What's the difference between a Vanta and a M64 TNT2 card?

[BrainSalad]

I'm looking at buying a $50 AOPEN TNT2 M64 with tv-out. From what I think I understand about the M64 I think its a watered down chip but is still a 128bit card just like the normal TNT2s. Am I right about the card or way off????

 

[BrainSalad]

Is the M64 at least a bit better than the Vanta? I know both cards aren't "all that" but for $50 I wouldn't mind buying it til the prices on the Geforce ultras go down my mid summer with the G3s being out for a while by then. After I use this $50 card I'll just throw it into a linux box.

 

[Chadder007]

DO NOT GET THE VANTA. The Vanta in my workplaces computer with a Pentium 3 450 is slower than my computer at home with a K6-2 400 and a plain TNT2. The work computer keeps chopping up the frame rates like crazy while the one at home is fairly smooth. Ive benchmarked both using Quake 3.

 

[jamarno]

Chadder007, I can understand the need for high performance video at home, but why at work?

 

[AndyHui]

The Vanta is a TNT1 with a 64-bit memory interface instead of the full 128-bit interface. Apart from that, it was manufactured on the .25 micron process instead of the original .35 micron process to reduce heat, and it had its speed increased from 90MHz to 100MHz.

The TNT2 m64 is simply a TNT2 with a 64-bit memory interface. There are no other changes. The m64 is a decent budget card.....avoid the Vanta if possible.

 

[SiliconVandal]

If you were to pick one of the two, the M64 is much better. Vanta's are usually an OEM product put into Compaq's, HP's or Dell's..that aren't made for gaming (but if you don't have gaming in mind..great card!).

<< And, by the way, the Voodoo3-3000 has TV-Out. >>

You have to pay more for it, not all V3's have it.

 

[MadRat]

There are TNT2 Vantas that run 32mb of RAM.

 

[AndyHui]

MadRat: there is no TNT2 Vanta product...see my post above for details. Some vendors may incorrectly display information regarding these cards, since the Vanta and the M64 are really very similar in many ways.

 

[RossGr]

I have never delt with the Vanta, but from what I have read on the Nvidia site it is a TNT1 core, though I see them called TNT2 vanta now??? I have been running M64s for 1.5yrs and find it a very nice card, seems to run everything I need (I do not do Quake3). Last week I replaced one of my M64s with a GF2 GTS. The only thing I have to even challenge it is American Mcgees Alice. I have no numbers but on a 400Mhz Celeron/GTS Alice (1240X11?? Not completely sure of the resolution) it runs absloutly smooth. While on a P3450/M64 (about same res) system I could see regular but brief hesitatations, it was completly playable. If you are on a budget and are not big into fraging others on the web, the M64 is a very good card.

 

[spencer]

I bought a TNT2 Vanta M64 from Bummer(well known in the For Sale forum) a few months ago and I just sold it a couple of weeks ago. This picture shows the TNT 2 M64 part but the rest is blurry but I guarantee it says Vanta too. It was an Aztec brand which I've never heard of but the chip does exist because I used to own one.

 

[MadRat]

AndyHui-

I know what NVidia's website said, but the TNT2 Vanta does exist. And the TNT2 Vanta is not always using the M64 label either! They mean mutually exclusive things. Both use 64-bit datapaths to the memory, but I'm pretty sure they were meant to run at different speeds.

 

[Smbu]

Do not get a TNT2 M64 card. I used to have one and the performance is terrible. You'd be better off spending a little more money getting a 32mb DDR ATI Radeon LE, or a 32mb SDR Geforce 2 MX card. I think they both can be had at about the $80-$90 dollar range.