TNT2 vanta vs. TNT2 m64 - is there a difference?

[rnimz]

I am looking to get a cheap pci 3d card for my girlfriends computer, and since I can get a TNT2 vanta or M64 for about the same as a ati xpert98 I was going to get that, just wondering is there a difference between the two? I know that the m64 only has a 64 bit memory bus instead of 128, so is the vanta the same thing with a different name? Any help would be great.

 

[Wazza]

Hello there.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the main difference between the two is the core and memory clock speeds.
Vanta being..100Mhz(core) and memory 125Mhz.
Where as the M64 has 125, and 150.
Hope this helps.

Wazza

 

[AresROC]

And the fill rate, according to nVidia's site, is 140M vs 250M. Memory bandwidth is 1G vs 1.2G. Vanta is more like TNT then TNT2

AresROC

 

[fr]

Vanta is based on TNT and M64 is based on TNT2 right?

 

[(Chanse)]

I would definitely avoid a Vanta card. An M64 card is decent if the price is right. It's a tnt2 with onlya 64-bit memory bus, It's pretty good as long as you dont bump up the resolution too much.

 

[they call mr big]

chanse is right, the tnt2 m64 has only a 64bit memory bus instead of 128 bit like the normal tnt2. i think the "vanta" is a normal tnt2 with less memory and slower clock speed

 

[ET]

(Chanse), why avoid the Vanta? Is there any real problem with it, apart from the speed difference from the M64? I mean, if the M64 cost $20 more, would the Vanta be a decent option?

 

[Erasmus-X]

They are both based on the .25u TNT2 core. What AresROC was implying is that the Vanta performs at a similar level to the original TNT (which had a 180MPixel fill). The M64 actually has a 250MPixel fill. I'd spend the extra and go with the M64 if you were trying to choose between the two. Better yet, wait for the GeForce2 MX. The 32MB version is supposed to be retailed at about $119, which isn't bad at all for such a high-performing value card.

 

[AresROC]

What Erasmus-X said is what I had in mind. I just got the Vanta for $35 at ComputerGeeks, so at overclocked 125/160 Core/Memory speed & 1024x768x16 @ 39.7 FPS for Quake 2 demo1 I can probably live with it. Quake III Arena results are also respectable. (Celeron 450A / P3-550)

GeForce 32MB go for $120 right now (PriceWatch), so it will come down even more when GeForce2 MX is released. The performance between the GeForce SDR & GeForce2 MX is very similar.

AresROC

ps. Anyone know how to overclock the Vanta even more? The nVidia CoolBits only allowed me the maximun setting of 125/160.