Conclusion:
The XGI Volari V8 takes the innovative multimedia features found on the V3XT and adds some muscle to the package. But, as with the V3XT, if you are looking for a serious gaming solution, you have come to the wrong review. The Volari V8 handled itself very well in the benchmarks conducted, and proved itself to be strong competition for the nVidia FX 5500 OC and Radeon 9600 it was pitted against.
For those shopping for a graphics card in the $100 price range, the 256MB XGI Volari V8 is an excellent alternative to anything available from nVidia and ATI. Those considering nVidia cards in the FX 5500 to FX 5700 range, or ATI cards in the 9500 to 9600 range, may be able to save a few dollars, get extra multimedia features, and/or get greater performance by opting to venture out of the mainstream.
I mentioned that the US distribution is just coming online now, but that does not mean the card's availability is too far off in to the future. I couldn't find anything at the major outlets, but some intensive searches found the XGI Volari V8 on some store's websites, although not yet in stock. I am unfamiliar with either of these stores, but I am excited to see US based stores listing these cards already... Beach Audio has it listed for $103.99 and D-Compute has it listed for $94.31!
Taking a look at the XGI Volari V8 for what it is leaves a very positive impression. It performs well, and the short comings in certain areas of performance are more than made up for with the HDTV output and onboard MPEG-2 decoder. The positives have been covered, but there are a few negatives... The first is being taken care of as we speak, and revolves around the general lack of availability in the US. Within the next few weeks the new established distribution network should help these cards find their way to stores, such as the ones referenced above.
Other issues involve the cooling fan being slightly louder than usual, and the restrictions placed on overclocking by the Reactor Drivers. The maximum allowable overclock isn't very high on either the memory or core clock speeds, and the card proved it could handle the top speeds with ease. In addition, the software only allows the overclocked settings to apply to that session of Windows. Once you reboot, you need to remember to crank the speed back up for optimal performance. Something like Power Strip may be desirable for those who want greater performance than the Reactor Driver's will permit, and I am confident there is more power to be squeezed out of this card by doing so.
For performance on par with the perceived competition, innovative multimedia features, and an attractive price tag, I feel the 256MB XGI Volari V8 graphics card deserves a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars... "Readily Recommended".
Final Rating (4.5 out of 5 stars):  
Pros:
• Performance is on par with comparable cards in its price range
• Solid budget gaming card
• Excellent HTPC capabilities:
• Outputs 1080i HDTV
• Hardware MPEG-2 decoder built in
• Hardware DirectX 9 support
• Sharp TV-out image quality
• Competitively priced, under $100 (US)
• Something different
Cons:
• Limited availability (for now)
• Overclocking is limited by software
• Loud cooling fan
Special thanks XGI for providing the 256MB Volari V8 AGP Card to BigBruin.com for review!
Please drop by the BigBruin.Com forum and feel free to discuss this review.
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