Need help deciding on new hardware...

[TheDarkHorizon]

Originally I planned on getting a Matrox G550 to replace my G400 SH (since I'm not planning to use my computer much for gaming due to school starting in the new couple of weeks), but after seeing some of the new features that I didn't need, I was wondering if I should just get a Radeon VE (~$60) instead. I also need help on picking a TV tuner card. I want to be able to:

- Use two monitors (GF2MX is not an option)
- Ability to use second monitor to watch DVD/DIVX while first monitor is playing Counter-Strike/Normal Browsing.
- Ability to split cable line from cable modem to cable tv and watch TV on second monitor.
- Decent speed in Counter-Strike (According to CHIPS, the Radeon VE gets ~30 FPS more than the G550).

Good Windows 2000 support is optional, if the Radeon VE Win2K drivers are that bad, I am fine with sticking with WinME. So what I want to know is what video card I should get, TV tuner card, and something to split my cable line (what would I get?). I am not looking to pay more than about... $175, unless TV tuner cards and a splitter for my cable line is expensive (I don't know how much those would cost.)

[Greebe]

Should I comment or not, that is the Q

(as Greebe bites his tongue this time trying to be nice for once

[Fat Tone]

Yes - get my day off to a good start!

[TheDarkHorizon]

?

[Bohrn]

I'm hoping that the G400 I have will last a couple of more months, but if it doesn't I'm leaning towards a Raedon, as the Kyro2 does'nt have a T&L engine, and the G4ceMX cards are kinda crappy for anything other than gaming. I hope Matrox makes a DX8 part that is semi competitive 3D wise, or that the next gen Kyro or Raedon chip comes out.

I don't use dual head, so that part is out, but if you want TV tuner cards, they are plentiful and cheap. Does the ATI All In Wonder have one built in??

Just put a splitter in the line near your computer, and run one into the modem and one into the tuner card. The cheapies are cheap, but you can buy a better one from Monster(the guys that make speaker wire) and they are ALOT better, but they are also around $25.00(Canadian) and availiable at some electronics stores. In California, you should have no prob finding one. But the cheap ones work fine too. Just remember that the Cable company may frown on you doing this as they like to charge for the extra outlets.