(OT) Vid Card Question

I currently have a Geforce2 MX 400, and I am looking at getting the ATI Radeon 8500. I am wondering how much of an increase in performance I will get by going to the 8500. How is the Opengl support? Main sims are GPL, FIA GT Mod, ALMS Mod, and starting to seriously get into N2002 (but not good enough to join RASCAR yet lol) Any other things I might consider? Other system specs... P4 1.6 gig, SB Live 384 megs SD Ram, blah, blah,blah :-) Thanks for the info -- Edward Commissioner MARA Middle-Aged Racers Association

"Edward C" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:mtbM8.214711$[email hidden]... > I currently have a Geforce2 MX 400, and I am looking at getting the ATI > Radeon 8500. I am wondering how much of an increase in performance I will > get by going to the 8500. How is the Opengl support? > Main sims are GPL, FIA GT Mod, ALMS Mod, and starting to seriously getinto > N2002 (but not good enough to join RASCAR yet lol) Heck Ed, (that's the old University of Washington Basketball arena lol) If me an Eldred make the race this Saturday, you already are good enough...

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> Any other things I might consider? > Other system specs... P4 1.6 gig, SB Live 384 megs SD Ram, blah, blah,blah > :-) > > Thanks for the info > > -- > Edward > Commissioner

Going from a geforce 2 mx to a higher card like the Radeon will give you some increase in fps. But I think it won't be a HUGE amount. What you will see is that your current system can move up a screen resolution or two and still maintain or slightly improve your past fps. Remember the MX is the value portion of the Nvidia product line...try to avoid them especially if you look at the Geforce 4 video cards. Now hopefully a Radeon user or two can comment on the compatibility of the card with the sims you mentioned. dave henrie

Before I would get a Radeon 8500, I would look seriously at the gfIII ti 200. I just got one, the price is good. Course I haven't looked at any comparison benchmarks between it and the radeon. "Edward C" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:mtbM8.214711$[email hidden]... > I currently have a Geforce2 MX 400, and I am looking at getting the ATI > Radeon 8500. I am wondering how much of an increase in performance I will > get by going to the 8500. How is the Opengl support? > Main sims are GPL, FIA GT Mod, ALMS Mod, and starting to seriously getinto

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> N2002 (but not good enough to join RASCAR yet lol) > Any other things I might consider? > Other system specs... P4 1.6 gig, SB Live 384 megs SD Ram, blah, blah,blah > :-) > > Thanks for the info > > -- > Edward > Commissioner > MARA Middle-Aged Racers Association > >

Just don't get any of the MX-labelled GF3/4 cards - they don't support DX8! "Edward C" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:mtbM8.214711$[email hidden]... > I currently have a Geforce2 MX 400, and I am looking at getting the ATI > Radeon 8500. I am wondering how much of an increase in performance I will > get by going to the 8500. How is the Opengl support? > Main sims are GPL, FIA GT Mod, ALMS Mod, and starting to seriously getinto

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> N2002 (but not good enough to join RASCAR yet lol) > Any other things I might consider? > Other system specs... P4 1.6 gig, SB Live 384 megs SD Ram, blah, blah,blah > :-) > > Thanks for the info > > -- > Edward > Commissioner > MARA Middle-Aged Racers Association > >

"jon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:ITdM8.50543$[email hidden]... > Before I would get a Radeon 8500, I would look seriously at the gfIII ti > 200. I just got one, the price is good. Course I haven't looked at any > comparison benchmarks between it and the radeon. All benchmarks I have seen have the 8500 quite a bit faster. And as an all around card I prefer it. Have used both and the 2D quality of the Radeon is much much better. And can be found quite cheap now. ATI has a new card due in the fall I believe. Bill

Yeah, one thing nvidia is not really good at is 2D quality, which is unfortunate. When I bought my Ti500, I considered the Radeon 8500, but at that time the Radeon was going through the typical ATI 'tough-period' with drivers. They always do with new cards. I am watching with great enthusiasm the new Matrox Parhelia. If it is as good in reality as it is on paper, it may very well be my next card. I like nVidia cards for 3D gaming, but as I age I find I'm no longer willing to give up 2D quality to get it. I'll take a few FPS less to get 1st-class 2D in the same package. And if nothing else, Matrox has got 2D video quality _nailed_ like no other manufacturer. ATI comes in second. -Larry "FerretBill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> > "jon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:ITdM8.50543$[email hidden]... > > Before I would get a Radeon 8500, I would look seriously at the gfIII ti > > 200. I just got one, the price is good. Course I haven't looked at any > > comparison benchmarks between it and the radeon. > > All benchmarks I have seen have the 8500 quite a bit faster. And as an all > around card I prefer it. Have used both and the 2D quality of the Radeon

is

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> much much better. And can be found quite cheap now. ATI has a new card due > in the fall I believe. > > Bill > > >

"Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:l8vM8.30099$[email hidden]...

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> Yeah, one thing nvidia is not really good at is 2D quality, which is > unfortunate. When I bought my Ti500, I considered the Radeon 8500, but at > that time the Radeon was going through the typical ATI 'tough-period' with > drivers. They always do with new cards. > > I am watching with great enthusiasm the new Matrox Parhelia. If it is as > good in reality as it is on paper, it may very well be my next card. I

like > nVidia cards for 3D gaming, but as I age I find I'm no longer willing to > give up 2D quality to get it. I'll take a few FPS less to get 1st-class2D > in the same package. > > And if nothing else, Matrox has got 2D video quality _nailed_ like noother > manufacturer. ATI comes in second. That they do, unfortunately never, until this card hopefully, had the 3D quality. The ATI frivers are rock solid now. And the 8500 is definitely the best balance between 2D and 3D available right now IMHO Bill

> nVidia cards for 3D gaming, but as I age I find I'm no longer willing to > give up 2D quality to get it. I'll take a few FPS less to get 1st-class 2D > in the same package. > -Larry * Well I dont know if its age but I have always felt that way. I am also waiting for the Parhelia and I am a gamer who is still using my G400TV since I refuse to give up 2d. Until recently I could stay quite competitive with my G400 but in the last batch of shooters I had to finally say Uncle. I was looking at a GF3 until I saw the announcement by Matrox, so I guess I keep the G400 for a bit longer =) Scott

I think I would agree, even though I'm an nVidia owner. I sometimes wish I would have gone with the 8500 and waited out the driver problems. But, ATI had such a bad history regarding this, I decided to play it safe even though I knew the 2D would not be as good. Next time around, I think a change is in order. Though I don't use the video-out on my Ti500, I hear this is another area where nVidia is week compared to ATI. -Larry "FerretBill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > > "Larry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:l8vM8.30099$[email hidden]... > > Yeah, one thing nvidia is not really good at is 2D quality, which is > > unfortunate. When I bought my Ti500, I considered the Radeon 8500, butat > > that time the Radeon was going through the typical ATI 'tough-period'with > > drivers. They always do with new cards. > > > > I am watching with great enthusiasm the new Matrox Parhelia. If it isas

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> > good in reality as it is on paper, it may very well be my next card. I > like > > nVidia cards for 3D gaming, but as I age I find I'm no longer willing to > > give up 2D quality to get it. I'll take a few FPS less to get 1st-class > 2D > > in the same package. > > > > And if nothing else, Matrox has got 2D video quality _nailed_ like no > other > > manufacturer. ATI comes in second. > > That they do, unfortunately never, until this card hopefully, had the 3D > quality. The ATI frivers are rock solid now. And the 8500 is definitely

the > best balance between 2D and 3D available right now IMHO > > Bill > >