buy a GF3 or would a GF2 do me?

[Innoka]

I am looking for a video card and considering either a GF3 or a much cheaper GF2. Generally looking to play at 1024x768, with some fsaa when playing simulators but fsaa not a requirement on all games.
I have read some comments about the 2/4x fsaa on the GF3 not being very good on simulators. Perhaps they are overlooking Quincunx. How do others find the GF3 fsaa? Have you improved shimmering textures with GF3 settings?
I'm never on the cutting edge of games and am looking to see if I can save some money, I can get a GF2 Titanium for 40% of the price of a GF3 Ti!

 

[Egrimm]

It depends on how long you want to keep the card. A GF2 might be enough for you, but if you want fsaa and high fps in newer games then get a GF3.

The GF2 being 40% cheaper than a GF3 depends on what brands you look at, my Palit Daytona GeForce3 Ti200 cost 10$ more than a MSI GF2 Ti. And it oc'ed to the level of a GF3 Ti500.

Haven't tried it's fsaa yet as I usually run 1024x768 and I can live with no fsaa and better framerates at that resolution. Will try it when I get home.

 

[Workin']

That depends if you want to play newer games with all the goodies. The GF3 has several technical features the GF2 lacks - they're not too important right now, but as new games come out they will give a bigger and bigger advantage.

I paid $170 shipped for my Gainward GF3 Ti200. 40% of that is $68. Don't think you're gonna get a GF2 Ti for that.... The least expensive GF2 Ti I found in a quick search was $114 shipped. So for $56 you can be very near the cutting edge and at least somewhat "future-proofed".

And the performance difference between the GF2 and GF3 is pretty large, in my experience. The games and settings that used to make my GF2 Pro sweat at 1024x768 now are easily handled by the GF3 at 1600x1200. I know you said you play at 1024x768, this is just meant to be an example of how much more powerful the GF3 is.

 

[EMAN]

By the time we have games that support geforce 3 features, we'll have geforce 4 making geforce 3 price go for geforce 2 prices now. Geforce 4 is around the corner.

 

[Workin']

And by the time the Geforce 4 is out the Geforce 5 will be just around the corner, etc.

The GF3 is still quite a bit (OK, a LOT) faster than a GF2, even if you don't use any of the more advanced features.

 

[Egrimm]

Plus, as I said before the Palit Ti200 doesn't cost more than a GF2 Ti and gives much higher performance. Okay, so I'm promoting this card a lot but it's because it's awesome.

Seriously, the cheap GF2s are MXs and they doesn't perform very well, they certainly doesn't have the power to play with fsaa. To get a PF2 that perform well enough to make an upgrade you have to get a GF2 Pro or Ti and, well, see my above...

Oh, just remembered that I promised to test the fsaa of my Ti200, just a moment and I'll tell you how it does.

 

[Egrimm]

Okay, I've quickly tried the fsaa settings. There are no shimmering textures with any of them. They look about the same as on my old GF2 Pro, Quincunx looks better than 2x but worse (less sharp) than 4x but does perform quite a bit better, but still worse than 2x (20fps in Q3A). I tested it iin Q3A, not the best game to test fsaa in I known, but I haven't any simulators like you asked about.

 

[Innoka]

Thanks for trying Egrimm. Simulators have a special way of looking horrible with textures though. I would probably use Quincunx with anisotropic where I could.
As for those who doubt my percentage converstion, I can get a GF2 Ti for the same price as a Hercules Kyro II 4500. Does that clear it up for you?
If I will use the GF2 in the same way as the GF3 for most of this year then I might as well save money now and wait till my games are beginning to use the extra features and the GF3 is cheaper.

 

[EMAN]

Workin' I said that because it is actually around the corner. Maybe a month or so.

I think you should buy whatever. If you want 4x FSAA than by all means get the geforce 3 but if you just want 2x than get the geforce 2.

If you want something cheaper than you should really look at Radeon 7500. It's pretty fast and has equal image quality to geforce 3.

As for future proof. There is no such things.

 

[Rand]

<<

I paid $170 shipped for my Gainward GF3 Ti200. 40% of that is $68. Don't think you're gonna get a GF2 Ti for that.... The least expensive GF2 Ti I found in a quick search was $114 shipped. So for $56 you can be very near the cutting edge and at least somewhat "future-proofed".

>>



Where are you looking that the cheapest GF2 Ti you can find is $114?! :Q
I can find a 32MB GF2 Ti for as low as $68, and a 64MB GF2 Ti for as low as $86.
Cheapest GF3 Ti200 I can find is $151.
Not quite the %40 difference Innoka managed to find, but still fairly decently cheaper then any GF3.

Mind you all of the above models I would classify as fairly cheap generic cards.
The cheapest GF2/GF3 that I consider a worthwhile purchase being from a more reputable manufacturer with reasonably decent 2D and potential overclockability would be...
Gainwards GF3 Ti200 @ $163
and Gainward's GF2 Ti/450 @ $95.

My opinion on the GF3's FSAA is somewhat negative. I absolutely hate Quincunx and would rather play without FSAA then use Quincunx as it blurs the textures so badly it's ridiculous and kills texture quality in a number of games IMHO.
The 2X and 4X methods are better, still somewhat blurry but their not unreasonable. Personally though, I actually find them to be a slight step down from the GF2's 2X/4X FSAA.
Obviously FSAA performance is much higher with the GF3 though.

Personally, if you intend to keep the card for over a year then I'd go with the GF3 as by then games might actually start utilizing the GF3's features and it's better performance will be welcomed in more intensive games down the road.
If you don't intend to keep the card for longer then a year I'd go with the GF2 Ti as many sims tend to be primarily processor limited, especially flight simulators so the performance difference wouldnt be terribly dramatic in many simulators, while the price difference is fairly large.
FSAA image quality is similar on the two with the exception of the horribly blurry Quincunx, so that's not really a factor.

FWIW, is you do choose to go for the more expensive GF3 Ti200 then i would seriously consider the Radeon 8500 in OEM.
With the latest drivers it offers performance somewhere between that of the Ti200 and Ti500.. roughly "classic' GF3 performance levels, but with a marginally better feature set, HydraVision support, better 2D then most GF3's, better DVD, and superior FSAA image quality.
Driver support isnt as good for the R8500, but with it being such a superior all around card I'd say it's a better purchase given it's pricing at about $170.

The Radeon 7500 is also a viable alternative to the GF2 Ti, it's priced somewhat higher, but with a slightly better feature set, better DVD, and better 2D then most GF2's. FSAA image quality is comparable between the two IMHO. Performance is also fairly close, with some games preferring the GF2 Ti while others prefer the R7500.

 

[conlan]

<< Honorary Spot for Wingznut Pez. >>

...................Where is the Intel guru going??

 

[Workin']

<< Where are you looking that the cheapest GF2 Ti you can find is $114?! >>

A little place called Newegg. Maybe you've heard of it. Hey, I said it was a quick search. Of course if your prices are from Pricewatch from someplace like "Larry's Computer-Rama", be sure to add $35 shipping+handling to the low price leaders. For what it's worth.

 

[Rand]

<<

<< Where are you looking that the cheapest GF2 Ti you can find is $114?! >>

A little place called Newegg. Maybe you've heard of it. Hey, I said it was a quick search. Of course if your prices are from Pricewatch from someplace like "Larry's Computer-Rama", be sure to add $35 shipping+handling to the low price leaders. For what it's worth. >>



NewEgg?
Now I'm even more confused.... I bought my Gainward GF2 Ti/450 from NewEgg for $97 + $6 shipping + handling. And when I bought it over a month ago they also had two other GF2 Ti models that were under $114 or under.
Have their prices jumped that much in the last month?!

I need to check NewEgg's pricing.....

Edit: I didnt check the rest, but my Gainward GF2 Ti is still going for $97.
Damn nice overclocker too.

 

[Innoka]

Half of the replies are unnecessary squabbles over prices. I've already said I can afford both cards, and wondered if I could save money for now. It seems to me people are confused with percentages:

"The GF2 being 40% cheaper than a GF3"
"Not quite the %40 difference Innoka managed to find"
and now LOOK what I actually wrote:
"I can get a GF2 Titanium for 40% of the price of a GF3 Ti"
Do you see? Rand has got close enough by noting a GF2 Ti 45% of a GF3 Ti so you can stop squabbling please?
And no I don't want any kind of Radeon. I'm not a kid lured by mhz speeds on cards. I used 3 ATI cards and want nothing to do with them.