X-Micro 128MB 8x VIVO
I like to think that I keep abreast of most PC-related hardware currently available. So it was something of a surprise when another Ti 4200 was delivered to myself. The surprise was not in the card as we have 12 on test, but in the manufacturer. X-Micro are new to both myself and Hexus. Formed in 1999, and with a particular emphasis on producing video cards based on NVIDIA GPUs, X-Micro will do well to survive in the difficult video card market. Having never tested one of their products before, I was especially eager to put it through its paces.
A smaller box that most, X-Micro's packaging is understated. The specifications are clearly labelled on the cover.
The card appears to be aimed at the more budget-conscious user. There are no fancy RAMsinks or extravagant GPU cooling here. It's almost as basic as it gets. The cooler, seemingly an ORB-like affair, was one of the quietest on test, a fact that many of you will appreciate. Sticking with TSOP RAM from Samsung (who else ?) 128MB is specified in the standard 8 x 16MB format. It's rated at 4ns or 500MHz DDR.
Perhaps due to the fact that it's such a low-cost and useful addtion, X-Micro also have VIVO functionality through the Philips SAA7108E BGA encoder/decoder. As you'll probably know by now, it has the ability to encode/decode video signals at a maximum resolution of 800x600.
The bundle is reasonable in most respects. We have a VIVO cable that attaches to the back of the card and gives S-Video in/out and RCA (composite) out. I'm not sure why RCA-in was excluded. It's also a bit of a shame to only see a small extension cable for the RCA plug.
In terms of software, X-Micro provide Cyberlink's PowerDirector 2.1 ME Pro to facilitate the video-in decoding ability. It allows you to capture incoming streams (including DV via Firewire) to either AVI or MPEG formats. For those of you with super-fast machines, the ability to transfer on-the-fly to MPEG is also available. For true DV capturing, a Firewire connection is better. Intervideo license out their WinDVD version 4 to X-Micro. The utility CD provides the basic video card drives, AMCAP Capture Setup drivers, DirectX 8.1, and a manual in pdf format. Gaming is taken care of by Ballistics and Codename Outbreak titles. I'd say it's average amongst those on test.
