So I just ordered a Ti 4600 (w00t) and I have never had an nVidia card before...[EDIT]: will the 2d suck?

[zsouthboy]

What are the differences in the driver sets? Where to find beta drivers, etc.? What drivers are you guys using currently?

(for reference, I had a vanilla radeon, this card will be an awesome step up... w00t!)

zs

 

[AnAndAustin]

With the introduction of the Radeon9700, it isn't really a good time to be buying a 4600. 4600 cards will be dropping in price, or else Rad9700 will be the clear card to go for. I would strongly rec a GF4TI4200 myself, these things o/c to at least 4400 levels, and some 3.6ns o/c as well as the 4400 o/c! At sheer 'bang per buck' the 4200 is the best card to go for, and will age far better than any other card you would want to buy. If you want a great card and want it now, the 4600 is still a great card, but you'd be far wiser IMHO to either get the 4200 or await availability of Rad9700 cards, if only to get a 4600 at a reduced price.

AnAnd 4600 vs 9700 vs Parhelia

In terms of drivers, steer well clear of anything beta, they're never worth it. The latest drivers from either nVidia (29.42) or the card's manu are where you should go, all nVidia cards use the same driver so it is very quick and easy.

 

[zsouthboy]

Ummm... I got the 4600 for $237 shipped.... dirt cheap.... heh..... its a refurb...

(i do stay informed about video card technology...... not to sound like a smart ass )

so the latest drivers are fine... ok... see I'm used to having to download beta Ati drivers to get decent features, performance, etc.... thanx...

how are the omega drivers compared to the regular ones?(i used the omega drivers for my radeon)

zs

 

[jm0ris0n]

I just purchased a MSI ti4400 myself (ordered on wednesday), and was wondering about the drivers as well (I had a Radeon 256). Thanks for the info. I ordered mine for 225 USD w/2day air + the card has vivo.

 

[Mem]

Driver wise,the latest official Nvidia 29.42 drivers are a good place to start,seem fine for most people.

Don`t forget 2k/XP users will need the NVrefresh fix from here if you want gaming higher then the default 60Hz.

 

[zsouthboy]

Thanks... i had all but forgotten about needing a refresh rate fix..... WTH is wrong with microsoft?..... for that matter, has anyone ever gotten an answer from them as to why they set it up the way they did?

zs

 

[Rand]

Originally posted by: zsouthboy
Thanks... i had all but forgotten about needing a refresh rate fix..... WTH is wrong with microsoft?..... for that matter, has anyone ever gotten an answer from them as to why they set it up the way they did?

zs

Compatibility.
The average consumer has no idea what refresh rates are and not idea how to check what they are.
For the average consumer, with a relatively low end monitor it's a "safer" choice to stick with 60Hz at it's the lowest common denominator that almost any monitor is going to support.
If they stuck with 75Hz or above they'd get a considerable number of complaints from consumers wondering why their monitor that supports 1280x1024 for example refuses to run at such a resolution... they wouldnt have any idea that it may be able to run at that resolution... but only at 60Hz.

It's annoying, but so far as MS is concerned it's the safe choice for highest compatibility.

 

[zsouthboy]

Originally posted by: Rand

Originally posted by: zsouthboy
Thanks... i had all but forgotten about needing a refresh rate fix..... WTH is wrong with microsoft?..... for that matter, has anyone ever gotten an answer from them as to why they set it up the way they did?

zs

Compatibility.
The average consumer has no idea what refresh rates are and not idea how to check what they are.
For the average consumer, with a relatively low end monitor it's a "safer" choice to stick with 60Hz at it's the lowest common denominator that almost any monitor is going to support.
If they stuck with 75Hz or above they'd get a considerable number of complaints from consumers wondering why their monitor that supports 1280x1024 for example refuses to run at such a resolution... they wouldnt have any idea that it may be able to run at that resolution... but only at 60Hz.

It's annoying, but so far as MS is concerned it's the safe choice for highest compatibility.

But why not have an option built in for advanced users? After all, these are the only people who are complaining anyways(i go to friends' houses and almost get a headache when the refresh is 60hz, then I have to explain how the monitor works, and then show them the difference between 60 hz and 85 hz... and so on)

MS is supposed to address this in XP SP1 i heard, though.

Ok, back to what I wanted to ask.... The card is an MSI card....... does this mean my 2d is going to suck? I run 16x12 at 85hz...... if it does suck, can the same tricks that were used on old cards be used("fixing" the filters by cutting some resistors)???

THanks for all your replies...

zs

 

[Mem]

Ok, back to what I wanted to ask.... The card is an MSI card....... does this mean my 2d is going to suck? I run 16x12 at 85hz

This should help you, click here ,remember with image quality only you can really decide.

 

[zsouthboy]

Thanks, but I was looking for something that would tell me specifically about the MSI Ti 4600...... in other threads I have read, back in the gf2mx and gf3 days, MSI was the most complained about for 2d IQ..... I am hoping that has changed...

zs

 

[onelin]

I wouldn't worry about the 2d. I've got the MSI Ti4400 and it certainly isn't a problem here, nor have I heard any complaints in that dept. The ONLY dept I have seen people whine about is noisy fans, which I haven't noticed on mine. At that price shipped, sounds like you got a deal, too. I got mine a couple months back for $220 ish but mine's a 4400. Well worth it, there's no way I'd pay full price for an R300 and waiting is seldom worthwhile