LOSTCIRCUITS |
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ATI FIRE GL 8800
... with gasoline |
| (Review by MS, June 22, 2002) |
Overview
The FIRE GL 8800 is ATI's mid-range workstation graphics accelerator. With 128MB of DDR memory and an optimized OpenGL® driver, FIRE G 8800 is ideal for MCAD, digital content creation and 3D game development. ATI's revolutionary RADEON 8800 graphics processing unit and optimized application software increase productivity and provide superior 3D/2D graphics acceleration.
- The mid-range workstation graphics accelerator
- Ideal for complex MCAD and digital content creation
- Optimized OpenGL® drivers for fast 3D and 2D graphics acceleration
- Optimized software for increased productivity
- Dual monitor support
- Designed and manufactured by ATI
Behind these bold statements stands basically the R200 GPU as used in the RADEON 8500, clocked at 250 MHz with the memory running asynchronous at 290 - 300 MHz (depending on the particular version) and improved line antialiasing software. The drivers for the FireGL 8800 are different, though, from the conventional RADEON 8500 drivers with more emphasis on different OpenGL scenarios and the choice to select optimized tweaks for individual applications. Unlike some of the high-end OpenGL cards, the RADEON 8500-based FireGL is fully DX 8.1 compliant and may be looked at as the "missing link" between consumer cards and high-end offerings from 3DLabs or ATI with their FireGL 2 and 4 models. Similar as with the nVidia Quadro cards, the subvendor ID that identifies the card as a FireGL 8800 as opposed to a Radeon8500 is partially encoded in the BIOS string and partially set in hardware by means of the resistor configuration. What that means is that even when using the latest FireGL drivers, without resoldering, the Radeon8500 will not be able to take advantage of the FireGL capabilities.
Layout of the Fire GL 8800 is essentially the same as for the 128 MB RADEON 8500 but the TV-Out has been scratched completely.
Features
- Certified software support
- Fast 3D/2D graphics acceleration and optimized OpenGL® software drivers for advanced workstation applications
- Optimized software performance increases productivity in a stable 3D model environment - run MCAD and digital content creation applications with better proficiency
- FIRE GL 8800 is pre-configured to maximize the performance of most popular operating systems and CPUs
- Customize and tune applications to meet your specific requirements using the display profile utilities
Superior workstation graphics
- Powered by RADEON 8800 GPU and 128MB of DDR memory for revolutionary 3D graphics acceleration
- OpenGL® double-buffer overlay support
- Simultaneously run in wire-frame and shaded mode, open or close multiple windows and menus without workstation performance decline
- Full support for DirectX® 8.1 - 3D models come to life using ATI's new feature set:
- SMARTSHADER enables more complex and realistic lighting effects
- TRUFORM technology provides models with richer, life-like textures
- HYPER Z II technology conserves memory bandwidth for improved performance
- CHARISMA ENGINE II supports Transformation, Clipping and Lighting (T&L)
- PIXEL TAPESTRY II ensures fast fill rates in 32-bit true color resolution
Dual monitor support
- Leading-edge HYDRAVISION technology supports multiple monitor combinations
Connect to digital flat panel to enjoy crisper images and true flat screen, significantly reduce eyestrain and save space on your desk
- Assign 'Hot Key' shortcuts for the functions you use most often: moving active windows or applications, accessing controls on the fly, or opening applications
- Set applications to automatically open in your preferred position on the monitor using the ' Application Position Memory' feature - eliminate the need to adjust settings every time the computer is turned on
So we have a lot of buzzwords here that are the same as what we know from the RADEON 8500 and a few nifty features but the main issue is that we have a very different performance profile for the FireGL 8800 than what we have with the RADEON 8500 which we will find out
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