Graphics card ... Which one?

[Polymorphus]

I am planning on upgrading my entire system (CPU, RAM, HDD etc), but have decided to get a new Graphics card for my aging TNT first. Since Nvidia has flooded the market with an assortment of chips at different prices, which one can be considered the best for buck? I don't have any intention of forking out big dollars for the latest and greatest Geforce, Im only running a Celeron 450 atm (Though I do plan on upgrading to a Cel 667). Is it worth getting a TNT 2 Ultra or would a cheaper M64 or Vanta card perform equally as well on my system and cost me less? Also, is there much performance increase depending on the amount of Video Ram the cards come with. Will a 32MB card have a noticeable improvement over a 16MB card, or are the chipsets the main factor when comparing speed?

[Xayd]

On the nVIDIA side, I'd say your best bangs for the bucks are the Geforce 256 DDR (32 meg) and the Geforce2 (32 meg). The 64 meg cards don't yield that much more in raw speed, maybe an extra 5-10 frames per second in the vast majority of games.

The one thing I'd suggest is, read the reviews out there first, as many as you can find. The chipsets on nVIDIA cards are pretty standard across manufacturers, the RAM on the other hand, varies.

It's possible to find a Geforce2 MX that has a high enough grade of RAM that you can overclock it to approach the performance of the Geforce2 GTS, but that depends on the RAM on the card.

Tiretool loves Elsa, I've heard good things about Guillemot and Leadtek as well. Seen a few problems with the Asus ones of late, and I personally had some weird artifacts and greenish 2D with the Asus Geforce 256 DDR that I had.

Great reviews are at...

http://www.maximum3d.com
http://www.sharkyextreme.com
http://www.tomshardware.com

Xayd

[Polymorphus]

The latest and greatest Geforce cards is not what I'm after, mainly cause I can't afford it :( Not only that, those cards would be overkill in a Celeron specced machine such as mine, and would never achieve their full potential. Which is why I was looking more towards a card from a generation or two before the Geforce range. I will have a look around and read some reviews and get benchmarks results and make my decision based on that.

[Xayd]

Of the TNT series, I wouldn't get less than the TNT2 Ultra, and it's around 100 dollars. The thing is, the Leadtek Geforce 256 DDR can be had for around 130 bucks, so price wise, it's not really worth it to go with a lesser card.

Xayd

[Tiretool]

Agreed, anything less than the TNT2 Ultra is a waste of money. Follow Xayd's advice and you'll be glad you did!

[Xayd]

Welcome back Tiretool.

Get the mobo situation worked out?

Glad to have ya back!

Xayd

[Floppyman]

Was just gonna post and ask the same thing....mind sharing with us what happened if you got it worked out? I've been waiting to take you on in CS:), welcome back!

[Polymorphus]

I know what you guys are all saying, the problem being I'm in perth WA, The A*shole end of the World when it comes to pricing computer hardware. For about $200 AUS I can get an Eagle brand TNT 2 Ultra, or $125 for an Eagle brand M64. A Geforce 2 MX of the same brand are going for $230. Now $230 is ok, I could probably handle that, but I wouldn't mind a better branded card for reliability sake. Though thats when things start moving up to $400 and $500 which is way out of my price range, especially considering this is a mediocre machine running only 450 mhz (Until I get more money for a celmine 667). If I could find a distribtor of leadtech hardware in perth, I will see how much there Geforce cards are worth. Does the cards manufacturer influence the performance of the card in any big way. Obviously the larger companies have better driver support, but wouldn't using the Nvidia reference drivers still yeild roughly the same performance of a card from a big company, and a card from an unknown? Or should I really dig deep and find the cash to get something from a better placed company? Oh, and Wlecome back also Tiretool :)

[Xayd]

If those are your local prices, just order online. Never heard of Eagle. If it says "generic" or "house brand" avoid it.

I turned this up in a search for Aussie computer gear retailers...

http://ozsearch.oznetwork.com.au/Business/Companies/Computers/Retailers/


Xayd

[Edited by Xayd on 01-18-2001 at 08:41 PM]

[Tiretool]

Didn't get the mobo situation settled yet. I'm supposed to get a new board tomorrow from Atlanta. The old board was shipped up there to have some tests run on it. (I guess they are trying to see if I damaged the board or if it was a faulty part)

I can't wait to lay the smack down... err..... play a good friendly game of CS with ya Floppy!

Hopefully I'll be back in full force sometime tomorrow evening! Wish me luck!

[Floppyman]

Hey Ttool,

Tomorrow sounds like a good night. Hal and I were planning on playing some CS after I get home from work..around 10ish CST. If you're up and running and on Icq...I'll icq you the ip and we'll all play.

[Tiretool]

Sounds like a plan!

Buckle your chin strap!

[Prader Willi]

This review:

http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/celerongeforce/default.asp

shows that for Celeron's up to 566 the Geforce SDR, DDR and 2 GTS run Quake III at the same framerate. However, for a Celeron 867, there are signficant differences between the various flavors of Geforce (but only at higher resolutions).

Guess it depends on which CPU you choose to upgrade to (and also, on how long you expect to keep the video card before upgrading again).

[Floppyman]

Didn't see you online last night tool. Did you get your system up and running? If so how about CS on Sun.?

[Tiretool]

Sorry Dude,
Didn't get the mobo back from ABIT yet. I guess it will be early to mid next week.
I can still play on my sons' computer.

Post an IP and I'm there.

[Floppyman]

Can you host a game tonight? is 9:30 CST to late?

[Geron]

Where I come from -- Canada -- a Geforce2 MX (Asus v7100 32MB Retail box with games) can be had for C$140 which I presume is approximately $85 USD. If you can't find a cheap GF2MX, you're not looking hard enough. Pick up a local computer newspaper/magazine with local advertising and find the best deal.

Again, beware of generic cards. Good brands are: VisionTek, Asus, Abit, Elsa, Herc., Creative, etc.

[fade2black]

I second that nomination for a GeForce2 MX. I have a celeron 366 running @ 550 and I am using an Asus GeForce2 MX card. This card matches well to the rest of my system. I am getting around 60 FPS in Quake III @ 1024x768 w/all settings maxed. Another great thing is that I have not had any compatibility issues with either hardware or software. Another thing I like about the GeForce2 MX compared to its predecessor, the GeForce, is the lower power consumption of the card (less heat).

I would also like to mention that there is little if any difference in the performance of GeForce cards between companies. The biggest thing to consider about a GeForce2 MX card is that the memory is the limiting factor. Getting one with faster or higher quality memory will allow for some overclocking. That is the reason I went with an Asus card, it uses Hyundai memory. The NVidia spec core/memory speeds for an MX are 175/166 MHz. I currently have mine running at 183/190 Mhz. This increased the performance by roughly 10-15%. The Guilemot/Hercules retail version of the MX also uses Hyundai memory, but it is 183 MHz memroy not 166 MHz memory. However, the Guilemot/Hercules version doesn't come with any extra software (if that matters to you).

As for drivers, you are probably better off using the NVidia reference drivers. While the manufacturer drivers are essentialy the same thing with some cosmetic changes, the reference drivers are updated more quickly and more often.

Ok I am done with my lecture/rant. I sort of got carried away there. :eek: Hopefully this has explained why the MX is a good choice when more bang for the buck is required.

[kraken]

Polymorphus

From an Aussie to an Aussie. Heres the deal.


Eagle brand are a generic and I cannot remember the website (I have eagle mobo(pc partner), and S3 4Mb vid)).\

So far so good. You want an upgrade to your system.


Cely 450 will be suited to a TNT2 32Mb M64 card but only just. The upgrade to a Gforce MX card is warranted but only due to your want of a 667 cely.

Heres a tip, buy from the states and you will save a fortune (even if you declare) Ultra cards go for $60.00 US $110 AUS. Find someone who supplies worldwide and you can be laughing.

Otherwise look for an MX card as the DDR Gforce2 ultra cards cannot be utilised by your system to their fullest potential.