What graphics company?

[Nowhere]

I'm planning to upgrade mine G400SH 16MB into something more accurate for present and future games, but I don't want to sacrifice image quality (and no, I don't have money for Parhelia). So could someone tell me if there are other companies that offer comparable to matrox image quality in their boards?
I've heard that Hercules and eVGA have good cards. Are there any others? (because Hercules is a little bit expensive here, and eVGA is non-available)

[Wombat]

If you don't want to sacrifice image quality, then you don't have a choice except Matrox. If you want another card, while minimizing your loss, then Hercules(8500) or Gainward(GF3/4) are good alternatives.

[Gurm]

ATI's own Radeons are ok in terms of image quality. Not up to G400 standards, but not bad either.

- Gurm

[Gurm]

Just say no to GF4mx. If you HAVE to go GeForce, get a Leadtek GF3ti, it's cheap.

A Gf4mx is a GF2 with faster clocks. Yuk.

- Gurm

[lecter]

Get a "Built by Ati" Radeon 8500 or 8500LE for the best 2d/video outside the Matrox realm. If you're planning to go the way of Nvidia, an Asus Ti4200 Deluxe seems quite cute, the image quality on the Ti4600 is good and the Ti4200 uses the same PCB (so I guess the same filters)

[lecter]

Gurm, the GF3Ti doesn't have the Video Processing Engine found in the GF4 Ti/MX family...it provides better video acceleration and 2d speed and the Ti4200 is really the best value for money at the moment.

[Dr Mordrid]

And if Leadtek's receiver decides to liquidate them to pay the creditors?

Dr. Mordrid

[Novdid]

The Ti4200 certainly does not use the same PCB as 4600.

[Holerith]

I disagree that the best 2D or even perhaps 3D outside Matrox is ATI Radeon but for a board used for gaming as well as work you may be right.

[Guru]

I tryed a ati 8500LE retail a few weeks ago in my home system and I retured it to work directly couse the 2d IQ sucked! Still it was bether then most of the nVidiot cards I have tried!

[az]

So what? The card is still good, and you can always use the detonators.

AZ

[isochar]

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
And if Leadtek's receiver decides to liquidate them to pay the creditors?

Dr. Mordrid

Visiontek, not Leadtek

[az]

Matrox.

Second would be ATI, and distant third VisionTek, I think (though this is not based on personal experience!). You might get some good deals on VisionTek cards ATM (don't really know, since I'm not in the market for a new card), because they're going under - which means no support, but in germany you have to have at least six months warranty from the dealer - and if the card survives six months, it shoudl survive the next years too. And for drivers, you simply use generic nVidia detonators.

AZ

[Guru]

Gainward GF4 (and GF4MX) cards have quite good IQ not as good as Mtrox thou but far bether then the Club3d (Ati in Europe) 8500(LE) cards! Leadtek also are known for having good IQ but they are not even close to matrox at higher resolutions (2kx1.5k at more then 60Hz )!

[UtwigMU]

I saw this thread on Ars where a guy who just bought brand new 22" NEC SB monitor is considering getting Matrox G450 PCI for 2D while he already has Gainward GF4 Ti.

Also BBA (Built by Ati) were said not to have great IQ/signal purity. If you are not going hi-res I'd suggest Gainward, Hercules (I have 2MX which has better IQ than most mx's I've seen but still bellow my G400), 3dfx has good IQ as well but they are dead and Voodoo 5 is not that fast anymore (a lot of people use Vodoo 3s for secondary monitors). General consensus on ars is somewhat like this: Matrox, 3dfx, Visiontek, Gainward and Hercules in about that order

I have a G400 16SH and if I were upgrading it right now I'd consider Hercules 8500 or Gainward GF4 Ti 4200 in the value segment and parhelia, Gainward GF4 Ti 4600 or Hercules 9700 in expensive segment.