Anyone knows about the Canopus Spectra X21 (a GF3 Ti500 board)???

[tammy]

Well, the Canopus Spectra X21 is basically a video card besed on nVidia's GF3 Ti500, and is probably one of the few boards that are not based upon nVidia's reference design. I was wondering if there's any user that has used this board? If so, please share your experiences, thoughts, etc.

You can view the product description here: Canopus Spectra X21. (BTW, the page is in Japanese language.) From what I have heard from some of users in Asia (particularly Japan), I personally think it's a nice product. And even the BNC Ouptuts are available (at extra cost) for those who are not satisfied with D-Sub connector. It should be a great product, except that the price is a bit too high (as all other Canopus products usually are.)

Another problem is that I was not able to find a retailer in the US that carries this product... It seems like that Canopus releases Graphic Boards in Japan only. So if any of you know any store that carries this product and ships to US, please let me know.

All inputs/comments will be appreciated, and thanks in advance to all of you.

 

[Quetzalboat]

Dear Tammy,

Honestly I've seen this brand, but not much.
And I've never seen any comparative review about this product, so I can't say about the quality compared to others.
And because you said about GeForce3 Ti500, not a cheap low-grade VGA Card indeed.
I advise you to buy something that was proven having good quality i.e 2D and 3D performance, extra features : TV Out, Digital Video Interface (DVI), VideoInVideoOut (VIVO).

according to some comparative reviews (test analysis with some VGA Card on the same PC configuration), some brands with good performance are :
a. Hercules (good but expensive)
b. Gainward CardExpert (prime 2D and 3D quality)
c. ELSA (a little bit expensive)
d. Leadtek (good 3D and average 2D quality)
e. ASUS (good 3D but poor 2D quality)
f. Visiontek, PNY (average quality)
g. Powercolor, MSI (below average quality but economic price)

And before you buy something, please do not forget to ask for guarantee and after sales service (some store can accept 'retour' in some limited conditions and buying time).
In case you get a bad one and can't retour it or change it with other product, it means you spend your bucks for nothing.
The important thing for a video card is its display performance and ability :
2D and 3D quality, driver support, refresh rate, memory speed used, overclockability, benchmark result, features, maximum display.

 

[tazdevl]

Tammy, Canopus used to make cards for the US market about 18-24 months ago. I think they got in over their head supporting the US since they are based in Japan (overhead, logistics, etc...). So they pulled back and only support and market in the Asia Pacific region today. I doubt you will be able to find one here. Best bet is to order one from Asia and have them ship it here. I don't know if they will support it though. Also, their Ti500 card is incredibly expensive. I saw a price in a news post a while back and it was over $500.

I'd agree with Quetzal by suggesting a Gainward Geforce3 Golden which has VIVO (video in/out $269) or regular Gainward Geforce3 ($229) if you don't need the video in. Another option is a ATI All-in-Wonder 8500 DV which should be out in December if you need VIVO, TV tuning etc.... ($399-499) or just need video out... buy a ATI Radeon 8500 ($225 be sure you buy a retail not OEM.... they're different).

The Ti500 is the same thing as a Geforce3 with a core that is guaranteed to run 40MHZ faster and the same speed memory that runs 40MHZ faster as well. Most GeForce3 cards today will run @ Ti500 speeds. The Titanium Series is just a simple marketing strategy where they renamed an existing product and clocked it higher to justify a much higher price.

It's an interesting point in graphics technology... nVIDIA's new card should be out in February and ATI's should be out soon after. Those products will be worth the money and the wait with significant improvements in gameplay and image quality.

If you aren't aware, a great place to go check prices and find retailers is PriceWatch.

 

[tammy]

Thank you all for replying my post...

Actually, I own a Spectra 8400 (a GF2 GTS board) by Canopus. (I bought one during my last trip to Japan.) Together with the Canopus BNC-Connetor module (and my dear Eizo T761 monitor), I think it offers the best 2D-quality I've ever seen on a nVidia board (comparing with other video cards based on nVidia chipsets, of course; Matrox board still shines when it comes to 2D quality.) That's why this X21 board is so tempting to me...

I've actually tried out quite a few video cards, including ASUS, Leadtek, ELSA, etc. While I'm generally impressed with the 3D performance, none of those offers good-enough 2D quality based on my experiences. I've never used Hercules or Gainward boards, though. For me, extra features such as VIVO, TV-out, etc, are not important. I probably won't use those. The most important thing for me is the image quality. But I guess I probably won't be able to get one until I actually go to Japan for another time...

So I'd probably go for a Gainward card instead then... or maybe an ATI Radeon 8500. So here's one last dumb question: Which of the two, in your opinions, performs better, in terms of 2D image quality?

Again, thank you all.

 

[tazdevl]

Hey Tammy... not dumb questions @ all. I bought a couple of Canopus Voodoo2's back in the day and was totally disappointed when they pulled out of the US market. They do make great products.

If 2D is your main concern and you don't game @ all. I'd say get a Matrox 550. They have the bext 2D in the market. Lot of people that are graphic artists etc... buy Matrox cards.

The 8500 has great 2D as well, pretty much on par with Matrox (400MHZ RAMDAC). Depending on the application... beats, meets, or is somewhere between the GF3Ti500 and GF3. Their antialiasing technology looks better than nVIDIA's and doesn't take as big of a performance hit. Just be sure you buy the retail version of the card. The OEM is clocked slower and has slower RAMDAC. The difference in 2D really comes out above 1280*1024.

If you do buy it, go to ATI and download the latest beta drivers. Most people have had great success doing a reformat before installing the card. nVIDIA leaves behind some registry keys that cause a conflict or two.

The Gainward and 8500 are pretty much on par in 2D up to 1280*1024. It offers a bit more compatibility with games, but the 8500 is faster.

Now that I think of it... perhaps the best thing to do is to head to Best Buy and pick up a 8500. Give it a try and if you don't like it, you can always return it within 14 days and get your money back. If you do like it, return it (I think it goes for $299) and find a etailer that sells it for $225. Save you $75.

Any more questions, just PM me.