SPARKLE Computer Co Ltd, professional manufacturer and supplier of VGA cards and recent winner of the "Neowin Choice" Award for their excellent GeforceFX 5900XT; is delighted to announce two new products imminently arriving into the UK.
"The Sparkle GeForce FX 5500 offers a cinematic graphics package delivering faster speeds for the mainstream user at an attractive performance price ratio. This card has an estimated arrival time in the UK for distribution around mid March 2004".
"The SPARKLE GeForce FX 5700 LE, is a perfect, good value solution for next generation gaming, and will be a replacement for the 5600 XT, it is expected to arrive for distribution in April 2004". The press release reads.
Interestingly it concludes with "It is believed that these two products will be the last new arrivals before the much anticipated PCI Express series".
So this looks like the end of the line for the FX series, although [AGP] stocks will continue to flow until the majority of end users migrate to the latest motherboard standards of 64bit CPU's, SATA and PCI Express.
View: Sparkle Home page
"The Sparkle GeForce FX 5500 offers a cinematic graphics package delivering faster speeds for the mainstream user at an attractive performance price ratio. This card has an estimated arrival time in the UK for distribution around mid March 2004".
"The SPARKLE GeForce FX 5700 LE, is a perfect, good value solution for next generation gaming, and will be a replacement for the 5600 XT, it is expected to arrive for distribution in April 2004". The press release reads.
Interestingly it concludes with "It is believed that these two products will be the last new arrivals before the much anticipated PCI Express series".
So this looks like the end of the line for the FX series, although [AGP] stocks will continue to flow until the majority of end users migrate to the latest motherboard standards of 64bit CPU's, SATA and PCI Express.
As with all products in the UK, these cards will come with the Sparkle end user warranty.

the 9800XT really only beats it's contender in 2-5 tests. (Geforce FX 5950)
i have 9800XT and it runs fine, so does the 5950.
Just because the FX5800 Ultra wasnt the greatest thing in the world doesnt mean that nVidia is gone... infact the GeForce FX 5700 Ultra is a really great contendor to the 9600Pro/XT
The R400 is going to be what? £400/$500?? The FX 5500 and 5700LE are what? £100/$100..... see??
They are aimed at completley different markets, they are underclocked so they are CHEAPER. No one loses when there are a LOT of cards to choose from. They are just getting the most complete line of cards to cater for the needs of as many users as they can.
but ATI gfx>nVidia gfx
They may have PCI-Express versions sure but they are simply AGP cards adapted for the new port... as in NO performance gains. Not to mention the fact that AGP wont die this quickly, AGP8x's bandwidth has not even been fully used yet.
If PCI express starts shipping this year that means only a handful of the market will have PCI express inside their machines. Any graphics card 3rd-party commiting to PCI-express only are quite simply, idiots.
PCI-Express is not the next BIG THING. It's just another small step that will take years to be actually put to good use other than making PC adverts sound nice. Sounds to me like the XP launch all over again, which was going to 'revive' PC's and get people buying them. Well the world has seen PCI-Express and gone "Yeah, looks nice...next?" so if they think everyone is going to rush out and buy new boards/computers so they can get PCI-express they must take us for bigger fools than we thought.
At least the people in the know will get a few bargains when prices drop.
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