ATI RagePro         07 Jul 1998

Looks good on paper, but doesn't do games as well as the Riva128 or V2100/2200 chipsets, for the same price.

ATI Technologies Inc. (Toronto: ATY - news) today announced the XPERT 98(TM), an 8MB add-in board that provides top level 3D, 2D and DVD acceleration for $98. Powered by ATI's award-winning RAGE PRO TURBO(TM) chip with motion compensation enabling best quality DVD playback using software, the XPERT 98 has been specially-designed to support the Direct3D features of Windows 98. The XPERT 98 sets a new paradigm for the performance/value relationship as it out-performs every other accelerator in its class.

The XPERT 98 bridges the gap between performance 8MB cards and value- oriented 2 and 4MB boards, providing 8MB performance at the price of 4MB boards. Key to the price/performance formula of the XPERT 98 is the use of SDRAM memory. The XPERT 98's 8MBs of 100MHz SDRAM provides ample memory to drive all the popular applications, but without the need for a higher cost memory solution.

``The XPERT 98 takes advantage of more features available under Windows 98 than any other board at its price point,'' said Alan McCann, director of board marketing, ATI. ``With a price of $98, support for AGP 2X, fast 3D performance, and full frame-rate DVD playback at no additional cost, the XPERT 98 is the best value in the graphics market today.''

 

Cards:

ATI Xpert@Work
ATI Xpert@Play

News:

 

Data:

26.7 3D: 800x600x16x75, FS Goran Teurnberg 17Mar98
P2/266/64 ATI AGP Xpert@Work 8 MB   Genius 3D/ISA
22 29 40 26 27 16 16 No
Comments: Turbo drivers.

 

22.3 3D: 800x600x16, FS Vincent Bazillio 29Dec97
P2/233/32 ATI AGP Xpert@Work   SB16/ISA
19.5 25 29 23 27 10 10 No
Comments: Video driver 4.02(12.10.97), CPU running at 262 MHz (75 MHz bus)

 

20.7 3D: 800x600x16, FS Steve S. 6Feb98
K6/233/64 ATI AGP Xpert@Play/2MB   SB AWE32/ISA
15 21.5 30 25 25.2 7.5 7.5 No
The drivers that came with the card did not work with FS98

 

20.6 3D: 800x600x16x75, FS Peter Comeau 15Nov97
P2/266/32 ATI AGP Xpert@Work   SB16
17.8 22.6 26.3 23.8 22.6 10.2 10.3 No
Comments: PowerVR2 = 13.7.  Fogging not supported in drivers v4.02.  Texturing not up to standard.

 

17.8 3D: 800x600x16, FS Massimo de Favari 2Mar98
PPro200/128 ATI AGP Xpert@Play/8MB   AWE64/ISA
19 20 20 19 20.8 8 9 No
v5.00-B5P (02/12/98) drivers.

 

15.6 ` Jelle Zwart 08Apr98
P200mmx/32 ATI Xpert@Play/8MB   Monster Sound/PCI
14.3 18.1 22.6 19.1 13.1 6.1 6.2 No
Driver .2312

 

15.2 3D: 800x600x16x75, FS Michael Mrak Jan98
P233mmx/96 ATI Xpert@Work   SB16
14 19 20 16 16 6 7 No
v4.10.2278 drivers, runs well at 1024x768 with GPS2.0.

 

12.0 3D: 800x600x16x72, FS Marc Szwarc 20Oct97
P200/64 ATI Xpert@Play/8MB   SB AWE64/ISA
10.7 15.5 14.0 11.5 15.0 5.1 5.5 No
Comments: No jitters, no sound problems. Like always, fps dropped when new sounds started.