Loss of image quality on upgrade?

[Grecian2000]

Hi Guys.

Sorry if this question has been asked before

I currently have an XP1700 with a Matrox G400 driving my Iiyama Vision Master Pro 450 at a desktop resolution of 1600 x 1200 x 32 @ 85Hz. I really like the image quality that this combination provides, but the G400 just can't cope with the latest games. I would like to upgrade to the Parhelia but it is way to expensive. (~£300 here in the U.K)

For about £150 I can get either an ATI Radeon 8500 64MB Retail, or a Leadtek WinFast A250LE TD GF4 Ti 4200 128 MB.

Bearing in mind: 1) Hardware prices are so much higher here in the U.K, so inexpensive 8500LE 128 MB boards don't exist.
2) I am not an avid gamer. Stellar frame rates are not important to me.

I do not want to lose any image quality at my desktop resolution. Does anybody have any experiences with these two cards, especially when upgrading from Matrox cards? Any feedback would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

 

[Peter]

Radeons usually have good image quality, thanks to ATi's QA approach to this ("even" the 3rd party cards).
If you want reasonable price, dual head support, and bearable frame rates in games, you should shop for a Radeon 9000pro, or non-pro if you prefer it fanless but a little slower.

regards, Peter

 

[BCompDude]

You will notice a difference. I have access to all of the cards you suggested and more. . .Visiontek Geforce 4 Ti 4600, Radeon 8500 (64 and 128 MB), Radeon 8500 LE, Generic Geforce 3, Asus Geforce 3, Hercules Kyro 2, and some various Geforce 2 cards. I also have the Parhelia. I much prefer the P compared to any of the aforementioned cards because of its image quality. The difference is large in comparison to ANY of the cards that I have used/seen. "Upgrade" and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Grecian2000]

Thanks for the replies.

That's what I was worried about. It's a pity the Parhelia is so expensive. Anyone know if Matrox are planning to release a cut down, cheaper Parhelia?