Leadtek Tv Tuner

Often the distinction among cards with nVidia GPUs is a small one. Leadtek Research aims to pull ahead with the Leadtek WinFast A250 LE TD MyVIVO, which adds video-in/video-out capabilities to the company's nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4200–based offering. If you're looking for a fast card at a decent price, you can't go far wrong with this model. The solid gaming and entertainment bundle adds value and helps distinguish this model from the rest of the pack.

Driver installation is a simple, one-click process, though it does require a reboot. The CD also lets you install the WinFox taskbar program, which offers quick access to overclocking utilities, a gamma adjustment tool, and a system temperature monitor—though in theory you'll never need to check that. These types of gauges and switches make this card a good choice for overclocking, but neither nVidia nor Leadtek endorses the practice. If you make hardware perform faster than intended, you run the risk of breaking it, and you definitely invalidate the warranty.

On the hardware side, Leadtek includes a VIVO connector, which sends video signals in and out from a single port to simplify cabling. The Chaintech A-GT21 offers a similar feature, and you'll need to install the same nVidia capture drivers. The Leadtek card ships with a video-in/video-out cable to enable the VIVO feature, plus a DVI-to-VGA converter. This lets the computer serve as a personal video recorder or output video signals to a television. There's also a dedicated TV port that works with the Leadtek WinFast Cinema module ($69 list), an external TV tuner.

The gaming bundle is solid, including the full versions of Aquanox, Master Rallye, and Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear: Black Thorn, as well as six demo games. On the graphics front, there's Ulead Video Studio 6 SE and Cool 3D, plus Leadtek's WinFast DVD media player.

In our performance testing, the WinFast had second-place MadOnion 3DMark2001 SE and 3D WinMark scores, and it tied for first place on Jedi Knight II. This kind of performance at this price makes the WinFast a good choice, though it was outpaced by the slightly faster MSI G4Ti4200-VTD64 and Chaintech A-GT21.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.

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