Bundle and extras
Value can be added to a product in differing ways. With respect to graphics cards, a partner may decide to include components that go above official specifications. We're talking about pre-inflated GPU or memory clocks, or RAM that's rated at a higher native speed, as seems to be the case here. Accompanying bundles can add value by utilising decent, up-to-date software and thoughtful hardware. Let's see how ASUS does.
The box is larger than most graphics cards', but that seems to be an ASUS trait. The NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra's was close to inducing a hernia. It also serves to highlight a few notable extras. Firstly, there's a 'free game'. Half-life 2, no less. If you've been following Valve's problems of late you'll know that it's been delayed until Q2 2004.
ASUS cards carry a 3-year limited warranty. 3 years is a long time in the graphics card world. It's comforting to know that the warranty is backed up by an industry heavyweight that's not likely to go down the same befallen route as Elsa.
The actual bundle is no less impressive. The various CDs are presented in a circular, orange holder. ASUS does the right thing by including a DVI-to-VGA adapter. 2 manuals and a information leaflet make for concise, informative reading. The installation guide correctly describes the process by which one installs and updates the drivers. The software reference, as its name suggests, provides information on some of the software that's provided in the overall package. We'll go through the discs briefly.
ASUSDVD XP - It appears to be nothing other than a rebadged copy of PowerDVD XP, which is no bad thing in itself. We'd like the serial number on a CD sleeve rather than the disc.
GunMetal - A full retail game based on the X-Box port. ASUS' close ties with NVIDIA is probably the catalyst for its inclusion.
Battle Engine Aquila - Another full game that I had previously not heard of
Games Power A 6-in-1 demo selection, probably to highlight the power and features of the card.
Ulead Cool SE 4.0 & Photo Express SE 4.0 - Ulead's graphics and photo editing software doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the software. If it's free, it's always useful.
Cyberlink Medi@ Show SE 2.0 - The partnership with Cyberlink continues with this package.
Driver CD with SmartDoctor 2, Video Security, Digital VCR, and GameFace - We'll get to SD in a moment. Video Security is an inspired choice. It allows the card to be connected up to a webcam. The software then allows recordings of a specified area. We can see its practical uses. The Digital VCR acts just like it sounds, and it even supports time-shifted recording.
The accompanying SmartDoctor 2 tool allows one to change core and memory speeds and preset the GPU's fan to a set percentage of maximum speed by using a power duty cycle feature. It also measures the voltage settings fort the GPU and memory. We like the auto-adapt feature. It runs the fan at a prescribed speed between various GPU temperatures. They can be preset manually by simply clicking on the radio button and selecting the appropriate settings via a slider. It's useful to be able to control the fan's behaviour in any environment. It's about time all manufacturers did this. In terms of overclocking, SmartDoctor 2 is lacking. The maximum speeds permissible are 530MHz core and 650MHz memory. You may not be surprised to learn that the card managed to run past SD 2's maximum clocks without even flinching.
We mentioned the Rage Theater chip on the previous page. ASUS, rather than have the user fiddle around with convertors and leads at the back of the PC, supply the 9600XT/TVD with a breakout box that achieves the same ends in more elegant fashion.
S-Video-In, S-Video-Out, Composite_In and Out are all catered for. It attaches to the S-Video socket via a 5-foot-long S-Video lead. Our sample appeared bereft of the leads required to connect up the box to other devices, but ASUS assure us they're bundled in. S-Video_Out provided a clear and crisp image on a 28" Panasonic flat-faced CRT TV. We also tried S-Video-In by connecting a Radeon 9800 Pro's output to the box's input. The idea was to capture a portion of a game.
We neglected to mention PowerDirector 2.55 ME in the bundle list. It allows for basic capturing and video creation and manipulation. The user has a number of different quality settings to choose from. We chose MPEG-2 Constant Hi Bitrate for the 11-second clip of a hole-in-one from Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. It was intuitively easy to use.
A comprehensive bundle that complements the card well.
