PNY GF4 ti4200 or Gainward Golden Sample ti4200?

[tomstevens26]

Hey everyone!

I posted this over in Video earlier, but it doesn't look like that group gets a whole lot of traffic...so...since I guess this is also appropriate for "General Hardware" here goes...

OK, I have a slight dilemma...I got a late xmas present today...a PNY GF4 ti4200 64MB that was purchased from a local Best Buy. I've been toying with the idea of upgrading my GF3 ti200 to a card from this line, however, my choice was going to be the Gainward GF4 ti4200 64MB Golden Sample w/ 3.3ns RAM from Newegg.

Here's my question: Is there that big of a difference between these cards? I have the option of just taking this one back to Best Buy and ordering the Gainward from Newegg. But would it really matter? Should I just stick the PNY card in and use it? If there is a noticeable (i.e. not talking about a benchmark difference of 1 or 2% <IMG src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border=0> ) performance/reliability issue between these cards?

The GF3 ti200 I've been using for the past year is made by Gainward and I've been really pleased with it, however, I must say I'm a little concerned about the checkerboard problem I've been reading about concerning the Gainward ti4200s. Any advice would really be appreciated!! It's real hard to see that 4200 sitting there and not put it in my machine....but I would rather wait a few more days and make the better choice.

Tom

 

[MikeMike]

no no real difference other than maybe whats included

 

[cockeyed]

I don't think you would notice much difference between these 2 cards. I also went fron a GF3 Ti200 to a Gainward GF4 Ti4200 - 128mb card. There is a noticable performance difference from the GF3 but don't expect gigantic gains. I don't do benchmarks, so I'am just talking from the perspective of some games and office apps. however, Iwas happy that I made the upgrade. I would suggest that you search the various video forums at tech sites to see if you really want a Gainward 64mb board. Some peolpe have experienced problems with the 64mb model. I have the Goldsam 128mb model and it works without any problems. A friend has 2 of these and his also work without problems. Newegg has user reviews which I would suggest reading. Personally, I would go for the 128mb GF4 Golden Sample, which is only a little extra cost, or just keep the PNY 64mb card that you have. The Gainward does have a performance mode out of the box which gives it a little extra kick and the extra memory is nice for future games if needed.

 

[Jeff7181]

I like my Gainward... overclocks easily... I actually haven't used VIVO yet even though that was one of the deciding factors when I bought it. Maybe I'll give it a try this week =)

EDIT... checkerboard problem? what the heck is that?

2nd EDIT... DEFINATELY get the 128 mb model. It has more room for expansion as far as future games as textures are increasing all the time. True, the RAM is slower on the 128 mb model, but you only see that difference on older games with small textures that a 64 mb card wouldn't have trouble handling. And even then, can you really tell the difference between 180 fps and 200 fps? I think not. But I guarantee you'll notice the difference between 40 fps and 20 fps.

 

[tomstevens26]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
EDIT... checkerboard problem? what the heck is that?

Check it out here. (Thanks to Sanchny for the URL...)

Tom

 

[Lalakai]

Hope you folks don't mind if i kind'a "hitch-hike" on this thread, but it covers some questions that i also have concerning the 4200. Currently i'm running a Kyro 2 with an athalon 1.2, and looking for the easiest upgrade. Have been considering the 4200, but would there be enough of a gain, or should i just start over and build another system??? thanks again and hopefully you won't mind me using your thread tomstevens26.

 

[tomstevens26]

Originally posted by: Lalakai
Hope you folks don't mind if i kind'a "hitch-hike" on this thread, but it covers some questions that i also have concerning the 4200. Currently i'm running a Kyro 2 with an athalon 1.2, and looking for the easiest upgrade. Have been considering the 4200, but would there be enough of a gain, or should i just start over and build another system??? thanks again and hopefully you won't mind me using your thread tomstevens26.

Come along for the ride!!

I've actually been wondering kinda the same thing myself since I'm also running a 1.2 Athlon. Since I didn't really have anything else to do tonight, I went ahead and opened the PNY 4200 and installed it. I figure Best Buy's return policy is 30 days so the worst that could happen is I try it and decide to return it to Best Buy, either for a swap or order something from Newegg. I have to be completely honest...I'm not really that impressed. If I had paid for it I'd probably feel like I wasted my money It took my 3D Mark score from ~5700 to ~6900 out of the box and no overclocking. Roughly a 20% performance increase in a benchmark for something that costs $150. Not enough "bang for the buck" if you ask me. Sure, I was able to bump the resolution in NSF Hot Pursuit 2, UT2003 and the Splinter Cell demo up to 1280x1024 and play them either at full detail or almost full detail at a decent FPS. But...my GF3 ti200 allows me to play all of those games at 1024x768 at full or high detail. So, did I really see a difference -- nope. I think I'm going to return my Xmas present and get a refund. Then, later in the year, take that and kick in some of my own money and upgrade to another system. By then I'll probably go with the Asus A7N8X Deluxe and an Athlon XP 2200/2400 or so. Hopefully by then the GF FX will have lowered the prices on the ti4200, and maybe even the 4600 to a reasonable level.

My Conclusion: I just can't see where the $150 price for a ti4200 is really justified by the small performance increase on a system that already does everything that makes me happy. Just my .02!

Tom

 

[Lalakai]

thanks for the info tomstevens26. a (maybe) large difference though is the starting performance difference between your ti200 and my Kryro. If you see a 20% increase, how big would my increase be?? Since I'm not really up on the ti200, don't know how it compares to the Kyro 2, and hopefully someone else here can clue me in on that one.

 

[DT4K]

I have a Ti200 and my friend has a Ti 4200. Other than the video cards, our systems are almost identical. We both have Abit KR7A boards with XP 1700+ / 1800+. He gets higher fps than me and is able to turn on 2x AA on most of his games. But to me, the performance difference isn't worth the cost.
I think with video cards it usually makes sense to wait at least 2 generations to upgrade. My Ti200 still plays all of my games very well. So I'm waiting until Radeon 9700 Pro prices drop before I upgrade again. I figure if the GF FX is faster than the 9700, ATI will lower prices to stay competitive. I'll probably upgrade when the 9700 Pro gets to about $150. That is about the most I can see spending on a card.

To the guy with the Kyro,
You will see a huge difference if you get a Ti 4200.
Look at Tom's VGA charts to see benchmarks.
The Ti 4200 is at least 2 to 3 times as fast as the Kyro 2 and sometimes 10 times as fast.
In Jedi Knight 2 at max detail, the kyro 2 gets 9 frames per second, while the Ti 4200 gets around 90.

So the Ti 4200 would be a great upgrade for you. Your Athlon 1.2 should be plenty fast enough to feed that card. I would just upgrade the video card for now. That performance improvement should hold you over for quite awhile.

 

[Lalakai]

Thanks Shanti, just the info i was looking for. You get the kipi doll