Geforce 4 MX420 "SDR" or Geforce 2 GTS "DDR"

[Curley]

If both cards were priced the same, which one would be the best card. Which would be the fastest?? Both are 64MB cards. The 420 has the new memory technology but uses SDRAM.

Any opinions?????

 

[EdipisReks]

i would probably get the GTS.

 

[Curley]

Thanks, I just found some data on Nvidia's website in which I could compare side by side and the GTS has like double the memory bandwidth as the MX420. Looks like the GTS for me, right now.

Thanks,

Curley

 

[BoomAM]

I`d say the GTS as well. All the GF4MX cards are, are GF2s which are supposidly on steroids.

 

[Mingon]

the mx 420 is better, it has better 2d, better dvd decoding and the hsr support should help as well. Neither card is gonna hack it with the latest games imoh.

 

[Booster]

MX420 b/c it's fanless (or should be). That's a huge advantage even if it's a little slower.

 

[Duvie]

I have an Gainward Geforce4 Mx 440 8xagp 64mb ddr of 3.3ns and you are smoking if you think the GTS would beat this. I had a Geforce 2 pro which could spank the GTS and the best that card got on my system at 2.4ghz was just at 5000 in 3dmark2001 with ocing and my gf4 mx 440 with ocing does 320/620 and hits 7800's at 2.44ghz....

I believ the newer ones have a higher bit of memory as well...the similarity is maybe the number of rendering pipelines and that fact they are direct 7 compliant.

Now a bargain basement 420 with SDR would likely be limited in speed and be limited in memory bandwidth....

If GF4 mx cards are on GF2 cards on steroids that is a bad-ass boy....I have seen where ppl with GF3's don't do as well as the GF4 like mine...

 

[jjyiz28]

mx 420 is comparable to a g2mx, while the 440 and 460 are comparable to g2 regular/pro/ultra.

 

[Duvie]

I just told you my gf2 pro gainward oc'd got no where near this....I don't think you knwo about this. Even at stock 275/500 my 440 was still above my gf2 pro....ultra wuld about compare to where I had my pro oc'd....

So basically you are wrong!!!

 

[Curley]

Originally posted by: Duvie
I have an Gainward Geforce4 Mx 440 8xagp 64mb ddr of 3.3ns and you are smoking if you think the GTS would beat this. I had a Geforce 2 pro which could spank the GTS and the best that card got on my system at 2.4ghz was just at 5000 in 3dmark2001 with ocing and my gf4 mx 440 with ocing does 320/620 and hits 7800's at 2.44ghz....

I believ the newer ones have a higher bit of memory as well...the similarity is maybe the number of rendering pipelines and that fact they are direct 7 compliant.

Now a bargain basement 420 with SDR would likely be limited in speed and be limited in memory bandwidth....

If GF4 mx cards are on GF2 cards on steroids that is a bad-ass boy....I have seen where ppl with GF3's don't do as well as the GF4 like mine...

If I meant a Geforce4 "MX440", this post would not exist. But the MX420 uses SDR with a newer GPU, and the GTS uses DDR and has twice the memory bandwidth. I agree with you, I think the "MX440" rocks and the reviews don't do it justice.

Thanks

 

[Duvie]

I said a couple post back that sdr I see that comparison...Why would you be looking at sdr?? The ddr board gf 420 and 440 can be had for 50-70 bucks...

 

[Curley]

Originally posted by: Duvie
I said a couple post back that sdr I see that comparison...Why would you be looking at sdr?? The ddr board gf 420 and 440 can be had for 50-70 bucks...

The GF420 only comes in SDRAM. The reason I needed opinions on the difference is I have a chance to buy lots of either GF4 MX420 or GF2 GTS Pro for $35.00.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Well this is a tough choice. I'd probably go for lots of MX420's, and here's why. Neither card is really suitable for 3d anymore (the GF2 will kick the 420's butt, however) but the MX should be nicer in 2d.

If you're buying these for office use, etc then I say get the 420. If they are going to be used for even mild gaming, get the GF2's.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Curley

Originally posted by: Duvie
I said a couple post back that sdr I see that comparison...Why would you be looking at sdr?? The ddr board gf 420 and 440 can be had for 50-70 bucks...

The GF420 only comes in SDRAM. The reason I needed opinions on the difference is I have a chance to buy lots of either GF4 MX420 or GF2 GTS Pro for $35.00.

that is incorrect!!! check out pricewatch...Once you hit 65.00 dollars and there are a few DDR versions...Gainward has the pro TV/450 model with 64MB ddr. PLus Asus seems to have one....So they are out there...



From pricewatch
GAINWARD Geforce4 MX420 Power Pack Pro/450TV 64MB DDR w/TV out. Retail. MX 420
$57.00---$67.00Shipped

ASUS V8170 MAGIC GEFORCE4 MX 420 64MB DDR AGP $75.00---$75.00shipped


The 440 also has sdram versions but you can also find a DDR version by Apollo for 52.00 shipped....

 

[Mingon]

that is incorrect!!! check out pricewatch...Once you hit 65.00 dollars and there are a few DDR versions...Gainward has the pro TV/450 model with 64MB ddr. PLus Asus seems to have one....So they are out there...

Those DDR models use a 64bit memory path and as such run slower than the 128bit sdram versions.

 

[Curley]

Originally posted by: Duvie

Originally posted by: Curley

Originally posted by: Duvie
I said a couple post back that sdr I see that comparison...Why would you be looking at sdr?? The ddr board gf 420 and 440 can be had for 50-70 bucks...

The GF420 only comes in SDRAM. The reason I needed opinions on the difference is I have a chance to buy lots of either GF4 MX420 or GF2 GTS Pro for $35.00.

that is incorrect!!! check out pricewatch...Once you hit 65.00 dollars and there are a few DDR versions...Gainward has the pro TV/450 model with 64MB ddr. PLus Asus seems to have one....So they are out there...



From pricewatch
GAINWARD Geforce4 MX420 Power Pack Pro/450TV 64MB DDR w/TV out. Retail. MX 420
$57.00---$67.00Shipped

ASUS V8170 MAGIC GEFORCE4 MX 420 64MB DDR AGP $75.00---$75.00shipped


The 440 also has sdram versions but you can also find a DDR version by Apollo for 52.00 shipped....

Sorry Duvie, I meant to say the boards that I was considering buying were SDRAM only. I also decided to buy the Geforce 2 GTS Pro because it has twice the fill rate of the MX420. I bought one MX420 retail just to compare and have some fun benchmarking.


Mingon,

Yes these machines will do some mild to moderate gaming. Everytime I sell a system for people who plan to only use the computer for administrative and online work always call me back and say I tried loading this game and it didn't run. I tell them that they did not plan to use the computer for gaiming therefore saved on the price and opted for on board video. Most of these games are thier olden goldies like golf, and older 1st Person Shooters.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Mingon]

If your buying to sell in a machine geforce 4 sounds better than geforce 2 - this alone should make your decision, I know some people might disagree but they are wrong

 

[Curley]

Originally posted by: Mingon
If your buying to sell in a machine geforce 4 sounds better than geforce 2 - this alone should make your decision, I know some people might disagree but they are wrong

Believe me when I say most of my clients don't know the difference between Geforce 2 and a PS2. They just trust I will give them a solid machine. They are scared of computers or do not understand them very well. For example, some of the customers have a list next to the keyboard as to what buttons and icon they need to hit to get online. Others never shut down the computer, but just hit the power button or snap off thier spike bar i.e. surge protector. Then the nephews come over and try to load Quake II and the on board vid just doesn't cut it.

These are good people who don't make allot of money who would get taken advantage of at a major retail store or one of the shopping channels on TV.

 

[Mingon]

some benches available here

 

[bgeh]

i would get a Geforce 2 GTS for the high memory bandwidth

 

[Actaeon]

Why not look for a GF3Ti200?
About 8 Months ago, I picked one up for $70 or so shipped.

It should be lower now.

 

[Curley]

This review pretty much sums it up for me.

Well, in the very first test GeForce4 MX420 proved much faster than NVIDIA GeForce2 MX400. At the same time, it cannot catch up with GeForce4 MX440 and GeForce2 Ti, as the slow SDR memory limits firmly the performance

Nvidia's intention seems to be, that the Geforce 4 MX420 was intended to replace the Geforce 2 MX400 series.

 

[Curley]

Originally posted by: Actaeon
Why not look for a GF3Ti200?
About 8 Months ago, I picked one up for $70 or so shipped.

It should be lower now.

I was actually able to pick up some GF3TI200s for $57.00 but right now this deal cannot be had.

 

[glugglug]

For games they might perform about the same.

If you do anything with large textures, like enabling some of the nView features (transparency, keystone, rotation), the MX cards, even GF4MX slow to an unusable crawl, while the GF2 GTS stays pretty smooth.

 

[KillaBong]

I'm all for the refurbs personally. About $45 for a GeForce4 mx440 se 64mb DDR.

If it has to be those two cards, I vote 2 GTS.