ATI launches x86/PPC compatible Radeon 9600 PRO

ATI introduced the Radeon 9600 Pro PC and Mac Edition, the first graphics card to support both platforms. While maintaining all the key software features for Mac OS X and Windows XP that users of ATI products for the Mac and PC have come to rely on, the Radeon 9600 Pro PC and Mac Edition offers dual-link capabilities to support ultra high-resolution flat panel monitors like the Apple 30-inch Cinema Display. The AGP based Radeon 9600 Pro PC and Mac Edition is available for $199 MSRP.

This new card features one of ATI's most popular graphics processors for AGP systems - the Radeon 9600 Pro - and includes 256MB of dedicated high-speed memory, has 128-bit memory interface and advanced DirectX 9.0 shader support with floating point precision. Users will experience tremendous graphics performance, plus the ability to drive ultra high-resolution monitors up to 2560x1600 resolution or better thanks to the card's dual-link DVI display support.

"By providing one card as a solution for two distinct platforms, ATI is making purchasing decisions easy for the computer user. There is no confusion as to whether the card will work in a Mac or a PC, because the Radeon 9600 Pro PC and Mac Edition will provide incredible performance and image quality in both," said Rich Heye, Vice President, Desktop Discrete Graphics, ATI. "As ultra-high resolution monitors have become increasingly popular for mainstream users, the dual-link functionality has become an important feature of graphics cards and ATI is unmatched in the consumer space at this price."

The dual platform Radeon 9600 Pro PC and Mac Edition is AGP 2.0 compliant, compatible with both AGP 4X and 8X systems, including Apple's Power Mac G4 series, Power Mac G5 and tens of millions of PC's sold over the last few years. The card can be booted in either platform and software drivers are included for both. ATI Displays, the fully optimized Mac OS X OpenGL driver, features advanced capabilities such as Versavision, enabling screen rotation from Landscape to Portrait mode. For PC users, the Radeon 9600 PC and Mac Edition will feature ATI's award-winning Catalyst Control Center, where users can personally tweak settings to fit their needs.