It <i>did</i> but I think I read quite recently they are going to stop doing it since HL2 has been delayed so long. I'll look it up. Give me a minute...
EDIT: OK. A google search brought up a lot of information. It appears that some companies have taken it off but not all. I can't be 100% sure.
Well according to the ATI website thier still shipping em as long as supplies last.
Yer i know its not the sapphire card card but it is a 9800XT,
Me personally i would just wait PCI Express is due out at some point this year making AGP useless, the NV50-60 (not sure which) is also due out in april time, its meant to be at least 4X more powerfull then the 5900 card.
So this year sounds good for PC users (if you got the money).
For thoese that have not heard of PCI Express (maybe 1% of forum members <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->) heres a quote from ATIs website.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->PCI Express? will dominate new PCs
2004 will mark the most significant update to PC architecture in the past decade. This is the year when the new PCI Express? architecture will arrive on the market to replace the AGP and PCI standards. Already one application - HDTV video editing - requires PCI Express, and there will certainly be others in the near future, including PC gaming .
ATI is at the forefront of this wave of innovation by being the first graphics provider to demonstrate a live-running PCI Express graphics solution.
ATI is supplying true PCI Express cards
ATI?s video processors have a native, or ?true? PCI Express interface. They can communicate directly with the PCI Express bus at PCI Express speeds.
Other graphics companies have cards that are compatible with PCI Express, but they are still only AGP cards that are ?bridged? by a second chip to be physically compatible with PCI Express slots on the motherboard. This architecture can only work at AGP speeds, and is more vulnerable to failure, performance bottlenecks and incompatibility with software applications.
Multiple Benefits of ATI?s True PCI Express Solution
ATI?s PCI Express design provides up to double the bandwidth of bridged PCI Express solutions. Full bandwidth is available in both upstream and downstream directions, whereas bridged PCI Express (AGP) provides only unidirectional bandwidth.
Better reliability There are fewer failure points with native one-chip ATI PCI Express due to the smaller number of physical connections, which lowers the time delay between when data is requested and when it is delivered. This also translates into more robust error correction and recovery than bridged PCI Express.
Better power management The serial bus with the reduced pin structure of the ATI native PCI Express architecture reduces the number of signals required, supporting lower power consumption and PCI Express's low-power idle states. Notebook users will find this feature of particular importance.
More cost efficient Unlike the bridged chip, the native one-chip design of new ATI PCI Express graphics processors will be brought on stream without significant incremental system cost. ATI PCI Express Demonstration ATI is being joined by Intel? and Pinnacle? Systems to demonstrate High Definition (HD) video editing on a PC at Intel Developer?s Forum in San Francisco the week of February 17th, 2004. Made possible by PCI Express?s high speed data transfers, the demonstration has to use the industry?s only true PCI Express visual processing unit (VPU). ATI?s PCI Express VPU, in conjunction with the advanced real time HD engine being developed by Pinnacle, takes advantage of the new read and write capabilities offered by PCI Express.
The future is here, stay tuned to see it first with ATI.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Jasp+Feb 26 2004, 02:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Jasp @ Feb 26 2004, 02:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> So this year sounds good for PC users (if you got the money). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> yeah and I've been saving <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I had already ordered the card when i asked the question, me father is paying for the card so it doesn't really matter. I was just curious. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
It should, as long as you make sure you do NOT buy the "lite" retail version. What you're looking for is the full retail one (I'm not sure what they call it, but the package without "lite" somewhere in it should contain additional software, including H-L 2).
how so? I believe they make most of the ati branded cards as well <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I have a sapphire 9500 and I've not had any problems whatsoever with it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Everything I've heard points to there no longer being coupons available. If its a website you're buying from, they probably just haven't updated their database. If you go to a store I don't think any of them have the offer anymore (I heard they just put a sticker on the box to cover it up).
But look on the bright side. Now you can buy HL2 the day it comes out rather than having to wait 4-6 weeks till its shipped to you.
just wait a couple years or so for it to make a difference <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-nightdragon+Feb 26 2004, 05:26 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (nightdragon @ Feb 26 2004, 05:26 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> It should come with one yes assuming its the full retail.
But dude sapphire sucks <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Sorry dude, Sapphire makes the best Radeon 9800 cards, as far as i know. At least the Sapphire card i am getting comes best out in all tests.
I think he means the fan that comes with them sucks. Don't worry, most companies give out a **** fan anyway.Just get a Zalman heatspreader silent thingy of dume <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Comments
EDIT: OK. A google search brought up a lot of information. It appears that some companies have taken it off but not all. I can't be 100% sure.
Well according to the ATI website thier still shipping em as long as supplies last.
Yer i know its not the sapphire card card but it is a 9800XT,
Me personally i would just wait PCI Express is due out at some point this year making AGP useless, the NV50-60 (not sure which) is also due out in april time, its meant to be at least 4X more powerfull then the 5900 card.
So this year sounds good for PC users (if you got the money).
For thoese that have not heard of PCI Express (maybe 1% of forum members <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->) heres a quote from ATIs website.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->PCI Express? will dominate new PCs
2004 will mark the most significant update to PC architecture in the past decade. This is the year when the new PCI Express? architecture will arrive on the market to replace the AGP and PCI standards. Already one application - HDTV video editing - requires PCI Express, and there will certainly be others in the near future, including PC gaming .
ATI is at the forefront of this wave of innovation by being the first graphics provider to demonstrate a live-running PCI Express graphics solution.
ATI is supplying true PCI Express cards
ATI?s video processors have a native, or ?true? PCI Express interface. They can communicate directly with the PCI Express bus at PCI Express speeds.
Other graphics companies have cards that are compatible with PCI Express, but they are still only AGP cards that are ?bridged? by a second chip to be physically compatible with PCI Express slots on the motherboard. This architecture can only work at AGP speeds, and is more vulnerable to failure, performance bottlenecks and incompatibility with software applications.
Multiple Benefits of ATI?s True PCI Express Solution
ATI?s PCI Express design provides up to double the bandwidth of bridged PCI Express solutions. Full bandwidth is available in both upstream and downstream directions, whereas bridged PCI Express (AGP) provides only unidirectional bandwidth.
Better reliability
There are fewer failure points with native one-chip ATI PCI Express due to the smaller number of physical connections, which lowers the time delay between when data is requested and when it is delivered. This also translates into more robust error correction and recovery than bridged PCI Express.
Better power management
The serial bus with the reduced pin structure of the ATI native PCI Express architecture reduces the number of signals required, supporting lower power consumption and PCI Express's low-power idle states.
Notebook users will find this feature of particular importance.
More cost efficient
Unlike the bridged chip, the native one-chip design of new ATI PCI Express graphics processors will be brought on stream without significant incremental system cost.
ATI PCI Express Demonstration
ATI is being joined by Intel? and Pinnacle? Systems to demonstrate High Definition (HD) video editing on a PC at Intel Developer?s Forum in San Francisco the week of February 17th, 2004.
Made possible by PCI Express?s high speed data transfers, the demonstration has to use the industry?s only true PCI Express visual processing unit (VPU). ATI?s PCI Express VPU, in conjunction with the advanced real time HD engine being developed by Pinnacle, takes advantage of the new read and write capabilities offered by PCI Express.
The future is here, stay tuned to see it first with ATI.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
yeah and I've been saving <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
that was from a UK surplyer. www.overclockers.co.uk
But dude sapphire sucks
I have a sapphire 9500 and I've not had any problems whatsoever with it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
(expires January 1st, 2004)
But look on the bright side. Now you can buy HL2 the day it comes out rather than having to wait 4-6 weeks till its shipped to you.
~ DarkATi
But dude sapphire sucks <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sorry dude, Sapphire makes the best Radeon 9800 cards, as far as i know.
At least the Sapphire card i am getting comes best out in all tests.
/me is happy