GeCube GC-X1900XTXD-VIE3
Board
GeCube have built a good reputation as an ATI AIB partner via low-cost products that don't push the boat out and high-end boards that do. The GC-X1900XTXD-VIE3 is an amalgam of both. Very high end, just by virtue of being a Radeon X1900 XTX, but without the frills of one of their Uniwise products and with a bundle that won't keep you awake at night.
Look familiar? Yeah, they all will if you've had a look at a Radeon X1900 XTX before as we did back at launch. The dual-slot cooler is a bit loud for our liking (as we've said many times) but there's no doubting the cooler is effective. It actively cools both R580 GPU and full compliment of eight Samsung 1.1ns GDDR3 DRAMs using a large, skived, multi-fin copper mass and a big blower-style fan. Air is pulled across the passively cooled FET bank, through the heatsink and then exhausted out of your case by the blower.
The card runs at reference clocks (650/775), supports dual dual-DVI outputs and VIVO via a Rage Theater 200 IC (out of sight under the cooler) and requires 6-pin auxiliary power from your PSU.
Presentation and Bundle
Ruby doesn't look happy. The facts that X1900 XTX supports Microsoft DirectX Shader Model 3.0 and ATI's AVIVO display technology are well advertised and it's usual GeCube presentation fare.
Bundle wise you get cabling to the tune of component output, S-Video, VIVO I/O and composite video, and a pair of DVI-to-VGA adaptors should you need to drive an analogue display.
Software wise you get Cyberlink's PowerDVD 6, a copy of Delta Force Xtreme (decent game), a driver CD (anyone use the on-CD drivers any more?) and PowerDirector 2.5 (for the VIVO).
