Package and Accessories

Like other products from ASUS tested in our labs earlier, the Extreme AX600 XT/HTVD came to us in its retail package. The size of the box is smaller compared to the boxes cards of the X800 family are shipping in, but the style remains the same: the company’s name in bold test on the left and a colorful picture on the right.

You see the same girl who embellishes the boxes of ASUS AX800 PRO and AX800 XT graphics cards we’ve already tested. We guess this rather small and flat box made of robust cardboard is easier to transport than those gigantic packages ASUS’ top-end graphics cards are shipped in. And it’s not very comfortable to walk in the street with a big and colorful box that’s drawing the inquisitive looks from all the passers-by.

The back side of the package is informative enough, describing the product’s capabilities and enumerating the enclosed cables and adapters. Thus, you won’t have to open the box up to check out what accessories you are receiving with the card.

The box itself has three compartments inside, one of which stores a round orange case with compact-discs. On the right, nestled in soft porous material, there lies the graphics card itself. The bottom compartment contains cables and adapters:

• DVI-I-to-D-Sub adapter;
• YPbPr adapter;
• VIVO switch unit.

Besides that, the box also contains a quick installation guide and two CDs in paper envelopes. One CD contains a bundle of drivers and utilities from ASUS; the other stores a full copy of the user manual in several languages. That’s quite right, as few people ever read the full manual through, while the brief installation guide is informative enough for any user to get the installation done.

The orange plastic box, enclosed with the majority of ASUS’ graphics cards and well-known to you by our earlier reports, includes the following discs:

• CD with ASUSDVD player;
• CD with ASUS PowerDirector 3DE;
• CD with CyberLink MediaShow SE 2.0;
• CD with Ulead Cool 3D SE 2.0 and Photo Express SE 4.0;
• 2 CDs with Deus Ex: Invisible War.

Considering the support of the VIVO functions by the Extreme AX600 XT/HTVD, its accessories seem sufficient. Well, all graphics cards from ASUS we’ve ever had a chance to test boasted excellent accessories, so the company just keeps up the good tradition.

ASUS’ exclusive technologies like GameFace Live, VideoSecurity Online, OnScreenDisplay, SmartDoctor and SmartCooling are fully supported. For details about them you can refer to the following reviews:

• ASUS V9950 Graphics Card Review
• ASUS RADEON 9800 XT and LeadTek WinFast A380 TDH Ultra: The Battle for AquaMark3
• ASUS AX800 PRO/TD Graphics Card Review
• ASUS V9999 Gamer Edition Graphics Card Review.

 The only technology we haven’t yet encountered is called HyperDrive and it is in fact an analog of ATI’s Catalyst Overdrive. ASUS’ HyperDrive looks preferable to the dynamic overclocking technology from ATI as it offers three modes: 3D Game Mode, CPU Usage Mode and Temperature Mode.

In the first mode the GPU frequency is adjusted depending on the running application. If it is a 3D application, HyperDrive automatically steps up the GPU clock rate (you have to install ASUS’ exclusive driver to use this mode). The second mode, CPU Usage, is rather an odd one as it increases the GPU clock rate when the CPU load is high. However, a growth of the CPU load is not always provoked by 3D applications, so the increase of the GPU clock rate may be futile and may even affect the stability of the system at large. The third mode can be called “sparing” as the GPU clock rate is reduced after the core temperature reaches a definite threshold value.

Unlike Catalyst Overdrive, the HyperDrive technology allows the user to choose the overclocking limit manually. The default frequency gain is 13MHz, but you can adjust it to either side. Overall, ASUS’ HyperDrive technology isn’t anything new or especially necessary, but its very presence shows that the company’s trying to be up to the mark in every respect – and succeeds!