Hardware AGP Grows Up
Owen Linderholm
09/01/98
Windows Magazine
Page 111
Copyright 1998 CMP Publications Inc.
Is the age of AGP about to dawn? The Real 3D StarFighter graphics card we reviewed in July was the first to deliver on AGP's promise of excellent performance for demanding 3D graphics, as well as the first Intel740-based card we had seen. Our AGP test, for example, reported that the StarFighter made full use of the AGP bus. Here's a look at how two more entries in the AGP graphics card market stack up.
Diamond Stealth II G460
Like the Real 3D StarFighter, the Diamond Stealth II G460 is based on the Intel740 graphics processor. Graphics quality is excellent, with good alpha channel blending, making it an excellent choice for advanced 3D design and modeling, and for entertainment. In our tests, it scored 3.4 Reality Marks, close to a tie for top honors with the Real 3D StarFighter, Matrox Mystique G200 reviewed here and the PCI-based STB Velocity 128 (see Reviews, this issue). In particular, 3D performance was superb, but performance was less impressive on 2D applications, both at the standard 800x600 resolution and in true color at higher resolutions.
The card is easy enough to install-simply plug it in and load up the drivers. However, after the initial phase of the install, I needed two restarts to load drivers and change the settings and resolution to the 800x600, 16-bit color mode we use for initial testing. Similar to most midrange 3D graphics cards, the Stealth II G460 can perform advanced 3D functions, including bilinear and trilinear filtering (for smoother, more accurate texture mapping onto surfaces), MIP mapping (different sized texture maps for close-ups and distance), anti-aliasing (smoothing jagged edges), shading and perspective correction.
The Stealth II G460 uses a 203MHz RAMDAC, so it can manage resolutions up to 1600x1200 with 256 colors and a 60Hz refresh rate, plus true color up to 1024x768 with an 85Hz refresh rate. Diamond also throws in a pile of software, including the game Incoming, Fremont 3D data visualization software, WorldView, a 3D animation package for PowerPoint, and software from MGI and Adobe for manipulating video and 2D images. But the software control panel tools are a little harder to use than those of other manufacturers, with two separate sets of menus for resolution and color depth rather than a single combined selection.
This card is compatible with Diamond's DTV 2000 TV Tuner and video capture upgrade, an add-on card that works with the Stealth II G460 and other Diamond cards to provide TV reception and various video features. The G460 also comes with MPEG I, Indeo and Cinepak full-screen video playback capability, but it lacks hardware MPEG II support for achieving the best DVD playback.
All in all, the Diamond Stealth II G460, at $129.95, is a good card for the 3D graphics professional, but it is not the best choice for 2D or in systems where DVD support is a must.
Matrox Mystique G200
Matrox takes a proprietary approach to the graphics card business, using its own graphics processors, with the ensuing benefit of complete control over features and the disadvantage of having to go it alone in a competitive marketplace. But it, too, has solved the AGP puzzle by delivering decent performance. However, while the overall performance of the card was very good, AGP performance alone was not as good as that of Intel740-based cards-more like 1.5X AGP, perhaps, than the 2X AGP the other two cards deliver. In the AGP section of our Final Reality test, the Mystique G200's performance lagged that of the Diamond Stealth II G460 and the Real 3D StarFighter.
However, this card offers several unique extras. Overall, 3D performance was excellent, but the StarFighter and STB Velocity 128 achieved better 2D performance scores. The Mystique achieved a top-notch Final Reality score of 3.44, matching the Real 3D StarFighter. Graphics quality in games was truly outstanding, better than any board we've seen so far, with fast, accurate redraws and superb image clarity.
The Mystique G200 also includes TV output as standard, and the graphics engine incorporates a 230MHz RAMDAC to achieve great image clarity. The card can also manage 24-bit color at resolutions as high as 1600x1200 pixels with an 85Hz refresh rate, better than any other card in its class.
Matrox has add-ons available for hardware MPEG II acceleration and for digitizing video, as well as a TV tuner. But this card truly excels for the 3D design professional and the 3D gamer by delivering plenty of performance and very high image display quality. The software bundle of three games, MotorHead, Incoming and Tonic Trouble, makes the intended audience clear. At $149, the Matrox Mystique G200 is a good choice as a specialized graphics card for these applications.
--Quick View--
Diamond Stealth II G460
Bottom Line: A fast 3D graphics card good for general use
Price: $129.95
Platforms: 95, 98, NT
Pros: Fast 3D performance; lots of features and bundled software
Cons: Only average 2D performance
Diamond Multimedia Systems, 800-468-5846, 408-325-7000. Winfo #782
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Matrox Mystique G200
Bottom Line: A fast 3D graphics card with good features
Price: $149
Platforms: 95, 98, NT
Pros: Fast performance for both 2D and 3D; good graphics for games; lots of features
Cons: Text could be crisper
Matrox Graphics, 800-361-1408, 514-969-6320. Winfo #783
September 01, 1998
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