3D Mark 2001

The lower clockrates of the AIW 7500 shows only marginal drawback in 3D Mark 2001 compared to the normal card.

Conclusion

The "little" All-in-Wonder card is meant to be one thing before all others - $200 cheaper than its bigger sibling. Let me qualify that statement to put it in perspective. While it does deliver on the lower price, this remains the card's only real advantage over the 8500 DV. Not only does the AIW 7500 lack a firewire port, but its 3D performance is also markedly lower than that of the bigger model. And yet, the competition's GeForce2 MX based "Personal Cinema" solutions (for example, the Visiontek "XTASY Everything 5564" for $180, V I S I O N T E K ) still rank at least a class below the ATi card, in performance as well as in features.

For everyday use, the conventional TV-tuner isn't the disadvantage it initially seems to be. Quite the opposite; it runs a lot cooler than that of the 8500 DV. In this respect, at least, the AIW 7500 is the better choice. Still, all things considered, the RADEON 8500 DV retains the title of optimal multimedia board hands-down, leaving the AIW 7500 to play the role of the bargain model.