Best PCI video card

[AMongo]

I'm about to build a Pandora PC, and it's on board video it terrible. The only slot available for expansion is a PCI slot. Any suggestions on a video card that might be able to handle a little Quake 3 or UT?

Thanks.

[IntelMole]

Last PCI I knew of was in the GeForce 2 or Radeon range...

I couldn't be sure that there was any PCI cards made after that though... kind of a dying standard is PCI...

That should run Q3A perfectly fine, though a tad slower than a GF4 ,
IntelMole

[Vrock]

Uh, I may get flak for this, but if you are using win98/me I recommend the V5 5500 PCI. Yeah, 3dfx is gone and driver support is nonexistent except for the enthusiast community, but it's a superior card to the GF2MX.

Failing that, get a Radeon like IntelMole said. G

[AMongo]

I was considering a GeForce 2 MX 400 w/64mb SDram. How do you think a Voodoo 5500 would stack up against that??

[Derek Andersen]

Uh...AMongo's talking about a Pandora, right? Soldam's little Flex ATX cube?

I seriously doubt a Voodoo5 5500 PCI is going to fit in that; the Voodoo5 is, what, 240mm long? The Pandora's only 225mm to a side.

A Voodoo4 4500 PCI might fit, but it might be even harder to find than a Voodoo5. ATI seems to make fairly recent Radeons available in PCI versions (relatively speaking), but I don't have enough recent experience with them to be able to recommend them.


Derek Andersen


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Derek Andersen on 2002-02-15 10:13 ]</font>

[Bruce]

Hi,

I'm in a similar situation (want to upgrade a Dell PC with 8MB built-in ATI Rage Pro - ie, no AGP slot). I think this is the best card I could find in the UK. But I did a quick check on eBay and can pick up a GeForce2 MX (not MX400 or MX200) for ~£30, so I'll do that. I doubt I'll lose much performance compared with the MX400 seeing as it PCI....

Bruce

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bruce on 2002-02-15 03:50 ]</font>

[AMongo]

Derek,

Yes, I was talking about Soldam's flex ATX cube. Thanks for the reminder about the length, I hadn't even considered that. I think I'm going to go with a GeForce 2 MX of some sort. I think the Ati cards might have some better features, but all I want is to play a game or two every once in a while, and I think the Nvidia's will be the best for that.

[Trident Troll]

Kyro boards come in PCI flavor. And they typically run circles around GeF2MX boards. I don't know about Kyro2. I don't recall seeing any PCI versions of those.

[Coldfirex]

What is the processor speed? If its enough id recommend trying to get a kyro2

[AMongo]

I'm going to use a 1.13 fc-pga2 p-3.

Think that's enough?

[Coldfirex]

More than enough...go for the kyro2 definately imo

[Bruce]

My box is a Win98/Linux dual boot - the Kyro is not an option here. The Kyro is worth considering if you are Windows-only.

[AMongo]

Hercules lists a 64MB Kyro II in a PCI version, but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Anybody have any ideas? Also, if I can't find this, how about a Kyro I w/32mb?

[JustAnEngineer]

I found only one listing on Pricewatch for the Prophet 4000 PCI (32MB=$71). That's a Kyro I card. I did find several GeForce2 MX400 PCI boards (64MB OEM=$71, 32MB OEM=$73) and ATI's Radeon 7000 DDR PCI (64MB=$79, 32MB=$64), as well as the Voodoo5-5500 PCI (64MB OEM=$131) from 3dfx.

Looking at a performance comparison of these cards here:
http://www.rivastation.com/vgacharts_e.htm

It appears that the Radeon 64MB DDR is the best PCI video card available.

5000 in 3Dmark2000 isn't too shabby:
http://www.rivastation.com/review/vgach ... 4-32-1.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JustAnEngineer on 2002-02-17 00:07 ]</font>

[EnDlEsS]

Voodoo 5 PC or Kyro II PCI..

Radeon 7000/Radeon VE is not a PCI chipset, ATI just force it to be a PCI chipset..

[JustAnEngineer]

As near as one can tell, the Kyro II PCI card is a myth. Can you find a store that is selling it?

Voodoo5-5500 PCI is not bad, but it certainly looks as if the Radeon DDR is better. ATI is still selling and supporting their cards. It is getting harder and harder to find drivers for my Voodoo5-5500 (AGP) or other 3dfx cards.

[IntelMole]

I've seen one place... Dixons in Chatham, Kent, <b>ENGLAND </b>

O yer I'm the only one...

Apart from you Bruce,
IntelMole

[0oALio0]

3dfx driver can be found here: http://www.x3dfx.com/