Rage Fury MAXX - cheap upgrade??? UPDATED

[apoppin]

I currently have a Rage Fury 32 (P3 600E at 800Mhz). It's been in my system for over a year and I am looking for something better to hold me until the Next Gen prices get reasonable (guessing late this year).

Right now the Rage Fury MAXX 64MB is $84 after $50 rebate. Will I see a big difference over my 32 MB card? Will it hold me for awhile?

I run Win98SE, so no problems using the MAXX.

Any other suggestions for a cheap upgrade?

UPDATE 7/10/00 See below just got an Ausus GeForceSDR

 

[Prodigy^]

maybe in texture-intensive games like Quake3, and in highquality, high resolution.....check Anand's review:

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1116&p=1

 

[apoppin]

I read all the reviews when they came out. Originally it was a nice card - about $300 - when it first came out. Where does it stand now? I know the Geforce and Voodoo5 will kick its butt.

But is it a worthwhile upgrade in my situation? Most everything I like to play is at 1024x760 rez and 32 bit color (my current Rage 32 is best at 800x600). Anyone actually have this card?

 

[RayEarth]

Rage Maxx is not a cheap upgrade, it's the completely wrong way to go. I installed this videocard on a pentium III 733 with 128mb pc-100 ram at work last friday & when I ran 3dmark2000 it came up with the score of 3327, & my tnt2 ultra from creative labs with 32mb get a score of 3545, even with 64mb ram it's still slower than the best tnt2 ultra. the rage maxx in reality is just 2 rage128 chips running with 32mb for each chip, it's 2 rage 128 fury boards on 1 videocard, you should go buy a nvidia based videocard.

 

[apoppin]

Anand's review placed it ahead of the GeForceSDR. So $84 is a good deal (especially with a fast CPU).

But will it give a significant performance increase over my Rage 32?

Anyone with experience with this card? Is there anything else for $100 or less that will provide better performance? I know I have to spend $300 for the best - I just can't afford it now.

EDIT:RayEarth, at what setting was your 3DMark2000 score? My 32MB Rage Fury gets that now at 480x640.

 

[HannibalX]

Either that or a Viper II. The only way a TNT2 card would outperform the Maxx is if the Maxx wasn't configured properly.

 

[apoppin]

According to the Anand's review, the MAXX is detected as two separate devices, each requiring its own IRQ. RayEarth, maybe your Maxx was not configured properly.

Anyway, is there better bang for the buck? I am desperate to upgrade.

Viper II is about $120 with 32MB max memory. Is it a better performer than the 64MB MAXX at $84? Help!

 

[RayEarth]

I ran the 3dmark 2000 at the default setting, i never change the settings, i think the default setting is 1024x768 at 16bit. with my score at 3545, and my system is a PIII 933mhz with 256mbpc-133. the one i configured at work was a PIII 733mhz with 128mb pc-100. i don't think that i have double the memory makes that big of a difference to make me get 3545 & the rage maxx 3327, because 3dmark mostly test the videocard performance. It's kinda hard to install the rage maxx incorrectly, the customer ordered the system & it was build using an epox bx3 440bx chipset with a retail rage maxx & I used a clean installation of win98 SE & everything isntalled fine & I used the retail rage maxx driver that came with it, it also detect it as to display adapter under the device manager like it should, but when I run the 3dmark 2000 benchmark i can see on the helicoptor that the detail on it get messed up for a sec here & there & the same thing happened on the rage 128 using the latest drivers from ATI on another system I tested, everyone knows ATI drivers are the worse.

 

[Do'Urden]

If you are ready to pay $120 for a Viper II then I'd rather buy the GeForce2 MX (NV11) at $119. It's a great card for that price as can be seen in the review. Atleast it performs better then the ATI Rage Fury MAXX and the Viper II in 16bit but the memorybandwith limit is bugging the 32bit somewhat and the otherones are often a bit above in that department. Although if you use the quaver demo as refrence then the Rage Fury MAXX is not an option in 32bit, only 16bit for it there.

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1266&p=1

I'd say it's a question between the Viper II and the GeForce2 MX.
I'd take the GeForce2 MX since it's got more raw power and should last longer then the Viper II even considering the memorybandwith bottleneck. You'll be able to play heavier games at the same framerate but the Viper II will start to slow down. That's my guess atleast.

The GeForce2 MX at $119
That would be my bet.

 

[apoppin]

According to the Anandtech review quoted, the new GeForce MX performance is roughly equivalent to the GeForce 256 SDR. However, Anand's earlier review placed the Rage MAXX ahead of the SDR card. Wouldn't the MAXX be a better buy at $84 than the MX at $120?

Help. I need advice for a purchase this week!

 

[cobain]

I think i remember that the Maxx didnt show its true performance in 3D Mark 2000. It is between a Geforce DDR and a Geforce SDR. I have thought about swapping my DDR for one for its DVD quality. And I have never be happy with the DDR 2D quality

 

[Pete]

apoppin, your Rage Fury uses the original Rage 128 chip, right? If so, DVD quality should be the same. 2D quality should be at least a bit better, but you'd have to read a review for that (what res do you run at?). 3D should be faster than yours, just because you're using a Rage 128 and the MAXX uses two Rage 128 Pros.

Check Anand's GeForce 2 MX review for some MAXX benches. Use those to make your decision. I'd also ask around for the 2D quality of both--the MAXX's should be better, but not by much. I think the Viper II has a $20 rebate out, if it makes a difference, but I'm not sure. At this point, if you have to buy something, the MAXX should give you a performance increase. Just be careful, as it chokes on some texture-intensive games at 32-bit.

It's up to you--put out $130 now (get $50 back in two months), or save it and wait a few more months to get the next gen. If the rebate is still good, wait until the MX and Radeon hit the market later this month--that should help prices a bit. Hell, invest that $130 and double it, and you're all set .

 

[apoppin]

Thanks for all your replies. Invest, heck I can't afford any Rambus stock. hehehe

Anyway, I probably won't be able to afford anything Next Gen till the end of the year. I read at least 7 reviews today who's biggest issue was that the MAXX was way too expensive at $300. At $84 it is affordable (since I am going to put it on a credit card - and ATI is very good about rebates - the $50 should be in by the time the 2nd payment is due).

What my biggest concern - I play mostly Half-Life variants and MDK2, (I really like the Serious Sam test), and will probably get Thief 2 next - will it make a big difference over my current set-up with Rage Fury 32?

EDIT: For best results I currently run at 800X600 and 32 bit color. Since I have a 17 inch monitor, I would like to run at 1024x768 and true color. Of course, I would like better frame rates, also.

 

[apoppin]

No one knows? No one has upgraded from a Fury to a Maxx?

Oh well, I am going to have to buy one from a store with a good return policy. I fully intend to keep it if there is significant improvement. I will post my results later here.

 

[ssjgokou1]

Hey apopin, I had the maxx, and the rage fury pro, I didn't like the maxx when because of the price, but the card does suck. It's like the pro, but it will give you like 20% increase in fps, even though the fill rate is doubled, and it has two processors, then again, the price is nice, so I don't know what to say, I did however find out that under 32bit, it has many flaws, like running q3 at 1074x768, I got 4 fps, like anand said, it has problems in 32bit color mode.

it's a few steps behind in performance compared to v4 4500.
chipno

btw: I found out that I have a 850E, so I overclocked to 8.5x133fsb=1130.5 mhz.

What's the site, I might actually get it, for the price, it's no v4, or anything, but it's two times cheaper. It's cheaper and better than a v3 so...

I never thought you had a rage pro?!?! I don't know anyone with those, how do you like it? It's only like $40 now. How short do you want to have the MAXX for? It's great for a few mon. more.

 

[apoppin]

Thanks,ssjgokou1. Actually I have the original Rage Fury 32 (not the Pro) so the Maxx might even be an even better upgrade for me. 20% more FPS is a big improvement! (for $84)

According to rage3d.com, $84 is the suggested retail price by ATI after a $50 mail in rebate. I got the Rage Fury 32 the month it came out. It has served me well but I NEED a cheap upgrade till the end of the year.

BTW, the MAXX is supposed to have mature drivers - finally - that take care of its earlier problems. ATI is so s l o w with drivers.

 

[ssjgokou1]

20% big difference?!?! That's hardly anything

ex: quake III: 60fps->72fps
30fps->35fps

Not worth that money, believe me, in about a couple of days you will be like... Gf2 32mb or v5 5500->$300, Gf2 64mb->$379.99, damn, I wish I had those extra $80 bucks!!!

 

[rickn]

I would rather pay $84 for cowsh!t than buy the MAXX. Any takers

 

[ssjgokou1]

BTW: it's not like having two Fury Pro's.
Two v4's will out perform a v5 if they are some how put together.

I just don't believe how ATI put them for $300 in the first place, they are hardly better than v3 2k in 16bit color, man what were they thinking? No wonder they lost so much money this year.

Funny thing is, I remember looking on the back of the Maxx box, it had the comparison between a MAXX and Creative ann. Pro. Of course the Maxx won, but I haven't seen results like that anywhere else but on there box (ATI is pretty bias)

Oh, does your card have TV in/out? What do you think of the v3 3500? It's $129.99 after rebates. Put some heatsinks on that ram, and it could perform better than my GF2.

Oh, about the ram, 64vs 32 won't make a difference, since 32mb is assigned to each of the GPU's, when the polygon rate goes below a certain # one shuts down, having only one working, with 32mb on it!

 

[apoppin]

Well all 7 reviews I read liked it EXCEPT for the price. They didn't compare it to cow dung, in fact Anand said it was a bit better than the GeForce SDR.

So, I will buy from a store with a good return policy. That way, I can't lose.

 

[ssjgokou1]

About rage3d, I don't know an actual site where you could buy it for that price. I have checked the cheapest retail place (buy.com), and they sell it for $158.99-$50=108.99 (free shipping, of course)

Do you know when it will exprire? The rebate that is.

 

[apoppin]

http://www.rage3d.com/

$50 rebates on Maxx till the end of the month. Comp-U-Plus has it on pricewatch for $129.

 

[ssjgokou1]

yeah, it's pretty cool, but if you already own rage technology, I wouldn't recommend buying it again, you know it's like some idiots will buy a v3 2k, then a v3 3k two mon. later because it's the same price as the 2k, or it's a great buy, but there is no point, because they already know about what the card has to offer in general.

It, for now, does come ahead of the v4, but, remember, when they make new drivers, they will rock for the v4!!! I can remember using leaked drivers for my v3, and fps went from 30fps to over 50fps on my old crummy k6-2 machine on 1074x768.

 

[ssjgokou1]

oh, what about the shipping back?

You will probably like it though, it's worth it only if you have a rebate, otherwise, you, I, anyone shouldn't even look it's way.

Besides, it's only one days work, unless you have lots of expenses to pay, not me, I am still to young to drive, don't go to college, and don't have to pay rent.

 

[utopia]

Why not get a GF SDR, it only around $120 now....