Video card recommendation

[humanusj0r]

Hi, I'm looking for a video card optimized for video editing and effects processing. Preferably a card that can handle fast render times using Premiere, After Effects, 3DSMax, Combustion, etc. Not necessary to render effects in real-time. Also, I'm not a gamer, so I don't care if I can't play Doom3 or similar games with it. I've been editing video for years using my current ATI Radeon 7500, but i've progressed a bit as an editor, and really need something better.

I know that the Matrox RT10/100 series cards are perfect for this, but the price is too high. I was looking at the ATI FireGL series, and was wondering if anyone here, have any of those cards, or can recommend me one. I was looking at the lower-end models, which are priced around the $200 USD. Soon I will upgrade my system from scratch, and was wondering if upgrading to PCI-E and getting the FireGL 3100 would be a good idea.

What I want is a card that can reduce render times with that software to the least time possible, without being a compositing or dedicated effects processing card (thus costing me $800+).

thanks!

 

[humanusj0r]

anyone have used the FireGL series, AGP or PCI-E ? is it worth the money or should I stick with my old ATI?

 

[GT578]

Once in a while these sites do reviews on videocards used for rendering...etc. I know anandtech had some reviews a while back....and so does toms hardware.....

 

[humanusj0r]

thanks.

if anyone else knows of other sites that benchmark video cards used for rendering it would be appreciated

 

[humanusj0r]

bump?

 

[TStep]

I post a question along similar lines here. I can't help you, but maybe one the guys who replied can.

 

[TStep]

Also, here is a couple of the reviews I've come across in my research:

Tom's Hardware FireGL
Digit Life Quadro cards
XBit comparison
XBit on FX3000
Private review
Softquadro4
SoftFireGL
Workstation card roundup

 

[humanusj0r]

thanks TStep!!

 

[humanusj0r]

from what a read on those sites and the ATI site, the FireGL T2-128 (AGP 8x) has the same features as the V3100 (PCI-E), but is cheaper. maybe that and a Matrox X10 would boost rendering performance a bit. what do you think?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't really think that any of the current cards do much effects-processing offloading yet. NVidia is branching out into that area with their new "Gelato" software, combined with a workstation (Quadro) version of their 6800-based cards. Search around their web site for more details.

 

[Rottie]

I used ATI Radeon 9200 with Adobe Premiere and 3DS MAX 6 it runs just ok but with large file it takes alot of time but I am not complain too much.

 

[humanusj0r]

since most of those cards are really expensive, i thought maybe i could flash a 9700Pro or 9800Pro to FireGL, i rean an article that says it can be done. anyone have tried this?

 

[humanusj0r]

bump