Which Parhelia / Pxxx ?

[DChris]

I am looking for advice please

I want to upgrade my video card from a G550 to one of the new cards. It needs to work alongside my G450 PCI.

My main uses are programming, Photoshop, a little video and some 3D using Cinema4D. No games at all. Gave that up some time ago ! Then tried NWN and gave up again forever !!

So my requirements are for fast / superb quality 2D with a reasonable 3D power available. Sounds like a job for Matrox, and I think pushes me toward the actual Parhelia.

In something like Cinema4D, what is the performance benefit of the 256MB over the 128? If it is any better, are there penalties elsewhere?

I'm not sure where the banding issues arise, but I presume the Parhelia is still a better choice than the 750?

Many Thanks !

[bsdgeek]

Re: Which Parhelia / Pxxx ?

Originally posted by DChris
I am looking for advice please

I want to upgrade my video card from a G550 to one of the new cards. It needs to work alongside my G450 PCI.

My main uses are programming, Photoshop, a little video and some 3D using Cinema4D. No games at all. Gave that up some time ago ! Then tried NWN and gave up again forever !!

So my requirements are for fast / superb quality 2D with a reasonable 3D power available. Sounds like a job for Matrox, and I think pushes me toward the actual Parhelia.

In something like Cinema4D, what is the performance benefit of the 256MB over the 128? If it is any better, are there penalties elsewhere?

I'm not sure where the banding issues arise, but I presume the Parhelia is still a better choice than the 750?

Many Thanks !

In 3d, the Parhelia will smoke the P750, but the P750 is free of the banding issue. Although I don't know the chances of getting a banding card, mine doesn't do it.

[K6-III]

Then again, the P8X has already shown up in the .inf files...

[Sasq]

Repeate K6. that was a missprint on the P650 - which is a 8x part.

I'll give you a strong hint, stop speculating on the inf file. it is pointless.

[Chrono_Wanderer]

LOL i think there are still lots of P4X lying around. Even if they have a real P8X that is the same as Parhelia but with AGP 8X support, I bet there won't be a big difference between the two.

Also, it makes me wonder if the current Parhelia-512 chips actually support 8X... maybe it does, but not enabled on the Parhelia PCB... but then... nay... if it actually does, I bet Matrox will implement first thing first.. coz AGP8X is a great marketing scheme. (And its not useful at all)

[K6-III]

Much more fun to speculate...

[Sasq]

Yes, speculate all you want, in the crystal ball. Not in a thread about which card to buy for a specific purpose.

DChris, the banding issue only seems to be visable while using a window'd 3D app.

Not knowing Cinema4D, the extra memory on a 256Mb P is probably only going to help you if you have a lot of textures loaded.

The P750 is a happy little card, but remember its only got 64Mb (textures again) and is about half the speed of P in 3D (probably works out closer to 60% of the speed in real life)

Dan

[DChris]

Thanks for the help, I think I'll go for a Parhelia 128.