Your last Matrox hardware?

[jackzod]

I voted #2

After owning a G200, a G400 Max and recently a P, this was i think my last matrox product.

All the issues with it, and mostly the fact that they won't face the fact and admit the flaws, turned me away from them. Its sad cause I still considered the g400max I had back then has been the best video card I ever owned (and I've owned a lot of vidcard from every card maker). What they did after the g400 tough is a complete downward spiral.

sad very sad

edit: typo

[chaoliang]

Originally posted by jackzod
I voted #2

After owning a G200, a G400 Max and recently a P, this was i think my last matrox product.

All the issues with it, and mostly the fact that they won't face the fact and admit the flaws, turned me away from them. Its sad cause I still considered the g400max I had back then has been the best video card I ever owned (and I've owned a lot of vidcard from every card maker). What they did after the g400 tough is a complete downward spiral.

sad very sad

edit: typo

Hello Jackzod,

how would you compare the 2D quality of your G400Max and your 9700Pro? Sorry for the repeated question. I don't trust the magazins much and prefer to know the individual judgements from Matrox users. I asked Novdid and Fleabus2. I collect this information for my choice of next card. Thanks!

[MPR]

I voted #2. M has had other problems as well. Dropping support for the G400 Marvel and telling everyone to buy the G450 eTV because it was supported and then dropping future support for that card while they were still selling it.

M has left a bad taste in my mouth and I bought the Parhelia against my better judgement....Legendary support is no more.

[Pace]

Yeah, Matrox appear to have tried their utmost to drive away all their target customers. This poll wont show the results of those who have already been driven away by those products (although they are a separate part), but it would appear that the Parhelia hasn't done *all* that much irreparable damage - if Matrox can at all manage to sort out those with major Parhelia problems, they could keep all their potential customers.

P.

[crow8k3a]

well with the video capture fiasco (ie rainbow runner marvel and etv), i was dissapointed in matrox after the g400 , however i think the parhelia was a good effort and definately a step in the right direction, so if they can keep up this direction and improve i will definately keep buying matrox cards. Despite some flaws, there is no other card id rather have than the parhelia right now. Including the self proclaimed king, the lackluster radeon 9700.

[RichL]

I'm afraid to say I voted #4.
I've had Millenium I, Mill 2, G400Max and later picked up second hand Mystique RRS and G200 PCI for other PCs, and I've been very happy with them all. Especially the G400Max, which is still my primary video card and still cuts enough mustard to do what I want to do with it.

However, the Parhelia, IMO, is overpriced, underpowered and judging by the bugs people keep finding, underdeveloped.

Sure, lots of people can tell me that it doesnt matter if the P gets 60fps in a game and the GForce gets 120, but thats todays game - what about tommorows where the GForce struggles to get 60 - the P will be running freeze frames! For the money Matrox want for the Parhelia, I expect a card thats going to be cutting edge in todays games and be fast enough to last for a few years. Just like my G400.

If Matrox ever release a P2, with all the bugs fixed and with the sort of performance to go head to head with the ATi 9700 et al, then I'll consider buying it.

[3dfx]

To be honest I would have to agree with you there RichL m8, I would hold getting a Parhelia until the hardware is 100%. The main reason I bought one is I got it at the right price I have a certain amount of faith in Matrox but I wish they would give us more info than just when it's done etc policy I will stick with Matrox all the way as I think with fixes and new drivers that the Parhelia is going to kick some ASSss Especially with a fast CPU!!

[Pace]

Underdeveloped indeed

However, for a lower price than 9700, you're getting fair performance, plus more features. The quality should've been there, but it's missing, if they fix that then I'd consider it to be normal service from Matrox. The G400 was basically joint fastest when it came out, but offered so many more features and the usual Matrox quality that it succeeded - outside the fps junkies anyway.

The Parhelia almost managed it. IMO, the quality issues are the only thing hampering it, and they have put my purchase on hold anyway.

[3dfx]

I agree, if only the banding issues were not a problem then I believe it would have succeeded to a certain extent.

[crow8k3a]

other than the banding and tvout being slow, the latter of which is currently being worked on and a fix is in the works, what problems are you guys seeing? If you really do not own a parhelia, your input is really not of consequence. I own one and i am very pleased w/ the card, if i could get any card right now, it would be the parhelia , if the parhelia was 450$ and the radeion 9700 299$, i would still get the parhelia.

[RichL]

Originally posted by crow8k3a
If you really do not own a parhelia, your input is really not of consequence

I didn't buy the Parhelia, although I'm considering it or further products. 69 47.92%
I didn't buy the Parhelia, and I'm glad - no more Matrox for me either. 12 8.33%

56.25% of the posters here disagree with you.

[Maggi]

Originally posted by crow8k3a
other than the banding and tvout being slow, the latter of which is currently being worked on and a fix is in the works, what problems are you guys seeing....

First major flaw is FAA in 3D scenes that use fog, were the AA'ed egdes are applied on top of the fog, resulting in ugly outlines.

I'm still wondering why nobody considered this flaw as a serious possibility for cheating in games, because you can see your enemy although he's hidden behind fog.

The second bud is that Anisotropic filtering was announced to be capable of 8x sampling, but until now it's still chopped off to do 2x sampling.

...

Back to topic:

I didn't vote, because my option is not available.

"I bought a Parhelia, I was a fan, but I'm burned due to lack of support on the reported Parhelia flaws and therefore I cannot recommend to buy any present or future cards from Matrox, until they fully acknowledge the problems, take their responsibility and fix all cards that are affected."

[DGhost]

Maggi, i was in the same plight, so i just voted for #2.. seemed closest

[crow8k3a]

The survey is somewhat irrelevent as most surveys are, there are no conditions met prior to answering, thus invalid, an only use is for entertainment purposes only. So my opinion is just that, and still valid whether or not "others" whoever they might be, disagree.

2nd the fragment antialiasing is hardly a problem as ic it. do you use it much? the only game i notice much of a problem is in nolf2, and the next driver set should have a fix for that. Please specify the game in which it hinders.

I never use antistropic filtering, to me it is a waste of processing, when the game is moving you can hardly even notice it at all.

These problems are minor, every card has minor bugs, cmon, look at the radeon, where to even start...

[lurqa_MU]

Voodoo3 / G200

Originally posted by chaoliang
Is 9700Pro better than Voodoo3 in 2D? (Voodoo3 is not that good as my old G200)

Funny, I just replaced my G200 card with a Voodoo3 because the 2D quality was slightly better (on analog TFT display) and the DivX playback speed was much better.

It is my feeling that in some cases the last 5-10% of the 2D quality depend on the individual cards.

Regards,
lurqa