[H]ardNews 2nd Edition

AOpen AK77-600 Max:

In our first edition today we featured all Intel based mainboards, so how about a little AMD action this time around? The AOpen AK77-600 Max is reviewed by PCStats today, putting this VIA based board through the wringer. Let’s see how the board held up.

If you're not a hardcore gamer and want a motherboard which offers excellent flexibility then the AOpen AK77-600 Max is a great option, and at a very enticing price.

Radeon 9600Pro Overclocking:

Got a Radeon 9600Pro with an inferiority complex? Overclock the damn thing! Well, that’s what we would do…then again, that is our approach to everything around here.

After sifting my way though the nearly infinite choice of current generation video cards, I arrived at the Radeon 9600 Pro from ATI. The 9600P is considered a mid-range rendering solution, just as when I purchased the GTS a couple of years ago. As with many consumers, I wanted to check out today's advanced filtering and anti-aliasing technologies to bring out the best in my old games, plus have enough power to enjoy current games at mid-range resolutions.

ATi Radeon Tweak Guide:

O.K., so you overclocked your Radeon 9600Pro….now tweak it! This guide applies to all Radeon 9x00 cards, not just the Radeon 9600Pro.

We will start by covering basic troubleshooting steps and general settings, then in the next few pages we will extend onto more specific Direct3D & OpenGL settings, performance comparison between settings and image quality shots to showcase differences in better detail.