ATI's Radeon X1950 Pro graphics card

SINCE LATE AUGUST, we've been first-person witnesses to the fall parade of video cards. Personally, I've reviewed so many video cards that I'm having trouble separating a GeForce from a Radeon, let alone a GT from a GS or a Pro from, er, an amateur.

Fortunately, the new product ATI is unveiling today brings with it good news in several forms: the Radeon X1950 Pro is a strong new contender at the value-oriented $199 price point, and it's based on a brand-new mid-range GPU. ATI hasn't had the best of luck with mid-range graphics processors, but it looks like that's about to change. What's more, this new graphics processor at long last incorporates CrossFire capability directly into the GPU. Gone are the external dongles and proprietary CrossFire Edition graphics cards, replaced by simple, SLI-like bridge connectors between the cards.

Sounds nice, doesn't it? But is the Radeon X1950 Pro's formula sufficient to challenge the excellent GeForce 7900 GS at $199? Let's take a look.