Radeon 9600

While Nvidia's entire current DX9 range is based on a 0.13 micron process out of TSMC, ATI initially stuck to the tried and tested path of 0.15 micron, and so far it has done quite well from that choice. Of course that move has to be made eventually and its competitor has finally proven a transition viable with such complex silicon, ATI is now trying their hand with the 9600. Effectively a 0.13 micron version of the four-pipeline 9500 Pro, the new chip will run both faster and cooler than its predecessor and will also feature the SmartShader 2.1 and SmoothVision 2.1 enhancements.

Two flavours of boards, a standard and Pro edition, both with 128MB, are expected in late May, pricing is expected to be similar to that of the Radeon 9500 on its entry to the market thanks to the reduced cost of a smaller, simpler die.

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Contents

1. Intro
2. Radeon 9800
3. Radeon 9600
4. Benchmarks