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AMD's ATI Directx10-capable Radeon HD 2000 graphics processor is finally available, after over a six-month delay. While we are just only getting ready to test it, here is what to look out for : Directx10 capable means games will hopefully look and run better when developers use the API for next-generation games–yes, Nvidia cards have offered this capability for several months already. But stuff like extended pipelines, a 512-bit memory bus, enhanced shaders, and other features should lend themselves in the immediate to faster, clearer, and sharper gaming. A high-end version of the card for $400 price will seem like a lot for those who don't regularly attend LAN parties or pay over $4,000 for a gaming PC, but it is actually cheaper than Nvidia's competing 8800 GTS.
For laptops, the mobile version of the GPU assumes many CPU decoding tasks, which means your DVDs will play longer on a PC battery charge, AMD says.
Stay tuned for our review.
