Choosing a new video card

[Wombat]

I've decided I need a new gaming card for my home system. I need a holdover until/if Matrox releases a new card. I've decided on a GF3 Ti200.

Leadtek, Visiontek, and Gainward all have 64MB DDR offerings for about $150. I don't care about second displays or TV out, but visual quality on my monitor is also important to me. I will be using my monitor to watch DVDs, so that's also a minor concern.

Any input from you guys?

[Reverend Maynard]

I have a Visiontek Ti 200. Quick as hell in games, no complaints there, but DVD's suck. No two ways about it, the picture is grainy, the color is bad, etc.

At this point I am trying to get a g4xx PCI card to keep for the movie watching/dual monitor action, but they are hard to find for cheap anymore.

Granted, I was spoiled by the picture quality of my G400, if picture quality is really a concern steer clear of the Visiontek card.

[KvHagedorn]

Does anyone here have any experience with Elsa's Gladiac series cards? I was considering one based upon their experience catering to the cad/graphics market, thinking they should have their act together on visual quality.

[Novdid]

Gainwards have THE best visual quality aswell as manufacture quality you can find amongst nvidia based boards.

[Gurm]

The Visiontek ti200's are QUITE nice in terms of visual quality.

However, THIS WEEK Best Buy is running a special, a GF4 mx440 for $179. Nice deal, I think.

- Gurm

[xortam]

I haven't looked into recent NVIDIA cards but I was watching a TechTV segment the other day about graphics cards where they discussed the new GF4s. They said the GF4 MX cards are essentially based on GF2 technology and they don't have the pixel and vertex shader capability and therefore rely on SW rasterization procedures (don't shoot me if I didn't recall this correctly ). Everyone seems to be blown away by the GF4 performance if you're a hard core gamer and need hi-res support. I haven't heard anybody comment on the visual quality. The GF3s are apparently going away. How about an ATI 7500 Wombat? They must be really cheap about now and I understand they have perhaps the best DVD playback quality.

[Novdid]

It seems to me that the feature sets of the GF4 MX and the Radeon 7500 are quite alike.

But if you can spend up to that amount I do still recommend you to get a Gainward Golden Sample if you're going nvidia. And if the price is right maybe even a Radeon 8500 LE.

[The PIT]

Apart from buggy drivers I quiet like my 8500. Sometime I've got re-install win2k due to a Nortons software Radeon driver conflict.

[Wombat]

I'm sorry, I should have said: I am NOT considering an ATi card at this time. The 7500 is outclassed, and the 8500 is too much of investment at this time, not to mention driver problems.

Gurm: nVidia messed up big time with the GF4 stuff. The GF4mx's are basically tweaked GF2mxs, with some other chips thrown on the board. The GF4 Ti is an entirely different chipset. You can get GF4 mx440's retail for $120, and the mx460s aren't on the market yet (DDR).

Hmm, the DVD output on these GF3 Ti cards is that bad?

[borat]

i would be inclined to wait just a little bit longer

[Gurm]

Well, waiting another couple months might get you...

*nevermind*

- Gurm

[Wombat]

I was just pondering these two statements, that have absolutely no relation to each other:

1) I am a Matrox beta tester, under NDA.

2) I am looking to spend a moderate, but not great, amount of money on a replacement for my Matrox G400MAX.

[Helevitia]

Originally posted by Wombat
I was just pondering these two statements, that have absolutely no relation to each other:

1) I am a Matrox beta tester, under NDA.

2) I am looking to spend a moderate, but not great, amount of money on a replacement for my Matrox G400MAX.

What's there to ponder? Wait for Matrox

[CHHAS]

Yeah, I hear the flying pig weatherman declared that the forecast for Hell is snow, so it should be right around the corner

[Greebe]

Tis a shame R***** can't pull his head out and keep you upto date. What has it been... since last May now?