IBM Video Card

[roguerower]

I was recently looking for a notebook and stumbled across an 128MB ATI Mobility FIREGL T2 on a IBM Thinkpad T42. Just wondering if anyone knew anything about this video card and whether it was any good. A comparision to the 9700 or thereabouts would also be appreciated. Thanks

 

[fbrdphreak]

IIRC, the big difference is that the 9600/9700's have 4 pipes and the FireGL T2 has 8 pipes. However, the FireGL is optimized for 3D rendering & all, not necessarily gaming.

 

[roguerower]

Would it be any good for gaming. I mean if it was meant for rendering it should be able to handle games easily, right?

 

[imported_kouch]

Originally posted by: roguerower
Would it be any good for gaming. I mean if it was meant for rendering it should be able to handle games easily, right?

nope. fireGL is meant to be a professional gfx card meant to be used for pro applications like autocad, proe, and 3dstudio. Not meant for gaming so gaming performance is usually crappy. Why you want a thinkpad for gaming anywho. Thinkpads are not meant for gaming.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Wow, look at all the incorrectness in this thread.

First: The FireGL T2's equivalent is the Radeon 9600. Four rendering pipes, 325MHz core, 400MHz DDR. Will be adjusted lower for mobile parts.
Secondly: A FireGL can game just fine, and you don't have to worry about any of that "Driver Optimization" BS that both sides of the war keep slinging around. Using the regular FireGLs and a program like RadLinker to fine-tune the settings per-game, it'll perform almost identically to its Radeon counterpart.

- M4H

 

[roguerower]

Thanks M4H. Im shipping off to college next year and im looking for a good laptop. Im doing engineering so the specs for the required laptop are through the roof. Any thoughts for a good laptop? I've got almost a free ride through ROTC scholarship so i've got some money to spend. Any ideas, advice, or feedback on any systems. thanks. rower

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: roguerower
Thanks M4H. Im shipping off to college next year and im looking for a good laptop. Im doing engineering so the specs for the required laptop are through the roof. Any thoughts for a good laptop? I've got almost a free ride through ROTC scholarship so i've got some money to spend. Any ideas, advice, or feedback on any systems. thanks. rower

Well, the Thinkpads are built pretty solidly, but IBM was just bought out so the warranty might be up in the air.

If you want real crushing 3D, look for one based around the geForce Go 6800. Read the thread on them here and note the line:

"The GeForce Go 6800 is available now for consumers in notebooks from Sager®, Alienware®, Falcon Northwest®, Voodoo PC®, Prostar®, MV®, and others."

So if you've got money to burn and a hardon for hardcore graphics, there's your champion.

- M4H

 

[roguerower]

Yeah, ive heard that the Go 6800's are beast. However i currently own an ATI X800 and i love the damn thing to death its so damn fast. Anything out there with ati thats good.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: roguerower
Yeah, ive heard that the Go 6800's are beast. However i currently own an ATI X800 and i love the damn thing to death its so damn fast. Anything out there with ati thats good.

Well, keep a desktop then, or wait for the M28.

- M4H