ATI Magnum 32 MB Card

[Nathan]

Is anyone using this card or know if there are any incompatibilities with some of the motherboards or whatever out there? Any pro's or cons with it? It's got some great refresh rates. The thing I'm wondering about is the heat issue. I would imagine it might generate heat like a furnace to get those numbers The site below will take you to the specs.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

www.atitech.com/ca_us/products/pc/rage_magnum/index.html (http://www.atitech.com/ca_us/products/pc/rage_magnum/index.html)

[Bleeding Edge]

Hey nathan. Are you considering a purchase?

When I first heard about it, I was sure to buy one but then there was the mention of the Voodoo3 and that sounded good. I mainly use the TNT now and will get the TNT2. With certainty.

In the fall I will most likely purchase a card based on the new nVidia chip which You can name yourself... www.nvidia.com/namingcontest (http://www.nvidia.com/namingcontest)


[This message has been edited by Bleeding Edge (edited 04-23-99).]

[Nathan]

Hi B.E.!

I'm strongly thinking of it. It's basically a graphics card more for business use rather than gaming, tho that barrier is coming down too. What was your reason for going with the dynamite rather than the gun (lol)?

[Bleeding Edge]

Before the TNT cards I was using the FireGL Pro by Diamond. Mainly business and trouble shooting CAD and 3D graphics programs. The card always left a desire for something more in the 3D department. It was great for 2D CAD.

Then the TNT cards came out, although geared for gaming, it offered many 3D features the Permedia2 based FireGL did not. So I gave it a try. It does just as well (if not better) in 2D and business Apps. The 3D is, of course, much better.

When the Magnum and Fury was annouced, I thought that this product was the card that would merge 2D CAD, business, highend 3D graphics and gaming support into one nice package. But I could never get over the idea of buying a video card that had a proprietary chip made by the same manufacture.

This to me is a cause for concern when most of this section of industry is building upon the three major chip designs by 3DLabs, nVidia and 3dfx. These proprietary chips from Matrox and ATI always lack driver support (to a certain degree) with a critical App that you may own. Whether it be; business or Games there is always something somewhere funky about them. Somehow they don't seem to make the same function calls as the majority designed chips. Nor is there as much incentive for the software industry to add support to ther products with software patches.

I'm not saying that the ATI or Matrox products aren't good (I've tried both in the past) but to purchase these cards seems to be bucking the trend for no good reason.

Anyhow. I've become enamored with nVidia's TNT chip. With its price, performance and industry wide support, and, the commitment and track record to produce better designs (by leaps and now, most likely, bounds) in a short period. How can we go wrong.

So for no real sane reason I'll follow the TNT 2.

PS.
I am intersted to see the highend solution that should be brought to us by 3DLabs with their Permedia3/GlintGMX/GammaProcessor combination.

[ANTONIO E GUERRA]

hi, Nathan! I won't recommend more than 8 megs for a business application. You don't really use 3d for database or spreadsheet. I would consider 16meg or 32 meg video card if I were a PCGamer or Autocad designer. I would rather spend that money in an IBM hard drive or in a faster scsi controller card.

[Nathan]

B.E.

Thanks for the book report (lol). Something in the back of my mind kindof made me wait and ask some questions. I would say that with all the sites I go to and the posts that I read, and hopefully give the correct answer on when I do open my mouth, I wondered sometimes about their drivers and/or the installation procedures.

You give some very clear thoughts and reasonings that are hard to refute in any case. So thanks for the thoughts here. I'll be sleeping on them.

Antonio, the Guru!!

I agree with your thoughts there. I've got some customers who were asking about those cards. They work with 5 to 30 MB files and want the redrawing to speed up as much as possible, time is money you know. Especially when they are working in color on their designs.

[Bleeding Edge]

I forgot to mention Elsa's offering of the TNT2 based Synergy II. Unlike their Erazor III that is geared for gaming, the Synergy II is optimized for business and professional applications.

Even if your heart's set on the Magnum, please take a look: http://www.elsa.com/AMERICA/PRO_INDX.HTM

The preliminary data is impressive. 1280x1024 170Hz true color; 1600x1000@139Hz TR

Antonio,
It is always good to have you point out the sane and logical.

[Nathan]

Thanks B.E.

My heart isn't set on it. If I might have problems, I'm not going to get it. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

And about Antonio, isn't that the truth. He's a very humble man. I can learn from him. Seeing I can be like a cat on a hot tin roof.

[Nathan]

Boy is that a card or what? Very impressive in some areas. But the price tag is not very impressive.