GeCube X1600 Pro

The next card in our HDMI-compliant round-up is the GeCube X1600 Pro.

Sporting an ATI RADEON X1600 VPU, 256MB DDR2 graphics memory (512MB HyperMemory) and also CrossFire-ready, it's a beefier contender than the X1300, offering a better gaming experience. It also has a bigger heatsink to cope with the extra grunt, although it too doesn't require extra power.

Unlike the other two cards in our review, this particular unit doesn't have a HDMI interface. Instead, GeCube have enabled HDCP on the card for HD-DVD and Blu-ray compliance, capable of being transmitted over the DVI interfaces, and a DVI-to-HDMI dongle to connect the card to an HDMI input - up to 1080i.

So it's a bit inaccurate to describe this unit as an HDMI media card - it's really an HDCP gaming card with HDMI capabilities. Because it doesn't have a HDMI interface, it can't handle HDMI video and audio streams - only video. It's also a standard rise card with an S-Video/HDTV interface and two DVI interfaces. Useful for connecting the system to a TV and monitor, for example.

The card comes bundled with the DVI-to-HDMI adaptor, DVI-to-RGB adaptor, HDTV cable, S-Video-to-S-Video/Video cable, HDMI-to-HDMI cable, user manual and driver CD.