Does anyone research and read reviews anymore?

[Feisters]

It seems like anymore the topics here are:
What's the Best Card?
I need answers NOW!
URGENT!!! - BEST VIDEO CARD?!!!

C'mon people. For every question like that, you're going to get just as many different answers. Be it GTS, V5, or Radeon, everyone is going to have their preference. Quite frankly I think many folks succumb to upgrade fever, which is foisted upon us by the manufacturers. The manufacturers are in business for one reason only: to sell hardware. Just because they say you need it, doesn't necessarily mean you do. Read into this: there is no such thing as future proof.

I've checked out the top cards, and I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between any one of them. I also still run a TNT2, and it suits my needs just fine. I get 70-90 fps in Q3A and UT at 16 bits. 2D performance is just fine. What more do you want? Most of the "goodies" built into the new cards aren't even implemented in 99% of the software. And who really sits in front of their computer and watches a DVD movie? I know I sure don't. That's why I have a big t.v.

It makes no difference to me if folks want to spend their hard-earned money on hardware they probably don't need. However, unless you're an engineer or artist who needs a top-dollar video card ($2000+), the question of which consumer video card to buy is a moot point. It's best to read the reviews (with a grain of salt) and narrow your choices. Then perhaps ask card-specific questions. Then re-ask yourself if you even need a new card. And don't allow rags like Maximum PC convince you that just because you're running a TNT2, you need to upgrade. They're on the dole just like every other pc rag.

 

[StickHead]

I'll agree with you on people being to lazy to do their own research and not reading reviews, umm, but 70-90fps in Quake on a TNT2? What resolution are you running?

 

[Feisters]

640x480. Higher res., faster fps, or 32 bits doesn't increase your scores.
[edit] I'm also running a P3-750, 192 megs ram, on a 784K SDSL line. Sweet! [/edit]

 

[Compellor]

What about the people like me who had an old TNT and were looking to upgrade to something faster. That's the PRIMARY reason why people upgrade: MORE SPEED.

Ever see Q3A at 1024 x 768 with the maximum settings and running over 100 fps? That's what people want, so, they upgrade. It's all about eye candy and speed for gamers, and higher quality 2D for everybody else. It just keeps getting better.

 

[PsychoCrazy]

Uhh, sometimes people want other users' opinions. I spent hours researching video cards. I read at least 10 to 15 reviews and articles. But finding out from other users what games work or don't work, and what kind of problems to expect is just as important as the product reviews, which usually only test one or two games.

As far as needing to upgrade goes, if you like what you've got, fine. Keep it. I have a TNT2 on my Celery 633@950. You know what though? It doesn't do 1024x768x32 fast enough for me. Sure I can run it at 800x600x16 in Q3A and get 70-90fps, but 1024x768x32 looks a heck of a lot better. Is there anything wrong with my video card? No. I just want something that will be as fast as I want it to be, so I just purchased a Radeon about 15 minutes ago.

And by the way... I do sit in front of my computer to watch DVDs. My TV is only 13" and my monitor is 17".

 

[BW]

Hey its me from the ww3 thread. since you got the radeon you will love dvd playback.Its probably as good or better than a stand alone dvd decoder.

 

[RoboTECH]

I don't trust reviewers anymore.

 

[RobsTV]

It is like the election.
They don't like who the "True" winner is, so they keep looking to try to find someone that will say the winner that they really wanted to hear in the first place. Wait long enough, and someone will say "best one" to almost anything.

 

[Ahriman6]

Robo:

I agree wholeheartedly. Too many rumors/reports/hints/whispers that the bulk of them are paid for their so-called opinions.

 

[UsandThem]

Feisters,

I agree with you to a certain point, however it is my opinion that you will get more responses to a thread titled "Which video card is for me, must buy now, 2day!!!" than you will get to a well researched and written thread.

For example, here is a question I posted here recently, and it sank the the Titanic. No responses.


The question that never was answered!!!

The crowd here seems to be getting younger, so expect more of the "What's the best card for ....." threads.

 

[AndrewR]

Sure, you CAN run UT and Q3 at 640x480 on an older card, but it looks like sh|t. Take a look at someone running UT at 1024x768x32 with a Radeon, and you may just change your mind about not needing an upgrade. Granted, I don't play FPS games for the pretty colors, but it sure looks a helluva lot better and makes the gaming experience more enjoyable. Also, a higher resolution can make your score higher since you lose detail at long distances when playing at a low resolution.

I will agree that people need to read a little before asking questions. I see something like, "Does ATI have decent DVD playback?" when every single review of the latest ATI cards rates their DVD playback as excellent. Reviewers can certainly be biased, but if you trust the source, you can trust the review (does anyone NOT trust Anand's reviews? Seems fairly unbiased to me). Asking other users doesn't necessarily work either. People like to think that what they bought is the best, regardless of the truth, since they need to justify the last $200 they spent on hardware. If someone has only used a couple video cards and proclaims their current one the "best", what's the basis for comparison?