Need a pretty good PCI video card for a dual monitor setup...

[Detoyminador_]

...I've already got an ASUS V7700 64Mb Geforce GTS 2 AGP Graphics card which i'd run through my main monitor for gaming.

Would I be going overboard going for a 32 Mb TNT2 M64 PCI graphics card for my second monitor, even though I wouldn't be running 3D games through it. All i'm really after is good 2D performance that can handle 1280x1024 resolution. I'd worry about getting an 8Mb PCI graphics card and the 2D graphics would look crap in that resolution.

 

[Rand]

<< Would I be going overboard going for a 32 Mb TNT2 M64 PCI graphics card for my second monitor, even though I wouldn't be running 3D games through it. All i'm really after is good 2D performance that can handle 1280x1024 resolution. I'd worry about getting an 8Mb PCI graphics card and the 2D graphics would look crap in that resolution. >>



No you wouldnt be going over-board with a TNT2 M64, you'd be going under-board
No one in their right mind would pick up a TNT2 if they need good 2D image quality.
The TNT2 was somewhat well known for having extremely poor 2D image quality, significantly worse then that of the much maligned 2D of the GeForce series cards. 2D was the TNT2's biggest failing point.

If all you want is a decent PCI card that will have solid 2D at 1280x1024 then ideally I'd look for a Matrox G400, G200 or 3dfx Voodoo Banshee/Voodoo 3 ... if you couldnt find a decently priced PCI G400 and don't want to go with 3dfx then I'd look towards an older ATi card based on the Rage 128 chipset.
The ATI XPert 128 16MB PCI is very cheap nowadays, an 8MB Matrox G200 PCI if you could find one would be an even better choice and probably cheaper yet.

Fporget about RAM as an indicator of how good the 2D will be, even 8MB is easily more then enough to display 1280x1024x32bpp. How good the image quality is at that resolution may vary significantly depending upon what card you go with though.

 

[Detoyminador_]

Thanx for that Rand.