Improvements to video card reviews

[nvdm24]

For years I've read reviews of all types of computer hardware. I'll also add that I've read reviews for many other kinds of products. Reviews of many products go into extreme details of their functionality. One product, however, is consistantly underreviewed: That product is the video card. Despite the fact that video cards actually process video and include many features related to video, the video aspect is rarely evaluated in reviews. This has left many of us potential buyers frustrated because of the lack of information. It's also left many buyers frustrated. The nvidia 6800 is a prime example. Even after the problems with the 6800, I have yet to see one review of the video features on the 6600 or on ati products. I have, however, frustratingly glanced over a plethora of other reviews that analyze how well the tested cards run doom 3, half life 2, halo, etc. Do reviewers think that a glut of nearly identical reviews from different sources is beneficial to readers? Somebody's going to start doing reviews properly. Once they do, readers will swarm there. It certainly won't be to these sites offering cocked-up reviews that ignore 50% of the card's features.

 

[forpey]

Well most people only care about games. They are the best test of video card performance.

 

[nvdm24]

Well, most people post poorly written comments that are assumptions with no basis in reality. Your post is a good example.

How does a video game test the VIDEO aspect of a video card? A 3D game is testing the 3D rendering, not the VIDEO performance. I don't claim to know "most people," but everyone I know with a computer, runs video on it. Thus, it helps to know how well a video card's video features work. Like I stated above, every review out there right now is practically the same. If you want to read 20 carbon copy "reviews," then go ahead. But these "reviews" are incomplete and ignore an extremely important feature of the product. A feature so important that it's put in the name of the product - video card. Plenty of tech sites complained and moaned about the flaws of the 6800, yet none of them checked the 6600 for flaws. Even theinquirer.net moaned about this, and yet, did no follow-up on this problem or address the shoddy reviews by other tech sites.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: nvdm24
Well, most people post poorly written comments that are assumptions with no basis in reality. Your post is a good example.

How does a video game test the VIDEO aspect of a video card? A 3D game is testing the 3D rendering, not the VIDEO performance. I don't claim to know "most people," but everyone I know with a computer, runs video on it. Thus, it helps to know how well a video card's video features work. Like I stated above, every review out there right now is practically the same. If you want to read 20 carbon copy "reviews," then go ahead. But these "reviews" are incomplete and ignore an extremely important feature of the product. A feature so important that it's put in the name of the product - video card. Plenty of tech sites complained and moaned about the flaws of the 6800, yet none of them checked the 6600 for flaws. Even theinquirer.net moaned about this, and yet, did no follow-up on this problem or address the shoddy reviews by other tech sites.

There's very little difference in 2d mode. The biggest differences and performance improovements are related to 3d.

 

[forpey]

No one would buy a 6800 for video. Might as well get a TNT2.

Thats why they don't mention it. The point is they are 3D cards, so the reviews test their 3D performance.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: forpey
No one would buy a 6800 for video. Might as well get a TNT2.

Thats why they don't mention it. The point is they are 3D cards, so the reviews test their 3D performance.

A TNT2 does hardware decompression for MPEG-2 and WMV9? :roll:

The OP is correct, they need to focus more on 2D capabilities, especially the output quality of the RAMDAC.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: forpey
No one would buy a 6800 for video. Might as well get a TNT2.

Thats why they don't mention it. The point is they are 3D cards, so the reviews test their 3D performance.

A TNT2 does hardware decompression for MPEG-2 and WMV9? :roll:

The OP is correct, they need to focus more on 2D capabilities, especially the output quality of the RAMDAC.

Yup, RAMDAC quality (the quality of the 2d display capabilities) has been totally ignored as of late in reviews. In fact, for several generations now.

The problem is that there is a constant variability in the different brands of cards in 2d display quality (particularly on Nvidia cards, since they do not sell any cards in-house). For example, the recent outpouring of complaints over the PNY GF 6800 GT cards illustrates a need to examine 2d quality (again).

Reviewers seem to be happy to list a "400 MHz RAMDAC" (or two) or "350 MHz RAMDAC" (or two) of the card and then that's it... they don't go into detail of the actual 2d quality.

Part of this is because it's a subjective test, but if a given 3d card looks 'like crap' to a bunch of different people, there's probably a real issue with 2d quality.

It's a bit less of an issue on ATI cards since there's more standardization there: ATI has had essentially the same 2d quality/filters since at least the original Radeon, with only a faster RAMDAC differentiating the new cards from the old ones. I have yet to have a first or third party ATI Radeon card with bad text and graphics quality.

Meanwhile, I've owned a couple of GeForce cards with bad 2d (the GF2's were notoriously bad, my GF3 Ti200 was mediocre in 2d. All three of my GF4's were great in 2d, while apparently some GF5/6 series cards took a step back down in 2d quality).

 

[xtknight]

Tom's Hardware did an excellent review on DVI compliance and TMDS transmitters on modern graphics chips. Check it out: http://graphics.tomshardware.c...ic/20041129/index.html

They focus mainly on 3D because that's what most people go there to find out. Occasionally you'll find some good reviews that talk in-depth. Look out for the first articles on major products like the GeForce 6800 Ultra. A lot of hardware sites have reviewed it with 40 pages of info.

 

[forpey]

Buy a TNT2, they are dead good.