G400 Max with Accelerator

[jooksingjai]

I am currently using a Matrox G400 Max and have just obtained an old 12 meg Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo 2 accelerator card. What I was wondering was would there be a difference if I added the Voodoo card and what would be the advantages or would I just be taking up resources by adding in this card?

[Hellmund]

It shouldn't be a problem resource wise and the Glide support would come in very handy for older games. If your never going to use the Glide API then I wouldn't bother though...

[Kruzin]

Unless you really NEED Glide support for some older games, a Voodoo2 really won't do anything for you, except degrade the image quality of the G400 by running through the V2's pass-through cable.
Your Max will do D3D and OGL as well as, if not better than the V2.

[RobRich]

The G400 Max will completely smoke a single Voodoo2 for OpenGL and D3D performance. The Max will even outperform some current chipsets!

Unless you have some specific need for 3dfx GLide support (not likely anymore), then drop by the user-to-user section and make youself a few dollars. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Robert Richmond

[LostBok]

how about a 8meg MGA-G200 vs a dual Voodoo2SLI??

The G200 seems to be seriously underperforming in Half-Life and UnrealT... is it worh slamming the pair of Voodoo2's in there? PCI only, so its that or a GeForce2mx... its an old dual P2-300, 256meg ECC EDO...

[Kruzin]

Adding an SLI setup to a G200 would definatly beef up gaming capabilities. G200 is much slower than G400...

[Bovon]

RobRich, is the G400 MAX the same as the G400 dual head?..

New Matrox G400 256-bit DualBus graphics chip
Explosive 3D, 2D, and DVD performance
DualHead® display technology
Superior DVDMax® and S-Video/TV output technology
True 3D Environment-Mapped Bump Mapping
Vibrant Color Quality® Rendering
UltraSharp 300MHz DAC
3D Rendering Array Processor
32 MB SGRAM memory


as seen here? (http://www.matrox.com/mga/products/mill_g400/features.cfm)

[Bovon]

By the way, What is NLX as referred to in video cards, specifically the mounting bracket.

While looking for a Matrox Millennium video card at eBay, I see some G200's listed as NLX and some as ATX. The ATX has the normal mounting bracket I am used to seeing, but the NLX is a short, stubby-wider bracket. Apparently to fit some Compaq (or other) machine?.

[Kinmon]

G400 Max has a faster core and faster memory than G400. That's basically it. Also, JookSingJai, G400 wil smoke voodoo 2 big time for newer games.

Also, JookSingJai (bad luck), i guess you're chinese, eh?

[RobRich]

NLX describes a m/b format used by several OEM manufacturers to lower costs by using a large edge connector for connection to various connectors found pre-built into the case architecture. NLX boards are no longer in production. Atleast I haven't seen one in years....

The G400 Max is essentially a factory overclocked G400 Dual-Head Millennium. The Max features a higher core clock with faster memory for improved performance, especially at higher resolutions. It also included a heatsink fan for improved thermal dissipation.

[Bovon]

Thanks RobRich, the core clock may be overclocked, but from Matrox, the video dram appears to be the same.

Retail Products -----------------Display Features--- SGRAM Memory ----RAMDAC
Millennium G400(G4+MDHA16GR)------ DualHead ----------16MB --------300 MHz
Millennium G400(G4+MDHA32GR)------ DualHead ----------32MB --------300 MHz
Millennium G400 MAX(G4+MMDHA32GR) DualHead ----------32MB --------360 MHz



[This message has been edited by Bovon (edited 08-28-2001).]

[RobRich]

I am referencing the speed of the memory, not the amount or type.

182, RobRich999

[Bovon]

Ahhhh yes, I forgot there for a moment that even some sgram might have a faster speed. I was thinking in terms of maybe it being DDR instead of SGRAM. I see where the G450 and G550 have DDR, and that was what I thought you may be referring to with the G400...

Thanks.

[Kruzin]

"Vanilla" G400s use 6ns SDRAM.
G400MAX uses 5ns SDRAM.
Otherwise, the cards are identical, except for the clock speeds and fan.

[senor]

RE: Matrox 450
Microbarn.com say on their wwebpage that this card will not work with the AbitKG7 mobo.I asked them if the 550 card would, and they said that they did not carry that card.
I emailed Matrox, but they just said it should work.
Has anyone had problems with this or any AMD760 mobo and the 550 card?
Thanks