The most controversial product is the ATI RADEON X1600 XT. I've ambivalent impressions. On the one hand, it obviously fairs on the level with the GeForce 6600GT (sometimes a tad better), but that card is below $200 already, reaching the $150 mark. And the X1600 XT is offered at $200 or even $250 for a 256 MB modification. Too expensive. On the other hand, it's equipped with very expensive memory, operating at huge frequencies for a middle-end card - 1380 MHz. Besides, the 590 MHz core is not a cheap die. Is there a price reduction reserve for such cards? I doubt it. The product is too "tight" (the frequencies are squeezed to maximum). Besides, the architecture is misbalanced. We already wrote about it before. 12 shader pipelines and just 4 texture units. If the Canadian company hopes that all games will be similar to TR:AoD, which uses shaders and a couple of simple textures, where its products will be up to the mark, they are mistaken. Texture units have plenty of work to do! They shouldn't be slimmed down like this.



Link: Digit Life