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**WayneHu** · 27 October 1999, 00:23

No...

If you don't want to spend too much money, I suggest Creative TNT US$55~65 or Voodoo3/2000 US$64~84. They are not expensive... and are enough for most users.

--
Celeron 300P@558/2.0v, P3B-F, G400DH/32MB

**MoleDK** · 27 October 1999, 00:27

The point was actually not to get rid of my card. I am quite happy with it and the speed it provides. I run resolutions up to 1600x1200 on my desktop. and I could simply not live with the quality of the picture on a TNT.

------------------
Cya,
J.

"Unix can be a cynical Operating System for a person whos mind is limited to a Windows user interface"

System specs:
ASUS P2B-LS, 128MB RAM, Matrox Millenium G200, Nothing O/C.
Running Windows 98SE & Redhat Linux 6.1

**PaulS** · 27 October 1999, 00:48

As the previous post stated, if you want to help games performance, then your money would be far better spent on a cheap TNT.

Get the memory upgrade if you want to run 2D 1600X1200 or higher in 32 bit colour.

Paul

**WayneHu** · 27 October 1999, 03:01

Forget to mention...

The 2D quality of Creative TNT & 3DFX Voodoo3 are not worse than G200/G400. Another good TNT adapter is made by Canopous, but it is even more expensive...

In fact, I ever tried my roommate's Voodoo3/3000 to output to my Sony GDM-400PS, and I can't distinguish the difference between it and my G400DH at 1600x1200 75Hz. Both are still clear, but the display image quality of them is not as sharp as that in 1280x1024...

**MoleDK** · 27 October 1999, 03:07

Thanks for the information guys.

Seems like I have to go get a new graphics card after all.

I had hoped for a little speed increase and at least more colors.

When I play Quake 3, I can feel a difference if set a higher texture quality. If I down the texture Quality, I can play at 800x600. I had hoped that more memory on the graphics card would have helped there.

Seems I better start saving up some cash :/

I could get the extra memory for 30 $

thanks for your input.

------------------
Cya,
J.

"Unix can be a cynical Operating System for a person whos mind is limited to a Windows user interface"

System specs:
ASUS P2B-LS, 128MB RAM, Matrox Millenium G200, Nothing O/C.
Running Windows 98SE & Redhat Linux 6.1

**Kruzin** · 27 October 1999, 05:31

WayneHu either has very poor eyesight, or a garbage monitor if he thinks G200's 2d is no better than TNT or V3.

Take it from someone who spends all dat using 2D CAD apps. There is only one card around with better 2D image quality than G200....G400. I have used or seen them all in action, and the difference from V3 to G200 is huge. The difference from TNT to G200 is not as big, but still noticable on a decent quality monitor.

You stated that you are happy with the speeds you are getting in most of your games. So there is no need to replace your G200. If you want a few more fps in a few games but still keep your G200, drop a $30 Voodoo2 in next to it...

**Brian R.** · 27 October 1999, 05:33

The best way to get more colors is to get the memory upgrade. I think the image quality of the G200 is superior to the TNT and the Voodoo. I have owned all three and will take the G200. Not a big difference, but noticable at high resolutions. The G400 is much better than all three. Maybe you should wait 6 months and pick up a G400 cheap.

(Sorry, my post was simultaneous with Kruzin) I think his idea of a voodoo 2 card is good if you can play at 800x600 and have a PCI slot available. There again, the voodoo 2 will cost you a little in image quality and you won't get the greater color depth. (Forget the Voodoo 3)

MHO
------------------
Win98SE, 450 PIII @ 581 MHz (2.0 V) w/GlobalWin VGS-08 heatsink/fan, ABIT BX6-2 MB, 128 MB Siemens PC100 SDRAM, G400 MAX, Diamond V2 SLI, Diamond MX300 with Senheiser HD-600 headphones, CL Dxr3 Decoder, Adaptec AHA2940 w/uw SCSI, IBM 9ZX 9.1GB 10K UW SCSI HD, WDE 4360 4.3GB SCSI HD, modified Supermicro SC750A case with PCP&C Silencer 275W PS, and a partridge in a pear tree.

[This message has been edited by Brian R. (edited 27 October 1999).]

**MoleDK** · 27 October 1999, 23:00

Actually, I am not using any of my PCI slots at all

The idea getting a Voodoo 2 seems like a good one and I could hook it up to a second monitor. This way, it would not ruin the picture on my desktop.

Thanks for the ideas guys

I will get the memory upgrade anyway, to get more colors on my high resolutions.

Now to find someone with an old V2

------------------
Cya,
J.

"Unix can be a cynical Operating System for a person whos mind is limited to a Windows user interface"

System specs:
ASUS P2B-LS, 128MB RAM, Matrox Millenium G200, Nothing O/C.
Running Windows 98SE & Redhat Linux 6.1

**WayneHu** · 27 October 1999, 23:53

Hi, Kruzin,

Do you or your friends ever try Creative TNT or Voodoo3? Many of my friends have them, and they told me that they couldn't say G200's 2D quality is better than Creative TNT or Voodoo3. In addition, I remember PC Magazine ever did the 2D quality comparison tests, and the editor also suggested Creative TNT. If you talk about TNTs made by other vendors(except Canopous), it is absolutely worse than G200.

In my condition, both my roommate and I can't distinguish the difference between V3/3000 & G400. So I think your monitor and eyes are better than us...

------------------
Celeron 300P@558/2.0v, P3B-F, G400DH/32MB

**Buuri** · 28 October 1999, 00:08

Wait a minute! How can you say the upgrade is of no help? At least my rendering scores with big textures jumped up in 3DMark after the upgrade.

The advantage it will give you is more storage for textures on the card. Local memory is always a lot faster than fetching data via AGP bus. (no matter if it's 1/2/4X)
Anyone who claims there's no gain in performance is wrong. The other thing is whether the upgrade is worth it, but I would get it instead of going with a crappy TNT. That is only if you have any respect for the quality.

_
B

**MoleDK** · 28 October 1999, 00:29

It seems I forgot to post my clock speed on my P2.

Buuri: I am happy you tell me this

I don't overclock because my CPU won't let me. Not even setting my BUS speed to 75 Mhz. I got one of the first 266 CPU's that hit the market

I suppose overclocking the G200 could be possible. Maybe even give me around 10%.

But I doubt it will help me much with such a slow CPU.

Thanks for all your help so far

------------------
Cya,
J.

"Unix can be a cynical Operating System for a person whos mind is limited to a Windows user interface"

System specs:
ASUS P2B-LS, P2-266, 128MB RAM, Matrox Millenium G200 (PD5.25), Nothing O/C.
Running Windows 98SE & Redhat Linux 6.1

**WayneHu** · 28 October 1999, 00:48

I think no one says the additional RAM is totally useless. Even though you put 32 MB RAM on G200, and the hit rate of texture memory becomes 100%, can you guarantee it will increase the render speed of G200 very much?

In fact, I am the one also own Millennium G200/16MB... And I saw G200's problem is that it can't afford enough Fillrate needed by some 3D games at 800x600 or higher resolutions. Fillrate relates to 3D core speed. So even the additional local memory increases some performance about texture, these games are still not playable at high resolutions... Therefore, if you want to play games fluently in higher resolutions, adding extra memory is not a cost-effective way.

Of course, you won't need so much local texture memory in lower resolution like 640x480...

------------------
Celeron 300P@558/2.0v, P3B-F, G400DH/32MB

[This message has been edited by WayneHu (edited 28 October 1999).]

**wizz** · 28 October 1999, 01:41

A Canopus TNT came with my PC (PIII500) when i bought it with a decent 19in monitor. When i put my Marvel G200 in the desktop quality was much different, you can actually see it, the colours were deeper and brighter, considering i run my monitor at 1280 x 1024 32bit the Canopus doesn't come close to the Matrox.

Tony

**WayneHu** · 28 October 1999, 11:28

I think this topic is very subjective.

For example, one of my friends told me that G400SH/16MB OEM (made in China) is not as sharp as Voodoo3 on his ViewSonic PT795, and other friends who have tested G400 also told me so. However, my test told me the opposite thing...

The difference between them and me is that my G400DH/32MB OEM (also made in China) was purchased in US, and it is not the same card. Second, we use the different monitors... Third, we don't use the same BNC cable...

But I think PT795 is a decent monitor, and it shouldn't show this result. Therefore, I think the problem might come from the G400s which they tested with... (They live in Taiwan, and bought the G400 in Taiwan)

------------------
Celeron 300P@558/2.0v, P3B-F, G400DH/32MB

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