ATI All-in-Wonder X800 XT

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Although the AIW X800 XT's surprisingly low price encourages enthusiasm, we still have several reservations about the product, particularly for home theater PC applications. Our biggest issues are with Multimedia Center, which lacks an EAZYLOOK program guide and silent background recording. The omission of silent background recording borders is inexcusable for a serious home theater PC, and it's something we've griped about in previous All-in-Wonder reviews. An X800 XT might be overkill for most home theater PCs, anyway, especially since the GPU's impressive pixel pushing-power doesn't seem to lower CPU utilization dramatically during live TV or video capture. The X800 XT GPU also requires active cooling, and with a noise level of 55 decibels on a nearly silent open test system, this All-in-Wonder's a little too loud for the living room.

While it's less than ideal for home theater PCs, the All-in-Wonder X800 XT is an excellent desktop card for those looking to combine proven 3D performance with multimedia and video capture capabilities. The lack of silent background recording is still frustrating, but Multimedia Center's fine for casual TV viewing and occasional recording. The Remote Wonder II is phenomenal, too, and there's nothing preventing users from separating it from the All-in-Wonder and using it with a more appropriate home theater PC