ATI Technologies today launched two new visual processors with DirectX 9.0 support and an improved version of DirectX 8.1 supporting chip, targeted on different market segments. The RADEON 9800 PRO is the fastest consumer’s graphics processor to win the hearts of hardcore gamers everywhere, while the RADEON 9600 series delivers high-end features and performance with price tags that appeal to the broader market. The RADEON 9200 series is targeted on value market segment.

We told you quite a lot about the RADEON 9800 PRO and non-PRO graphics products, though, as it always happens, core and memory clocks were changed on the home stretch. The architecture, of course, remained untouched, just like we informed you, and now we still see a VPU with 8 rendering pipelines, 256-bit (64bit x4) memory controller, dual 400MHz RAMDAC, 165MHz TMDS transmitter, integrated TV-out controller (up to 1024x768) and HYDRAVISION technology support. RADEON 9800 PRO retail graphics cards will be clocked at 380/680MHz for VPU and memory, while the RADEON 9800 will probably run at 325/620MHz; there is also a slight possibility that ATI may launch even faster RADEON 9800 powered solutions in April this year. With the RADEON 9800 series ATI brings us more efficient architecture, including SMOOTHVISION 2.1 and SMARTSHADER 2.1 technologies. Read more about the RADEON 9800 in our news-story here. According to reviews all around the web, the RADEON 9800 PRO is significantly faster than NVIDIA’s GeForce FX 5800 Ultra, especially in complex applications with anisotropic filtering and FSAA enabled.

ATI’s RADEON 9600 and 9600 PRO is non-other, but a bit improved and manufactured using 0.13 micron technology RADEON 9500 VPU. Both support DirectX 9.0, have 4 rendering pipelines, more efficient micro architecture and so on The RADEON 9600 PRO will work at 400/600MHz for core and DDR SDRAM memory. The non-PRO solution will boast with 325/400MHz core-clocks.

RADEON 9200 is also something we know well: the RADEON 9000, but now with AGP 8x support. No word about performance and price, but it is likely that the price will not be too high.

ATI and its board partners, which include Connect3D, FIC, Gigabyte, Hercules, Hightech, PowerColor, Sapphire, Tyan, Visiontek, Wistron and YUAN, will announce and ship products based on RADEON 9800, RADEON 9600 and RADEON 9200 technologies starting this month.

Also see the following news-stories:

- ATI’s R350 Details Appeared on the Web. ATI RADEON 9800 to be Launched Tomorrow
- ATI’s R350 and RV350 are Just Around the Corner?
- ATI’s R350 is In Mass Production Now!
- ATI to Show No Mercy for NVIDIA in Spring
- UMC to Manufacture ATI’s RV280 Graphics Chips

ATI RADEON 9800 PRO reviews:

- AnandTech Review
- Tom's Hardware Review
- ExtremeTech Review
- Hexus Review
- TechReport Review