EP - Re: Can someone recommend a good 3D AGP Graphics card? I need to go buy one.
Despite the ton of other replies, I thought I'd pollute the thread with my opinion on this as well :)
As I see it, there are really 4 distinct choices - mainly depending on your usage and your pocketbook.
1. Matrox G400 (MAX): Very likely the fastest card of them all. However, OpenGL performance is not up to snuff. They promise it will be, but (similar to other companies I could mention) they haven't delivered in the past, so I would adopt a 'show-me-the-money' attitude. The card is also VERY expensive.
2. TNT2 (Ultra): A bit pricey, but very very fast. Both in DirectX and in OpenGL. Unlike the 3dfx boards (which I haven't and won't include here), the NVIDIA boards have very solid (and very fast) OpenGL drivers. This makes the boards an option for a (PC) workstation environment as well. If you do a lot of 3D Studio MAX or similar things, this might be the one to go with.
3. Savage4 PRO+: (yes, PRO+. Not the plain, not the PRO, but the PRO+). Looks like it could be as fast as the TNT2 Ultra, but at a significantly lower price. The reason I cannot give this card my full recommendation is the relative poor state of the drivers. They look to be getting there, but they are not there yet.
4. Permedia3: (is this even out yet?). The slowest of the bunch in both OpenGL and D3D games. Nothing comes close (except perhaps the TNT2 Ultra) in terms of having a solid OpenGL driver. I wouldn't recommend this card unless 90% of what you used it for was 'professional graphics' (e.g. 3D Studio MAX, Lightwave etc.). Don't know the price of this board, but I'd be willing to bet that it is up there with the G400MAX...
I myself have a plain old TNT at the moment. With a K6-2/333 the limiting factor is my CPU. It makes very little sense for me to get a new board without first getting a new CPU (might grab one of those el'cheapo K6-2/450s). However, I am building a new system as well as looking for a card for my parents system. If the driver issues appear resolved, I would probably go for a Savage4 PRO+ for my parents and a G400MAX for myself. Otherwise, I'd be forced to go with a TNT2 (Ultra), but I would rather have one of the others. It's a shame, really, that they (S3 and Matrox) have such awesome silicon, but such poor drivers.
--fyodor |
