Buying new graphics card

[alekz]

Hi,

I've had my G400MAX since 1999 and I feel the time has come to buy a new card. It won't be a Matrox card.
I'm thinking about either of these two card since the price is right for me:

Gainward AGP GeForce2 Ti/450TV 64MB DDR 4,5n - Titanium "Golden Sample" TV-Out, Retail.

or

Gainward AGP GeForce2 Ti/500XP 64MB DDR 4,0n - Titanium "Golden Sample" TV-Out, Retail.

The price is really good but I haven't heard of this company before. I've only heard that their GF3 had good image quality.

I'm currently running 1024x768 resolution and will continue to do that until I get a bigger monitor. Then I'll move to 1280x1024, but that's not for some time yet.

I know the 3D speed kills the G400 but what about 2D image quality? Since I won't be running ultra-high resolutions will the quality be able to compete with G400?

If you know any GF2 card that has good quality in my intended resolutions please let me know.

BTW, I'm not thinking about getting a ATI card or a Kyro II card.

[Topha]

get an ATI 8500

[Alec]

I know Nvidia is the fastest in 3D, but the difference between them and Radeons and Kyro IIs are not so great... which doesn´t happen in 2D crispness and colour vividness... also, ATI´s DVD playback is very good.

Oh, and NO GF2 has good quality at ANY resolution.

[alekz]

Well, I'm not getting a Kyro II for sure, I had a m3D back in the day, and I'm not going near PowerVR again

As for the 8500, ATI driver support sucked before, and from what I've read on the net, they still suck

So you mean I'll have to get a GF3 then?

[Pneumatic]

I am primarily a gamer so I went with the VisionTek Xtasy 6964 for the game rig I am building. It uses GeForce3 Ti500. It has all of the TV out stuff too.

Check it out! It blows almost everything else away in the reviews.

[alekz]

Yeah, I would like that to, if could afford it. The closest to a GF3 I'm coming is a GF3 Ti 200 and it's a bit more expensive than that GF2 Ti.

[Nuno]

Well, I'm not getting a Kyro II for sure, I had a m3D back in the day, and I'm not going near PowerVR again

I had a m3D too, but Kyro actually was the first tile rendering PowerVR managed to get into working. You would be surprised how well it performs.

But if you got the cash, of course, go with a DX8 videocard. Unfortunatly I think Radeon 8500 drivers are a major handicap on the card. Ti200 price/performance is hard to beat. You have to handpick the Geforce´s to get one with decent 2D quality, though. None of them will equal the G400, that´s for sure.

[alekz]

I know the Kyro performs well I've been following the development since the PCX2 days, still have some bookmarks I check daily. But still NVida is a kind of standard, you know the game is going to run well on a NVidia card, just like you knew it ran well on a 3Dfx card in the m3D age.

If Matrox could produce a card based on a Kyro III chip when it comes but combine their own 2D quality kind of thing into the card, I'll buy it right away!

Back to my GeForce's, like you say, I have to handpick, but it's kind of hard with the huge number of manufacturers and models

[Admiral]

You're fine with Gainward, it had good reviews concerning the image quality. You could also look for an Elsa product.

Have to add another vote for the Kyro II though. You won't have the best of scores in 3DMark 2001, but it rocks in games and it's cheaper. Plus, you could always use the extra cash to buy yourself a faster CPU that will further boost the Kyro II's performance.

[Wombat]

you know the game is going to run well on a NVidia card

Maybe. nVidia is still known for releasing drivers that fix one game only to break another.

I don't know when I'll get another video card. There's nothing that's unplayable with my MAX; at least not that I'm interested in. I'll probably make it well into 2002 with this card.

[TdB]

TdB

i bought a kyro2 because my g400max was to slow in 3d-games, as a temporary 3d-card, until matrox release their next good gaming-card, and so far im happy with it.

[oceaneer]

No one actually answered your question, so I will put in my 2 cents worth.

I just upgraded my G400 to a Gainward Geforce2 Pro 450 Golden sample last week. ($127 with free Fedex) The speed issue is a given, 'nuff said.

Image quality is part hardware, part user. Different monitors do display varying levels of visual clarity. Your monitor can make a difference.

I run on a Hitachi 752 superscan 19", and use 1024x768x32 for most apps, (MS office, Explorer, and games) 1280x1024 sometimes, but due to advancing age and retreating eyesight, mainly 1024x768.

I run 2D and 3D games, and in my subjective opinion, could not discern any visual differences in terms of sharpness or clarity between the cards in any app or game. I did have to increase the gamma in a couple of games with the Gainward though, as they were appreciably darker than with the G400 on default start up.

The HF filters on the Gainward are said to be of better quality than most, removing less HF.

I loaded the 22.40 drivers and have had no game issues yet (about 12 games tried so far).

So, another opinion for you. Remember though, that you will be the final judge, and if you are not happy, RMA the card.

Hope this helps!

[alekz]

oceaneer, thanks for your answer, this is what I wanted to know!