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