Does Matrox think the P is made of Gold?

[tmservo]

There is one problem... name me one graphic quality feature that the Matrox does specifically better then a ATI9700. I've watched both. I do like the 2d on the Matrox. But show me a 3D game/app that will -look- better on the Matrox then the 9700 Pro or GF FX type card.. can't do it.

So, in thinking about what the card has to offer... uh, super nice 2d. 3 monitor outputs... and what it doesn't offer (slow 3d performance, banding, drivers that break even their own software, bundled software, etc.) Matrox gives you basically nothing out of the box (not even a DVD player) which every other company does. They give you no demo "games" or "apps". They don't offer you anything but the card and drivers primarily... Yes there is 3 monitor support.. and... can you give me a list showing where [P] significantly outweighs the competition in any number of categories you can create?

[Fluff]

glyph anti aliasing in hardware.... and the fact they are writing plugins for workstation applications. That's why it's good value

Does having great graphics actually make a game that much more fun, or just give you an extra wow factor for 5 minutes then you ignore it.? ....

[borat]

for games surround gaming and 16x faa are 2 features that no other has, ok faa is not perfect but when it works nothing compares to it and you really have to be concentrating in most cases when it does not work. you said this card was slow too? unreal2003 plays perfectly smooth 3072x768 16xfaa and aniso. yes admitedly aniso is poor at only 2x but i like the card, overpriced agreed but unrivalled for my uses also, you really must examine your uses before you buy it, if its a speed issue there is no game which i cannot play on it today.

[borat]

ohh yeah hardware displacement mapping as well, not sure on the state of play with it but parhelia has it. what features do the compition have to make them so special?apart from dx9 which parhelia has partially but games wont make use of for a long time yet.

[Novdid]

Yes the cards have different strengths. But in gaming (even when you count in SG) the P doesn't stand a chance against the 9700Pro. You can't play almost any game in 1600x1200+AA+AF, and it's still playable. And believe it or not, the Radeon neither has blurry 2d or buggy drivers. As I can't afford 3 screens, the Radeon is the perfect card for me.

I was going to get the Parhelia but the bugs (not the performance) and Matrox's unwillingness to counter these problems made me opt for a 9700Pro.

[Mehen]

i think what im getting at is, sure the P is expensive, but as compared to what? the P has its own category, and the card is directed to a different audeince than any other manufacturers' cards. they have a monopoly over the surround gaming market. a monopoly; and for those of you who know what that actually means, i rest my case. i think based solely on surround gaming, the can charge almost anything they want. they are THE ONLY ones that have that feature. so "does Matrox think that the P is made of Gold?" -could be, or perhaps something rarer. im no marketing wizard, heck, im only 16, but that is my 2 cents.