Labs

ATi's latest card is a mid-range offering, with the Sapphire version weighing in at £145. This puts it at the top end of the category, but it still costs a lot less than the cheapest high-end cards.

For the extra money over cards like the GeForce 7600 GT, you get a feature uncommon in this price category: VIVO (video in, video out) for capturing video from analogue sources. A cable is included with S-Video and composite inputs (as well as corresponding outputs), which adds an extra dimension on top of the GTO's gaming ability.

And that gaming ability is a force to be reckoned with, as demonstrated by its scores at 1,280 x 1,024. It averaged a decent 36fps in Far Cry, slightly behind the similarly performing 7600 GT. But like many of the ATi

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cards, it handled Call of Duty 2 better than its Nvidia rival, achieving 31fps, while the GT had to make do with 26fps.

This edge is eroded as the detail settings and resolution are ramped up. At 1,600 x 1,200, the two cards' averages across both games were almost identical, with results of around 18fps in Call of Duty 2 and 25fps in Far Cry. Overall, there's little to choose between the two - the conclusion is that the GTO handles texture-intensive games marginally better.

But as the 7600 GT costs £36 less, the GTO must excel in other areas to justify your outlay. Sapphire's bundle is respectable: in the box you get CyberLink PowerDVD 6 and PowerDirector 4, plus two codes to unlock full games including Richard Burns Rally and Tony Hawk's Underground 2. S-Video and composite cables are supplied, as well as the VIVO adapter, and there are two dual-link DVI ports for digital outputs. Plus, there's a component output cable to cover every eventuality.

If gaming is your only concern, the 7600 GT is the clear choice. With such similar performance to the GTO, the minimal bundle is an easy compromise for the significant saving. On the other hand, if you need to capture plenty of video from analogue sources, the VIVO capability should be enough to justify the £145 price, and the software bundle becomes the icing on the cake.