FIC Radeon 9600 Pro - Conclusion
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FIC A96P Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB
Conclusion
The FIC Radeon 9600 Pro is a solid performer, no doubt. But the burning question is, does it take the "mainstream performance" crown? Before we answer that question.. lets go over the 9500 series. ATI really shot itself in the foot with the release of the 9500np simply being a downgraded 9700. After realizing their mistake, ATI wanted with the 9600, to release a truly crippled video card, and simply bump up the core and memory clock to attempt to replace the 9500's position in the graphics industry without undermining ATI's more expensive 9700 and 9800 series. ATI undeniably put itself in a difficult position, and their aim with the 9600, although a longshot, was the best solution they could come up with.
Was ATI successful in replacing the 9500? Is the 9600 really ATI's mainstream performance graphics card? Well, I'd have to say yes and no. No because you can still buy a 9500np today, for cheaper than a 9600 Pro, and have a moderate chance of unlocking four extra pixel pipelines and getting incredible performance for an insanely cheap price. Given the choice between a 9500np and 9600 Pro, I think most people would choose the 9500. ATI hasn't been able to convince customers to choose the 9600 over the 9500. However, ATI was successful in creating an entirely new GPU on a whole new 130 nm process. ATI wanted to create a new middle-end graphics card, and they did so successfully with the 9600. It performs right between the 9200 and 9800 like a middle-end graphics card is supposed to. So the customer doesn't get a 9700 for the price of a 9500. Does the 9600 have the potential to undermine the more expensive, high-end cards like the 9500 could? Considering the top 3DMark01 score on the ORB for the 9600 is only 15043, I think not. Which is good for ATI, but bad for us.
Ok.. so ATI has been successful in creating a new middle-end graphics card, the 9600 series, but hasn't really been able to convince enthusiasts to choose it over the 9500. How about convincing people to choose it over something from that other company, nVidia?
The FX5600 tested today was clocked at 325/225. It was basically whipped by the R9600 Pro, clocked at 400/300. The FX5600 Ultra, is clocked at 350/350. A 50MHz drop in core, but 50MHz gain in memory clock in comparison to the R9600 Pro. Since both cards utilize a 128-bit memory bus, and only four pixel pipelines, aside from rendering efficiency, the two cards can be compared simply by clock speed somewhat accurately. Thus, I would hypothesize that the two cards, R9600 Pro and FX5600 Ultra, perform nearly neck to neck. And since they cost about the same, the final purchase decision made by you, the buyer, is really all up to personal preference.
Personal preference.. and that's where companies like FIC kick in. They take a product (whether ATI or nVidia), somehow make these products more appealing, and then sell it under their own name. FIC has taken the no frills, simplicity, quality, and high performance approach. If this is what you're interested in, then look no further, an FIC card is what you want.
Back to the focus of this review; the FIC Radeon 9600 Pro. Is it the right "middle-end" graphics card for you? The expectations of a "middle-end" graphics GPU has evolved quite a bit by now. Who would have ever thought that $140's would get you the power needed to run at high resolutions or use 4x AA smoothly? As seen today, the Ti4280 puts up quite a fight versus the R9600 Pro. You can expect a GF4 Ti 4400 or 4600 to beat the R9600 Pro when AA/AF is disabled. However, AA/AF performance ought to be much more important than 30-40 extra frames in UT2K3, or an extra 4000 points in 3DMark01, which puts the R9600 Pro above the GF4 Ti series. And overall, the AA/AF performance of the Radeon 9600 Pro is truly remarkable. That is what I think is its best quality.
For the majority of you, I say this. Still running a DX8 card? Want AA/AF to run smoothly without breaking your wallet? Got $140 to blow? Hesitate no longer to upgrade. If you're daring, try the 9500np and you might be able to unlock four free pixel pipelines. Otherwise, rest assured, the FIC 9600 Pro will get you what you need.
Pros
Best of both worlds; close to budget price yet close to high-end performance and features
ATI's first 130nm design generates very little heat
Uses excellent Samsung BGA 2.8ns memory
For the above two reasons, overclocks well
No extra silly molex power requirements
S-Video extension cable, RCA extension cable, S-Video to RCA converter, DVI to VGA converter, all included
Cons
That last con can't really be considered a con since you can't go blaming ATI or FIC for not selling a relabeled 9700 or 9800. For similar reasons, just because there are 9500nps out there, doesn't mean the R9600 Pro is of any lesser value. I have absolutely no hesitation in giving the FIC Radeon 9600 Pro the OCA Recommended Award. The card happily resides in my one and only box, and I see no reason to upgrade any time soon.
I would like to personally thank FIC today for their Radeon 9600 Pro. I enjoy trying my best to give you readers the inside deal on products, and it simply would not be possible without the awesome hardware manufacturers and vendors we have today, willing to help out the community. If you have any questions about this article feel free to shoot me an email. Otherwise, go back to the home page and find some more GooSH!™ to read or kick back and relax in the OCA Forums!
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