Bundle, Presentation and Manual
The box is the standard size for cards in this class. PoV's presentation runs to our angry reptilian friend, seemingly scaring you away from a purchase. The specification sticker gives the game away as to what's in the box.
The bundle is pretty decent for a card in the 5900XT price bracket.
PowerDVD 5, driver and application CD (although there's not much in the way of applications) and a copy of Commando 3 are what arrived with the review sample. However, given the Valve and ATI fumbling with the Half Life 2 bundle for Radeon XT boards and NVIDIA's subsequent one-upmanship in securing Call Of Duty for bundling with their own products, PoV have a limited availability Call Of Duty bundle for the 5900XT, replacing Commando 3. The bundle deal started recently, so strike while the available game iron is hot.
Hardware additions run to an S-Video to composite video convertor, composite video extension cable, DVI-I to VGA adaptor and a Y-splitter power cable with a nice twist. The end of one of the two power connectors on the splitter is angled at 90-degrees, ideal for slotting into the power connector on the board, avoiding potentially troublesome cable routing issues. It's probably no more than half a Euro of extra cost for the different connector and production of the cable, but it does so much for apparent value and ease of use.
At its core, it's nothing more than a graphics card with a bunch of cables and some software, but in practice, the stylish PCB with metallic detailing, Call of Duty bundle and attention to detail with the power splitter, shows that PoV are reluctant to join the mass army of generic board producers, instead doing something extra to entice you into a purchase.
