GeForce2 GTS or GeForce4 MX 420?

[Endeffect]

I have two video cards I can use. One is a GeForce2 GTS w/ 64mb, and a GeForce4 MX 420 w/ 64mb. I know the GeForce4 is a much newer card, but it is not entirely clear that it is better. The MX 420 is the lowest level GeForce4, and seems that the GeForce2 GTS has a higher bandwidth limit, even tho some other stats may be lower.

So -- what do you think? Which should give me better gaming performance?

 

[Hankysmoo]

hmm...i think if u overclock the geforce 2 it'll be faster and better. the geforce 4mx just isn't too great.

 

[CraigRT]

I'd get the GF2 GTS
esp if it's a 64MB

 

[ElFenix]

i'd say the GTS but its hard to find head to head reviews

 

[Endeffect]

OK, well I don't know how to overclock the GTS, but it seems the consensus is that the GTS is better than the MX 420. Guess I'll be switching the cards out again later.. Thanks for the tip guys.

 

[jlarsson]

i have both a geforce 2 ultra, and a geforce 4 mx420, and the geforce 2 ultra is quite a bit faster. The GeForce 4 mx 420 is just an updated geforce 2 mx.

 

[BoomAM]

Personally, i`d have to say the GF4 MX.
It has same crossbar memory controller as a GF3, which means its more efficient with its bandwidth. OC it though, as far as you can.

 

[Endeffect]

Interesting, an alternate opinion. Could you please link me (and I will search myself as well) to a page describing how to properly overclock the MX 420?

 

[bluemax]

If you're considering AntiAliasing, the MX420 would be better/faster. The 2D desktop quality is probably sharper too.
Even if the two are very close for speed, the above two reasons would be enough for me.

 

[magomago]

Hrm...arn't Geforce4mxs just higher clocked Geforce2s? even if it was a tad slower I'd pick the mx420 because its bound to have some kind of tinkering to make it more efficient in any matter.

Though now that you mention it I'm eagerly waiting to reaplce my geforce2 with a Mx420 clock at 460 speeds (still waiting in the mail...never gonna buy in the FS/FST forums from canda)

 

[capodeloscapos]

I´m looking a graph of 3Dmark 2001, a comparative one, and the GeForce4 MX420 is just UNDER the GF2GTS, so, thats something to start with...

 

[EdipisReks]

the MX420's i've seen overclock really well, and the card will most likely have better 2d. i would get the geforce4 mx.

 

[BFG10K]

It has same crossbar memory controller as a GF3,

No, not quite. The NV17's crossbar controller has two memory controllers rather than the NV20's four memory controllers. Also the 420's SDR memory will hold it back over the GTS's DDR memory.

 

[gregor7777]

Originally posted by: BFG10K

It has same crossbar memory controller as a GF3,

No, not quite. The NV17's crossbar controller has two memory controllers rather than the NV20's four memory controllers. Also the 420's SDR memory will hold it back over the GTS's DDR memory.

Go with the DDR card.

 

[dexvx]

31 GFX review

This should answer most your questions.

 

[bluemax]

Analyzing Tom's review is a little speculative because we have to extrapolate a GTS out of a GF2 TI and a GF4MX-420 out of a 440.

Mind you, enough of the results placed the 440 far enough ahead of the GF2 TI that even with the 420 being significantly slower, the two still pretty much even out. In a few apps, one might be SLIGHTLY faster than the other, but not by much.

I still say go with the improved image quality and cooler running of the MX-420. Overclock it and it'll perform at LEAST as well.

Then again, try to sell either (or both) cards... whichever is worth more, sell! Put that money into a $50-60 Radeon 8500LE or better.

(Here in Canada there's a deal for a sub-$60US Radeon 8500LE, so surely you yankees have even better deals!)
That's about the best bang for the buck you're gonna' get if money's real tight.

 

[RanDum72]

Complicating things a bit too is that some versions of the GF4 MX420 comes with DDR while some have SDR (I think the same also applies to the MX440). Having had a regular GF2 GTS w/DDR and an GF4 MX420 w/DDR, I would say the GTS may be SLIGHTLY faster in most situations.

 

[x1v]

Go with the GTS.

 

[MadRat]

Isn't the GF2 PRO about equal in price to both?

 

[Wedge1]

I have both cards:
==GF2 GTS Ultra 64MB (DDR) in a p4 1.3 w/386mb PC 800 RDRAM
==GF4 MX420 64MB (I *think* SDR, not sure) in a p4 2.53 w/512mb DDR RAM (333MHz, if I'm not mistaken)

Both installed with latest official Nvidia driver 4109, with all settings/values at default. The GTS quite noticably outperforms the MX in Quake 3 Team Arena, g_speed increased to 480. No benchmarks necessary to see the difference. If you want numbers just enable cg_drawfps "1" and you will see the frames/second.

The MX definitely has the better 2d, much smoother, probably due to the AA and other goodie features that the GF4s have? Also, if Quake 3 were played where everybody just stands still, then the MX would be better, lol. i.e., a stationary image is simple softer, smoother, no "jagged edges". But start running around and you will notice diminished 3D performance with the GF4 (again, this is without overclocking and probably using the SDR variety of memory). If the MX is DDR then I would choose it. Otherwise, there is no question that I would choose the GF2 GTS over the MX.

 

[yhelothar]

geforce4mx isn't just a higher clocked geforce2mx.. it's actually a geforce2mx with geforce4ti's light speed memory architecture II, which allows memory bandwidth saving technology to up to 60% or so..
though geforce4mx420 is still using SDR ram.. and doesn't have the raw power to be the GTS..

 

[Soulkeeper]

i owned a gts they rock
all MX cards are jokes if you ask me

 

[bgeh]

i'd get the Geforce 2 GTS

 

[bluemax]

I *still* say sell both and get a nice, cheap Radeon 8500LE which will run circles around both of them - without question!

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Endeffect
Interesting, an alternate opinion. Could you please link me (and I will search myself as well) to a page describing how to properly overclock the MX 420?

Rivatuner. It's the leftmost link beside the work Rivatuner. It's a great tweaker for nVidia cards, and an overclock utility.

What about just getting a Geforce 3 Ti500 instead? Would that be faster than both the MX420 and the GF2 GTS?