rec.autos.simulators

I've just posted the GeForce2 MX / V5500 article at T&R. www.slottweak.com

Posted here as promised.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

so combined with Karsten Borchers quality comparison at www.borchers.dk it
is now evident that V5 rules - hehe

Thomas

the MX is nothing compare with the v5 correct, but the MX is the entry level
cheap version of the geforce DDR/Ultra models.  lets compare those two and see
who rules? :)  infact, the v5 is about x2 the price of a MX ($170 vs $87).

Obake

At the risk of offending a guy who keeps a very tidy site, in fact I've
added it to my favourites as a worthwhile resource, posting an article like
that is as useful as providing me with one that tells me how much better my
Landcruiser can negotiate a riverbed as opposed to my wifes Corolla.
The most I got from your hard new years eve work is a feeling of regret that
I sold my old 464 and TNT card. I've still got a few OpenGL games as well.
Seriously, keep up the excellent work on the site and I'll look forward to
finding an article on GeForce2 GTS/Pro versus V5.

BTW, my MX is best value for $$$ spent.

Tinker

Just so there are no misinterpretations of the point of the article, and
because most of us tend to read into something what our hearts tell us to, a
little more explanation may be needed. Most of this was covered in the
article but may have been missed by a few.

- Since 3dfx is out of business, is the V5500 worth getting for under $180?

- The GeForce2 MX I tested was $139. It has TV out and Dual Head. It's the
best price I could find on this card. If you check pricewatch.com and see
the $87 MX's, check the seller's web site. They'll have this card for $139.
These features aren't necessary, but they worked nicely and would be a
benefit to some. My kids and I had a blast with it.

- Is it fair to compare the MX with the 5500? Well, if you have under $200
to spend and someone suggests you get the MX, this article may help you
decide how far you should go. I think I made it quite clear that GeForce2
Ultra is the top of the line, powerhouse nVidia card.

- Is the MX worth getting for gamers? Yes, it performed very well on GPL and
Nascar Heat at 1280x1024 resolution, and would handle other games at
1024x768. I'd say that's pretty good for a value card.

- If you have $100 to spend, is the MX (non-dual head/TV) the best buy?
Maybe, maybe not. A GeForce 256 DDR can be bought for $100 and I suspect
it's quite a bit faster than the GF2MX (if I remember correctly). I would
really love to compare this card with the MX and V5500, but I'm not made of
money and these cards aren't given to me. This MX is going into a computer
I'm building for a friends mother. But, if someone wants to loan me
one.........

- If you have a Voodoo 3 (2000 or 3000) and think you might want to upgrade,
how much performance can you gain and at what price.

-  Here's a one I hear a lot. You're looking at buying the new MX but really
want to try FSAA. Will you be happy with the MX?

Now, my hat is off to all of you guys. All the mail I've received on this
article (so far) has been nice. Even those who didn't like the results
started off by saying something like "your article was well written" or
"appreciate your hard work" or something similar to that. All in all, a real
pleasure with comments like that.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

  Yer artical was CRAP!  you couldn't write your way out of a left turn
lane...
hahaha   Anyone who dares to calmly choose between two products is always
gonna risk getting smoked...glad you came out unsinged...
dave henrie

Very interesting that you prefer a loop-cable solution which also
introduces distortion to the image, over a 2D/3D solution. The MX is
really that bad ?

--
Olav K. Malmin
remove .spam when replying

I have a Voodoo 3 and an MX, and the 2D quality is about the same, at
least on my smallish monitor. The Matrox G200 I have at work, and it's
simply in it's own class. If you're looking for a good 3D card (which
teh G200 isn't), however, I believe the 2D quality isn't that much
different with those.

-Gregor

we're comparing very different cards AGAIN. (but this seems to be the topic of
this thread.  comparing totally different cards/prices)  matrox are (one of,
if not THE) the leaders in 2D graphics, and anyone knows this.  geforce is
mainly for gamers, and marketed as such.

Obake

I dont disagree that a V5500 is a far faster card than a 109.00 GTS mx. What i
think you missed tho, would be future driver support for the v5500? Since this
company is no longer in tact, will there still be driver support in 6 months-1
yr. When we are all running win 2000 ver xx, will the v5500 still be
supported. Can anyone say at this point in time.  True I might not still be
running a MX 1 year from now, but you can never tell, and im assured, by
NVIDIA being in business, to have driver support.

I don't want to eliminate people's fear of Voodoo driver support entirely,
but there are some things to consider.

-If I was a software developer releasing a new game in 6 months, I think I'd
realize that at least 1/4 of all potential game buyers are running some kind
of Voodoo card.While the game wouldn't have Glide support, I'd surely be
certain it was compatible with these cards.
-Some of the 3dfx software writers may still release drivers on their own if
they are not connected with nVidia now. As a group they were very dedicated
to, and believed in, the 3dfx  products.
-You can not be assured that nVidia will be around in 6 months. Diamond,
Aureal and 3dfx took most of us by surprise. You don't know that Intel or
ATI or someone else won't buy out nVidia. So, you are never guaranteed
driver support. No company is safe, didn't we just learn this?
-Will new versions of Windows support the V5500? Well, aren't there S3 and
other older video card drivers in the WinME driver base? Tons of them. One
of MS's downfalls is also one it's best features. Unlike Apple, it supports
past technology while it moves ahead.
-The V5500 drivers work very well, they're stable and fast. We don't need
driver updates every week to keep video cards working. My 1 1/2 year old TNT
with 2.08 drivers works pretty good in most games I throw at it. Contrary to
what some r.a.s. readers may believe, not everyone updates video card
drivers every week. Most of my local friends, while they like racing on
computers, are not tech savvy. They run 2 year old computers with 2 year old
video card drivers. They buy new games at EB and they run just fine on their
old Voodoo2 or 3 cards. I suspect that they are like 75% of the people out
there.

I'm not trying to tell everyone to run out and buy a V5500. The point isn't
that one card is $109 and the other $170. The point is, if you were
considering buying a V5500, and have now been told that you should save a
couple bucks and get an MX because it's just as fast and cheaper, will you
be happy with it?  I received quite a bit of email asking this question, so
I decided to find out. I tried to be fair with both cards and point out
their good features.

If you have a V5500 now and a large monitor, try this. Set your Glide to
4xFSAA and GPL to 1600x1200. Fire it up and look at the picture. I know, I
know... it's undrivable because you're only getting 7 to 10 fps, but look at
that picture. Not a jaggy in site. Not even a little. Look at the textures.
Now imagine being able to drive that, pegged at 36 fps. Doesn't it make you
wish that 3dfx could have released the 6000 before going out of business?

For sim racing, gents, the 5500 is a good deal at it's current price. For
some other games like UT it's also a good deal. When WSC comes out, will we
need a GeForce Ultra? Who knows. Not according to the West Bros,
maybe.(maybe they can answer this right here) Also, consider that you often
get faster video scores by upgrading your cpu than upgrading your video
card. And the way things are going, it's often cheaper.

I already have a V5500. If I had the extra cash (and my daughter didn't need
braces, ouch), I'd love to get a GeForce2 Ultra and give it a try. I doubt
it would help in GPL, but in CMR2 it could make a big difference. Would I
keep it? Don't know, but I'd sure like to find out.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com