Matrox announces Millennium P690 Series

[Mikko]

Well, I don't play much online, so I see the situation in different way.

[DGhost]

all i caught out of that forum was that there are a handful of people doing cam/FOV hacks (non supported modification to published code, btw) that is making up a bulk of the support for games. sorry, not interested in doing with patches and bullshit. especially since they would be detected by tools such as punkbuster as modified game clients.

it was bad enough when the aspect ratio was 4:1 (or 12:3), but with newer widescreen monitors you are talking about an aspect ratio of like 16:3.

i mean, seriously. it was a crap market at the time it was released. it's still a crap market. just like arse head casting. if Matrox had spent their engineering efforts a little better, they might still be around.

[Mikko]

except for the fact that you still have the same problems that you had with surround gaming the first time around...

namely, developers not supporting the crazy aspect ration...

The situation has improved a lot since the Parhelia days. Now that NVIDIA/ATI users also have a chance to use triple monitors with Matrox TripleHead2Go, will make things even better. Already, there are great number of camhack/FOV utils for many different games. Game developers are also doing quite good job in adding widescreen/custom resolutions in their games. Just take a look at this website and you'll see:

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/index.php?c=8

[DGhost]

If you're an extreme gamer, then you should buy NVIDIA/ATI graphics card and Matrox TripleHead2Go for Surround Gaming.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gx...gital/home.php

except for the fact that you still have the same problems that you had with surround gaming the first time around...

namely, developers not supporting the crazy aspect ration...

[Mehen]

If you're an extreme gamer, then you should buy NVIDIA/ATI graphics card and Matrox TripleHead2Go for Surround Gaming.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gx...gital/home.php

Yeah I'm really considering picking one up ~May-ish when I buy a new computer - I'd only have to add a 3rd 17" LCD. I really wish the th2go digital was about 100-150$ cheaper. At $340 (ncix) it's really stretching the budget.

17" LCDs haven't really dropped in price at all either, I guess because there's no demand for them - I might have to pick up a 19" for the centre screen. Or check ebay.

[DentyCracker]

My Parhelia just got fuXx0r3d by a power surge so that's it for me next card will be a 3xxx HD I guess. Still can't buy nV, not even their chipsets

[Mikko]

I've been reading this forum since I picked up a G200 back in 1998. I guess this is pretty much the end then. They haven't released a truly new GPU since 2002.

Is there really a market for this? I suppose it does have some unique connectivity options.

If you're an extreme gamer, then you should buy NVIDIA/ATI graphics card and Matrox TripleHead2Go for Surround Gaming.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/digital/home.php

[Kruzin]

I've been reading this forum since I picked up a G200 back in 1998. I guess this is pretty much the end then. They haven't released a truly new GPU since 2002.

Is there really a market for this? I suppose it does have some unique connectivity options.

Thier market is now financial offices who need mulitiple screens for trading, and the off-the wall apps, like fast-food drive throughs (who also utilize multiple displays, at the order taker, order placer, and grill).

They have given up on Joe User and totally given up on any hope of gamers. This is proven by the fact that they dumped Haig and their tech support forums.

[rylan]

According to the specs on Matrox site for the P690 boards, the maximum digital resolution is 1920x1200, which is single link.

From looking at the unpopulated components on the PCB, I would make a guess that another version of the board (P790 maybe) has additional output capability... either duallink or quad head since the smaller square outlines with the thermal land in the centers are for silicon image transmitter chips.

[Heiney]

I've been reading this forum since I picked up a G200 back in 1998. I guess this is pretty much the end then. They haven't released a truly new GPU since 2002.

Is there really a market for this? I suppose it does have some unique connectivity options.

[Mikko]

A question at the matrox forum may help to find out more.

There is no Matrox Graphics Technical Support Forum anymore.

[magog]

That might look better if it was ultra-low power requirement graphics solution.

Their current low power comes only because of the 90nm process while AMD/ATI now moves to 55nm (from 80nm - HD2900 cards...RV600).
What did Matrox used before...maybe 130nm?

If they announce the P690 you can assume that the P790 will follow. The difference is minimal.
The question is which name or addition to the name Parhelia is choosen if that one is also updated.


@Marshmallowman: Nice comment!

@rylan: I'm not that sure that the card doesn't support dual link. It's that much of a standard now that no one really announces this feature any more...it's just there.
A question at the matrox forum may help to find out more.

[Tom]

New series offers reliable, ultra-low power graphics solution

That might look better if it was ultra-low power requirement graphics solution.

[Adis]

"rock solid drivers" does that mean there have been no usefull updates for a millenium

[Marshmallowman]

"rock solid drivers" does that mean there have been no usefull updates for a millenium