For every new chip design comes a fleet of new products. The launch of ATI's 5000 series powerhouses is already becoming old news. In the wake of leading edge technology there is always a turbulent sea of opportunity both for chip makers, partners and consumers. The turbulence there is caused by mid-range and budget products developed on new technology competing with high-end and mid-range products from past generations. One card released in this wild market is PowerColor's PCS+ HD 5550. The HD 5550 is based on the same "Redwood" GPU as ATI's mid-range 5670. While the 5550 was released by ATI as a low end form factor card, PowerColor model AX5550 512MD5-PP has beefed up the clock, memory, board and cooler to put some power into something most of us can afford.