Review: ATI RADEON VE

How much 3D do you really need? This is the question you should ask yourself before buying the RADEON VE. If you're a gamer in search of a budget card with decent 3D performance, then you're probably better off getting a card based on thr GeForce 2 MX 400 or the Kyro II. If you're looking for a good workhorse card that can also double (no pun intended) as a gaming board with moderate 3D power, then the VE might be an interesting board for you. If you've ever had the luxury of working with two monitors you'll find it hard to ever go back - trust me. And that's exactly the RADEON VE's strong suit. The Hydravision software does an outstanding job of managing the displays and applications and puts any MX based TwinView card to shame. On top of that the card also offers a second RAMDAC clocked at 300MHz, greater flexibility when using two monitors and near-perfect TV-Out. Not to forget the impeccable image quality.

This makes the VE a real competitor to Matrox' G450, a board that has been the card to beat in terms of 2D features and display quality until now, but was always plagued by lackluster 3D performance. Looks like Graphics designers and other multi-monitor users can finally look forward to after-work Counter Strike sessions with acceptable 3D performance :o). Still, MX cards remain first choice among the budget multi-display cards if you want 3D power.

So far, multi-monitor solutions are mostly found in the mainstream segment. This begs the question why we haven't seen any current 3D flagships with this kind of feature. After all, with the 57 million transistors on a GeForce 3, how much more could the necesary components possibly cost? As it stands, buying a working/gaming card is by necessity always a compromise. Cost can't honestly be an argument here, though. Consider that, with the proper driver support, the Philips SAA7108E TV-In/Out chip already found on many GeForce 3 / MX boards would be perfectly capable of outputting an 800x600 signal to any RGB monitor...

84%

Performance	80 %
Features	90 %
Drivers	92 %
Software	90 %
Games	-
Cooling	75 %
Streetprice	230-250,- DM $76 - $99

	Multimonitoring
	Integrated second RAMDAC
	Great TV-Out functionality
	Videokables & Scart Adaptor
	Hydravision Software for administration of both monitors
	DVD Player Software
	Good image quality on both Screens

	Low 3D Performance
	No OC Tools
	Chip only passive cooled
	Changing second output from RGB display to TV-Out mode requires switching cables and rebooting