Vanilla G400 32MB mod

[MetalCartman]

Dunno, but I'll tell ya when I'm back from Cebit!

[xbnmx]

:'(

The G400MAX uses 200mhz memmory, which means all the G550 got to compensate for the jump from 128-bits to 640bits is 133mhz increase in memory clock, should the G550 have a 128-bit bus it would fly, as I read the G400 MAX out performs Voooo 3 3000s and TNT2 Ultras, the G550 would bring us acceptable game performance, why did they criple the bus, just to lower the price? Do you think Matrox's next card will be a G550 with a larger bus and other minor enhancements, or a new chip architecture? And why do they only use 32megs of ram, can the cards not handle 64megs?

[Tempest]

Re: :'(

why did they criple the bus, just to lower the price?
Yes, the G550 was to be the G800... Until time or company strategy decided otherwise.
Do you think Matrox's next card will be a G550 with a larger bus and other minor enhancements, or a new chip architecture?
A new chip architecture.
And why do they only use 32megs of ram, can the cards not handle 64megs?
Probably yes, but what would be the point? The G550 is a "value" solution, remember?
And do you tink Matrox will show us anything new at Cebit?
Matrox Graphics won't be attending Cebit.

[xbnmx]

...

There listed as attending on the Cebit website, and everyone has been talking about how it's a good sign that they WILL be there this year, aswell as at the Game Developers Confrence.

[Tempest]

Really? With Cebit's exhibitor search I only found the Matrox Video department, and Matrox Graphics has this press release that says they will not have a public presence at Cebit. Dunno about the "closed doors" thing, though...
But you're right about the GDC... It's still in their events calendar: http://www.matrox.com/mga/media_center/events/home.cfm

[xbnmx]

Welll...

Your right, the attending party is Matrox Video, does this mean we have quit some time to wait for a new card?

[Tempest]

xbnmx, Soon™ you have asked all the "MURC newbie" questions
Don't think too much on the trade shows and stuff... They will announce new technology when it's done. When is that, you ask? The answer is... Soon™
Both Haig and VigilAnt have let us understand that if all goes well, it may be even sooner than you think.

But we must remember that the time from tech announcement to store shelf will (probably) take months.

[xbnmx]

Ahh

Many thanks Master Gr****opper.

[MK]

Would it help to play around with the ram timings to achieve higher speeds ? Or do less agressive ram settings lower the performance too much ?

MK

[xbnmx]

Ya...

Adjusting the ram timings worked on 5500s...

[Greebe]

You can't compare 3dfx cards OC and how to with Matrox's offerings

[MK]

So, what about the performance decrease ? Anyone with experiences ?

MK

[Greebe]

That depends on whether your card uses SDRAM or SGRAM and how well it specifically performs. ie, in some cases it's better to use slower timings and a higher clock than to use agressive timings and a lower OC.

[xbnmx]

/

Which is SD and which is SG?

[Tempest]

Most of the G400 cards are SGRAM, the only exception that I know is some OEM G400 cards. True MAX cards are always SGRAM. The memory can be identified either by looking at it (SDRAM has pins on 2 edges of the memory chips, SGRAM on all four sides) or by looking at the model number of the card - if there is a D after the part indicating amount of memory (for example, G4+MA16DG) then it's SDRAM.