New Radeon 8500 and 8500 LE with 128mb

[adamkmiec]

This is rather impressive to say the leawst, espeically since the LE sells for 199.99. IGN PC and ATI's sites confirmed te specs and prices. Here is my question, I have a GeForce MX400 Dual Head, I need a dual head option for my vide card. Am I better off with the 8500 LE with 128mb or the 8500 with 64mb?

 

[Strawberrymom]

i dont think you have a 52" monitor that will run 1600x1200 so nope either or just look in your wallet

 

[adamkmiec]

well in a perfect world I'd stay with nvidia. Are there any plans to release a dual head option by nvidia?

 

[rbV5]

<< I dont think you have a 52" monitor that will run 1600x1200 so nope either or just look in your wallet >>



WTF?




<< I need a dual head option for my vide card. Am I better off with the 8500 LE with 128mb or the 8500 with 64mb? >>



If the price/features were the same, go with the le with 128, but I'd look very carefully at the specs to make sure. And, yes nVidia is releasing the GF4 with dual DVI soon.

 

[adamkmiec]

thanks for the feedback. for the record I have 2 19 inch CRT montiors, I will be getting a 18inch LCD soon. so the radeon seems like the best option. any idea as to where to get this? no luck on pricewatch,

 

[AmdInside]

<< well in a perfect world I'd stay with nvidia. Are there any plans to release a dual head option by nvidia? >>



Tomorrow NVIDIA is announcing their new product line. All of their products are supposed to feature dual monitor support.

 

[AA0]

don't get 128meg cards, its not worth the money for a zero performance boost. I'd stay away and not buy the GF4s for their dual head right now, you don't know how they will be, and its very possible it will be subpar, or not even working properly when released. It's nvidia's first time doing this time of thing.

 

[Auric]

I have heard about no performance gain with 128 vs 64MB in current games a lot. But, in ATI's presentation the 128MB cards performed 10% higher in some games and benchmarks and 40% higher in Max Payne according to their examples.

I agree about waiting to see how the GF4's features actually work since remembering how previous products fell short.

 

[Rand]

<< I'd stay away and not buy the GF4s for their dual head right now, you don't know how they will be, and its very possible it will be subpar, or not even working properly when released. It's nvidia's first time doing this time of thing. >>



How so?
nVidia's had TwinView in the GF2 MX line for quite awhile, so this would be their second revision of it. Granted the TwinView implementation is only now going beyond it's basic beginnings and still has a ways to go to catch up with ATi's HydraVision or Matrox's DualHead. Still, nVidia's improved it with tne most recent 27.XX series... so I have little doubt it will work properly even if it's still behind the competition in capabilities.

 

[adamkmiec]

indeed, I have a Geforce 2 MX400 and love the Twin View capabilities in XP, I have no doubts that if an when nvidia has n option for a Geforce 3 or 4 thati dual head I'll pick it up, I just odnt know if i can wait, which is why I was considering the radeon.

 

[chickendinner]

get a 128, maybe it will get better drivers. when it runs the BSOD will look better.

 

[AA0]

The Twinview of the MX isn't anything like the GF4 version, it might work fine, but you never know. I'd wait and see other people complain before I'd get one.

 

[adamkmiec]

Ok, ok, ok so now lets look at it like this:

Geforce 4 MX 460 for 179.99

or

ATI Radeon 8500 128mb LE for 199.99

What do I do?

 

[Rand]

<< The Twinview of the MX isn't anything like the GF4 version, it might work fine, but you never know. I'd wait and see other people complain before I'd get one. >>



What's so different about it?
Most of the multi-monitor features are software based and the GF2MX uses the same driver set as the GF4.
Just as the Dual Monitor functions of the R8500 are similar to that of the Radeon VE, the functions of the MX and G4 should be similar.

 

[Rand]

<< Ok, ok, ok so now lets look at it like this:

Geforce 4 MX 460 for 179.99

or

ATI Radeon 8500 128mb LE for 199.99

What do I do? >>



GF4 MX is more of a mix between the GF2 and GF3, and doesnt even have DX8 hardware support, and it lacks the Radeon's DVD and 2D, it lacks the Radeon's superior FSAA.
The regular GF4 I might choose over the R8500, but definitely not the GF4MX.

 

[adamkmiec]

i should have payed more attention to the reviews, the GF4 TI4400, 4200, and 4600 all support dual head. I'll be scoring a GF4 4400 when they become available.

Thanks all.