Graphics I need an experts opinion...

Hey Guys,

Ive decided to buy a Graphics card, but i can only get a PCI card. Now i know i should get a new computer so i can get an AGP card, but unfortunatly thats not an option for me.

I need your opinion, which card should i get.

I had a look on the Hercules site and found this:

Hercules 3D Prophet 4000 PCI 64Mb

I dont know much about this card. I know some info about its older Brother, the Prophet 4500 but thats an AGP card.

Ive also found this on Jungle.com

3D Blaster GeForce2 MX 32MB SDR NVIDIA Chipset PCI

Im not bothered about Price i just want to know which is better. I'll post up their specs:

Hercules-------

3D graphic rendering is now available to all, thanks to the revolutionary designed 3D Prophet 4000XT. The 4000XT is designed to solve your graphic needs without creating a void in your bank account. The 4000XT creates lifelike images through its tile-based rendering process. This innovative 3D graphic rendering format reproduces only the visible aspects of an object, reducing the workload, but not the image quality. Hercules' commitment to bring leading and innovative solutions to gamers continues with the 4000XT. With this new way of rendering images, objects not only increase in accuracy, but color quality is also enhanced thanks to the Internal True Color system. All the blending operations on all the pixels in each tile are performed on-chip in full 32-bit color (16.7 million colors) - whether in 16-bit or 32-bit mode. In 16-bit mode, at the end of the blending process, the final texture is trimmed to its 16-bit value. This way, the image quality in 16-bit mode is as close as you can get to 32-bit image quality.

Key Features
Hercules 3D Prophet 4000XT - Graphics card - PowerVR KYRO - PCI - 64 MB SDRAM

Additional Details



Header:
Compatibility: PC

Manufacturer: HERCULES

Model: 4000XT

Packaged Quantity: 1

Product Line: Hercules 3D Prophet


Memory:
Video / Installed Size: 64 MB

Video / Max Supported Size: 64 MB

Video / Technology: SDRAM


System Requirements:
Min Operating System: Microsoft Windows 95/98, Microsoft Windows 2000


Video Input:
Type: None


Video Output:
Form Factor: Plug-in card

Graphics Processor / Vendor: PowerVR KYRO

Graphics Processor Data Width: 128-bit

Graphics Processors Qty: 1

Interface Type: PCI

Max Resolution (external): 1920 x 1440

Type: Graphics card



GeForce 2---------

Introducing the game accelerator for the masses - the 3D Blaster GeForce2 MX. This incredible accelerator with 2nd generation Transform and Lighting (TandL) engines delivers processing power of up to 20 million triangles per second to the mainstream. Featuring the NVIDIA Shading Rasterizer (NSR), the 3D Blaster GeForce2 MX includes advanced per-pixel shading capabilities for realistic visual effects and fill rates of up to 700 Megatexels per second. With GeForce2 MX, you'll have all the power you need for 3D games at a price you can afford. Best of all, the 3D Blaster GeForce2 MX includes everything you'd expect from a 3D accelerator: 256-bit graphics architecture, true color 32-bit 3D rendering, 32-bit Z/stencil buffer, DXTC texture compression for Direct3D and OpenGL and superior video capabilities including MPEG1 and MPEG2 playback.

Key Features
Creative 3D Blaster GeForce2 MX - Graphics card - nVidia GeForce2 MX - PCI - 32 MB DDR SDRAM

Additional Details



Header:
Compatibility: PC

Manufacturer: CREATIVE LABS

Model: GeForce2 MX

Packaged Quantity: 1

Product Line: Creative 3D Blaster


Memory:
Video / Installed Size: 32 MB

Video / Max Supported Size: 32 MB

Video / Technology: DDR SDRAM


Service:
Support / Type: 3 years warranty


System Requirements:
Min Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 95 OSR2, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP5 or later, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition


Video Input:
Type: None


Video Output:
Form Factor: Plug-in card

Graphics Processor / Vendor: NVidia GeForce2 MX

Graphics Processor Data Width: 256-bit

Graphics Processors Qty: 1

Interface Type: PCI

Max Resolution (external): 2048 x 1536

Type: Graphics card



Ok then, i hope you guys can help me with my desision. I know probably that both cards are crap, but its the best i can do with what ive got. Unless you know of any better PCI cards i can get please tell me which one of these two i should buy.

Thanks alot

 

(Mod's might wanna move this to Graphics Cards )

I can reccommend the Herc. 3D Prophet 4500 - It's not a beast but it does its job well No complaints here!

 

Yes

Of those two It'd be a tough choice, as neither are really fast cards. Personally I think you'd see a bigger difference upgrading CPU and motherboard first (if it doesnt have AGP it must be old) then the video card. I'd go for the PCI MX myself, but the Kyros can perform very well with a fast enough CPU, but if you dont have AGP, I think your cpu wont be slow enough to give the Kyro the advantage it needs.


Moving now

 

Thanks, beleive it or not my motherboard isnt that old, its just crap!

Its a intel 810e. Its a ok motherboard (i know thats not actually the motherboard) but its one of the only ones which doesnt come with an AGP slot. The computers a year old, that maybe old in computer terms, but im not obsesed with it and im not constantly updating it. I just want a graphics card because at the moment it doesnt have one, it has a graphics chipset bulit in.

So the GeForce 2, cheers.

Anymore suggestions anyone...

 

I had this one, it overclocks like a motherf......
[edit:\ wait, sorry I had the DDR version, the SDR ram one is better)

But I was always under the impression that a Kryo II was better, isn't it?

 

Kyro 2 is better, however the original Kyro is at best equal and with a slow cpu would be slower (due to its lack of hardware t'n'l acceleration).

For the Hercules cards.....
Kyro 2 = Prophet 4500 (Available in AGP only, or a faster enhanced version as the Prophet 4800)
Kyro = Prophet 4000XT (AGP and PCI, this is the one Puppet Master mentioned)

 

Perhaps if i told you my system specs it will help you decide.

Windows 98
Intel PIII
733Mhz
128 MB RAM (going to buy another 128MB when i get the card)


I think thats all you need to know. So do you think you could be more accurate now. i thought you guys would all give straight answers all of the same card, but so far ive had 2 and both have said different things.

Thanks for all you help so far...

 

Hmm with a 733Mhz its a tough choice (as this cpu is fast enough for the Hercules 4000 to keep up with the MX despite its lack of hardware t'n'l) but personally I'd go with the MX, because the Kyro series cards can still be a little buggy

My 2p

 

Kyro 1 wasn't too clever a chipset, and GF2MX is the obvious choice over it. Kyro 2 is a much better match. In this case, I'd go GF2MX, but my experience with trying to use a PCI card for gaming (it was a TNT2) is that the PCI bus overloads, having only 133MB/s for graphics, sound, hard disk, I/O....AGP 4X has 533MB/s for graphics alone.

 

Nah, I never had any of those problems Isaac, and I ran my card at 205/315mhz for about a year and a half up until quite recently.
You can game reasonably well with one of these pci cards with no problems, but you do wish you had an agp one

 

get a new mobo and then an agp graphics card. Simple.

 

yeh it is, usually. the kyro chipset relies heavily upon cpu speed, and i would reccoment the graphics card if you have a cpu faster than 500mhz (ideally 800ish)+

the geforce is a less powerful card, but relies less upon ypur cpu. so if your running like a 200mhz p2. then the geforce might be better for you. wel i think it would be infact.

ive not had any experiance of the pci kyro, ive owned the agp version tho. and as agp is faster than pci, the differance between the 2 cards will not be too great. tho ur cpu will determine the differance mainly

y not get a new mobo with agp slot ?

you could get one + a new cpu for under £100.

Jonny

 

I said at the start 'Dont tell me to buy a new mobo because its not an option' Reason: Its not my computer to mess about with, its my Dads, well actually my families. If it were mine i wouldnt buy a PC without an AGP slot seeing as i would only use it for Games. Im only 17 and i dont see the point in buying a new PC for £1000 just for me to play games on. I can buy every single next generation games console for that much!! PS2, X Box, and Game Cube...

So do you think with my PC being 733 Mhz, which card would offer me better features and better 3D gaming?

 

Geforce 2 MX is in my opinion a better bet.

 

yeah I second that, I have one and for what it is, it was great.

 

Ok then i guess the mob has spoken.

So its the GeForce 2 MX.

I thank you for all your help and thoughts, i really appreciate it.

Thanks

 

it took a long time for him to get the answer.

all you nerds blabering on about them, he just needed a straight answer.



i know im funny guys.

lol.

.icecube