GigaCube Radeon KINGS
Game Buster 9700Pro, 9800Pro 128mb & 256mb
July 10, 2003
Manufactured by: GigaCube
Introduction
Not so long ago, ATI has always been trailing NVIDIA when it comes to leading the graphics card scene. Everytime they come close in getting the crown, they were always cut short by another new NVIDIA flagship coming out before or just after they have released their own latest flagship.
So when ATI came out with their R300 based Radeon 9700Pro uncontested, ATI, for the first time, managed to grab the crown from NVIDIA. It was a big achievement considering that their flagship overthrew the then current king, NVIDIA's GF4 Ti4600, by quite a good margin. But everybody knew that it will be short lived as NVIDIA won't allow themselves to be dominated without a fight. Especially with the news and hype floating around their NV30 GPU which everybody knew then will be named the GeForce FX 5800 Ultra.
We all waited and waited, but for months it never happened. NVIDIA had no reply to ATI's Radeon 9700Pro. By now, we all know the reason for the delay. So when finally, the GeForce FX 5800 Ultra was released, it was too late. It also lacked the lustre and failed the expectations of most. There was so many issues that made NVIDIA decided to cut its life immedietely. In fact, some would argue that it didn't even dislodge ATI from the top. Even NVIDIA admitted that the NV30 came out to be a big mistake after all.
This was good news for ATI who have sold so many Radeon 9700Pros in the process. So good that their flagship enjoyed being at the top longer. ATI felt they don't need to mount a challenge for the new FX 5800 Ultra then, as their current one was enough. But after a couple of months they once again surprised everybody when they released their Radeon 9800Pro based on their R350 VPU. If there was any doubt that ATI's Radeon 9700Pro still holds the crown over NVIDIA's FX 5800 Ultra, it was cast away by the introduction of this card. Again for the second time, NVIDIA had no answer for ATI's new flagship. The 9800Pro once again cemented their claim to the graphics crown.
A few more months passed and the inevitable happened. All hell broke loose when NVIDIA finally came up with a better and more improved graphics card based on the NV35 GPU, the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra 256mb. NVIDIA knew that this is the one that will redeem their claim to the throne. But ATI was prepared, exactly on the same day the NV35 GPU was released, they came out with an improved version of their 9800Pro sporting a faster clock and more memory using DDR-II, the Radeon 9800Pro 256mb. Interesting that this time, NVIDIA ditched DDR-II while ATI decided to use it for their new card.
Today we will be reviewing not one, not two, but three of ATI's graphics champs that has made their name a household name in every enthusiast and gamer's machine. We will compare them against NVIDIA's current flagship, the FX 5900 Ultra 256mb to see how the Radeons fare against it. Introducing, GigaCube's Radeon KINGS, the Gamebuster 9700Pro, 9800Pro 128mb and 9800Pro 256mb.
Who is Gigacube?
The GigaCube brand was established by Info-Tek Corporation (ITC) earlier this year. Info-Tek is part of the GIGABYTE GROUP which holds a 30% share in ITC. That's why it is not unusual that the GigaCube brand name takes after the name of its parent. Now as far as ITC goes, the company was founded in 1990 and since then has grown rapidly and has become the leading contract electronic manufacturer for global OEM/ODM customers. The company currently have 4 manufacturing factories in Taiwan and China.
They have aggressively expanded ATI's penetration of the European and Asian market by reaching total monthly shipments of 60,000 cards. GigaCube's Game Buster line of graphics cards carries all of ATI's current Radeon series from the mainstream cards to the enthusiast. Today we focus on their high-end cards and find out if GigaCube has got what it takes to join the already fluorishing world of Add In Board (AIB) manufacturers.
Next: The GigaCube Game Buster