Conclusion

Speaking in general, the RADEON X1300 PRO is a pretty fine performer for a casual user. Sometimes it is a bit faster than the RADEON X700, sometimes it is a bit slower, but in addition it brings Avivo video engine. For 3D gamer, the problem for the part is that at $149 price-point it will not compete against the RADEON X700, but against the RADEON X800 GT and the GeForce 6600 GT that both radically outperform even the RADEON X700 PRO in absolute majority of games.

Provided that the price is right for a 3D gaming enthusiast, e.g., the RADEON X1300 PRO costs the same, or a bit more, amount of money as the GeForce 6600 and the RADEON X700, the part is an incredible performer – it beats the predecessor and competitor in almost all benchmarks save for Doom III and Chronicles of Riddick games. But given that the RADEON X1300 PRO 256MB costs the same amount of money than a more powerful RADEON X800 GT, the part is unlikely to become popular among games shortly.

Video enthusiasts may find Avivo video engine an interesting option and get the RADEON X1300 PRO just because of improved video image quality and H.264 hardware decoding. Furthermore, some future proof in terms of video processing may appeal to people who acquire computers for educational purposes or for kids, who are definitely looking forward new generation movies on HD DVD or Blu-ray discs.

To sum it up, the RADEON X1300 PRO at this point and at $149 price-point is definitely not the best option for gamers. However, for casual users, who are more interested in, for example, video editing, the model X1300 PRO may be a fine choice.

Highs:

• Avivo video engine and hardware H.264 and other HD formats, such as HD WMV decoding;
• Low microprocessor utilization when playing media;
• Sufficient performance in popular games and some additional features for the future, such as Shader Model 3.0;
• Quality anisotropic filtering support;
• Low power consumption.

Lows:

• Noisy cooling system;
• Outperformed by products from the same price category virtually in all games;
• Drivers may require polishing off;
• Possibly overpriced;
• Not completely clear time-to-market.