Cool Mac Gear

ATI Technologies Inc. today introduced the RADEON 8500 MAC EDITION graphics board, based on ATI's feature-rich and innovative RADEON 8500 GPU (graphics processing unit), and the 7000 MAC EDITION, a mainstream graphics solution for Apple users featuring dual display support and hardware acceleration for Mac OS X.

The RADEON 8500 retail graphics board for the Mac platform, featuring a core clock speed of 250 MHz and a memory clock speed of 275 MHz, as well as 64 MB of DDR memory, will power users through graphics intensive business applications or the most challenging games on the market. The RADEON 8500 Mac Edition delivers up to 25 percent higher performance than the nearest competitive product (based on internal Quake 3 benchmarks comparing RADEON 8500 Mac Edition and Nvidia GeForce 3, using identically configured Power Mac G4 800DP systems running Mac OS X version 10.1.2 at 1600x1200 resolution). Available in February, it has a suggested retail price of (US) $299.

"The RADEON 8500 MAC EDITION delivers a new standard of performance, functionality and visual quality for Macintosh gaming and 3D design," said Stan Ossias, Product Manager, Mac Products, Desktop Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. "Not only will the RADEON 8500 MAC EDITION offer an unbelievable gaming experience, but the new technologies in this GPU, bring new features and functions into the professional space as well."

The RADEON 8500 MAC EDITION brings many experience-enhancing technologies to the Macintosh platform such as:

• TRUFORM, ATI's innovative rendering technology that helps deliver smooth and natural 3D images in a performance-efficient manner;
• SMOOTHVISION, ATI's FSAA (Full Scene Anti-Aliasing) technology, designed to minimize jagged edges and smooth images;
• SMARTSHADER, ATI's advanced programmable pixel and vertex shader technology is also enabled in the GPU's hardware, allowing for more complex and realistic texture and lighting effects without sacrificing performance;
• HYPER Z II, a next-generation memory bandwidth saving technology that boosts rendering performance by 20 percent;
• CHARISMA ENGINE II, which supports transform, clipping and lighting (T & L) at 62.5 million triangles/second peak processing capability;
• PIXEL TAPESTRY II, the RADEON 8500's 3D rendering engine, which uses four rendering pipelines to process an incredible 2 gigatexels per second for incredibly high fill rates in 32-bit color at high resolutions; and
• VIDEO IMMERSION II, a second-generation technology that enables integration of industry-leading digital video features, including DVD (digital versatile disc) video playback and advanced de-interlacing algorithms for unprecedented video quality.

The AGP card, which is compatible with both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, is an ideal replacement for older, factory-installed graphics cards in Power Mac computers. It also features multiple display capability, supporting a variety of combinations of output through DVI-I, VGA and TV-out connectors.

The RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION is ideally suited to users with older Power Mac systems wishing to increase their display real estate, update their graphics capability or increase their overall system performance. It also enables newer, AGP-based Power Mac owners to add one or more displays to their systems using one of the available PCI slots.

Featuring 32MB of DDR memory and ATI's PIXEL TAPESTRY and HYPER Z technologies, the RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION delivers excellent 2D and 3D performance. Additional ATI features such as VIDEO IMMERSION and hardware acceleration of OpenGL and QuickTime under Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, ensure that the RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION delivers excellent value for its price range, and meets the evolving needs of the mainstream PCI Mac market.

"The powerful 3D performance and flexible dual-display support that characterize the RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION make this an excellent graphics hardware choice for Mac users who are looking for proven and reliable technology at an attractive price point," said Stan Ossias, Product Manager, Mac Products, Desktop Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. "The product's multiple display capability supports a variety of combinations of output through DVI-I, VGA and TV-out connectors."

FSAA (Full Scene Anti-Aliasing) technology, designed to minimize jagged edges and smooth images, is also enabled on this and other RADEON MAC EDITION products, bringing a high-end feature into this segment.

The RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION is ideal for mainstream Mac users, both at work and at home. For business users, RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION delivers exceptional 2D graphics and productivity benefits. For the home, RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION delivers solid 3D performance, integrated TV-out and ATI's VIDEO IMMERSION technology for industry-leading DVD playback. RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION supports both Mac OS 9 and OS X.

With a manufacturers' suggested retail price of (US) $129, the RADEON 7000 MAC EDITION graphics card offers more features and value than any other graphics card in its price range. It will begin shipping today to distributors and retailers and will be on shelves next week.

For more information, visit ATI's website (Mac specific details have not been posted at press time). Macworld Expo San Francisco attendees can check out the new products at booth 627.