Ahh, finally a GOOD Parhelia review ;)

[DedicatedFan3D]

I would like you guys being Matrox users to check out my review of the parhelia on AthlonXP.com

I am going to be doing a followup article on it, and your feedback is very valuable to me as...well you are more avid users and appreciate the image quality.

I also hope you appreciate the trouble I went through to capture that difference in image quality....no one else that reviewed the Parhelia did.

Copy N paste

http://www.athlonxp.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Diner_Wrapper&file=index&req=ShowFile&file_wrap=html/reviews_parhelia.html

[Kruzin]

You obviously liked the card.
It's nice to see a review that isn't based solely on frame rates.
Image quality and features are important selling points to those not interested in a pure gaming rig, and this is a viewpoint most other reviews from gaming sites have been lacking.

It's good that you pointed out that you where able to play a DVD on more than just the primary monitor, but that could be clarified a little more by pointing out that Parhelia does hardware overlay on both the primary and secondary display, with software overlay on the tertiary. Other single-chip multi-monitor cards do not do overlays on anything but the primary display.

All in all, I thought it was a good review that showed the cards strongest points.

[Voyager3D]

Upon inspection you will find that the RAM has no heat sinks on it. Matrox has opted for Infineon 3.3ns DDRDRAM running at only 275Mhz. The Parhelia achieves the high bandwidth it needs by addressing the memory at 512 bits.

The bus to the memory is only 256bit...
The GPU works internaly at 512bit..

[Kruzin]

It's 256 DDR, which is a "theoretical" 512bit.

[TdB]

some of the 3dmark benchmarks are a little confusing, I think you are posting the same benches twice.

[Ali]

First paragraph:

"...uncovered that it is indeed an image quality piece of hardware delivering the best image on the market,..."

should be:

"...uncovered that it is indeed a quality piece of hardware delivering the best image on the market,..."

As far as Ive got so far.

[Ali]

Also:
"Notice the Chrontel RAMDACS. There are two 10-bit RAMDACS on the PCB as noticed here"

They arnt RAMDACs, they are the DVI controller chips. Look here:

http://www.saic.com.tw/Products1/CH_7301_datasheet.PDF

[Voyager3D]

Originally posted by Kruzin
It's 256 DDR, which is a "theoretical" 512bit.

Hmmm... havn't hered that before...
I know when we are talking Memory speed then DDR 600MHz are actually running at 300MHz, but they are sending data 2 times pr clock (Double DRAM), therfore 600MHz compared to SDRAM..

But bus width.... we have always been talking about that the cards are running 128bit and now Parhelia, Radeon 9700 and 3Dlabs P10 are using 256bit memory bus'es...

[Ali]

Just finnished. (had to go work for a while).

Good review. I liked the part where you talk about it in real use.

I find the Less heat output bullet point in the Pros to be odd though. I havent used one so I dont know, but it seems with everybody putting great big fans/heatsinks onto them that it would produce lots of heat.

Ali

[DedicatedFan3D]

Interestingly, Matrox reps confirmed what we posted as the RAMDACS

Not sure tho, but looking into it. Also I was made aware of the memory addressing, looking into that as well.

[DedicatedFan3D]

On the heat output, the memory is not as hot as the GeForce4's heatsinks are......

Plus the back of the core is very easy to touch.

[frankymail]

The Parhelia uses a 256-bits DDR bus running at 275 MHz; that means that 512-bits are read/wrote each 275-millionth of a second; you sometimes see 275 MHz DDR/550 MHZ effective; both ways are correct ways to simplify the concept. The real thing that in Parhelia's case, 256-bits are read/wrote at the rise of the clock signal, and 256-bits are read/wrtoe at the fall of the signal, that 275 millions times a second.

[Ali]

Just checked the numbers on the chips. I think Im right.

Matrox has stated that there is one external RAMDAC for the third monitor, but that 2 internal 400Mhz RAMDACs are used for 1st and 2nd head. The TMDS (or whatever the acronym is for the DVI controllers) are external.

Anyway, looking at your picture of the Parhelia called Parhellia_Front.jpg the mystery chip is pressent. At the top of the board, in between the two banks of angled RAM chips there is a chip that isnt pressent ont he retail boards. Could you possibly show a close up shot of that chip please? Or failing that the chip manufacturer and part number so we can find out more info about it.

Its probably a VIVO type chip, otherwise there is no point to the PIS2 of the Parhelia chip. Im guessing Matrox are keeping their options open about a Marvel type product.

Ali

Edit: typos

[DGhost]

if that picture is accurate, it has a chrontel chip, model CH7??1A-T

that being said, Chrontel does not list such a chip on their website.

also, the memory and chrontel TMDS chips are blacked out, leading me to believe it is more of a marketing pic. not sure what that chip would be then.

edit: they list a chip that matches the CH7??1 part number, but not the A-T part of it, especially with what i think those two inner numbers say... it looks like a CH72?1A-T to me, but there is no 72x1 listed on their website... hmm...

[CuEdge]

It's very hard to tell from the picture, but I think the chip model is CH7301, a DVI transmitter.

http://www.chrontel.com/products/7301.htm