Voodoo5 versus Geforce2??
Nov 09 '00
I think that primarily these two types of cards are the leaders of the debate currently. As always, the Voodoo card has die hard fans. This editorial may disappoint you a bit. I am not saying that the card is not a good card, it certainly is. I will cover the best aspects of all the cards on the market that I have tested.
Voodoo5 5500
When 3DFX released this card, I was very anxious to test the card. It is unique in the way that it processes the graphics information. First let me give you a little information about the card itself. The Voodoo5 5500 does have 64MB of ram. However, the card is actually two cards combined. It is two 32MB cards each handling every other frame. That means at any given time the card is on utilizing 32MB of ram on a single frame. The Voodoo5 5500 also does not offer the TV out that many Geforce2 cards are currently offering.
Now the upside to the Voodoo card is that certain games, such as the glide games, are designed with the Voodoo cards in mind. Therefore, those particular games do seem to work better with the Voodoo cards. As always, price is another important factor. The Voodoo card is significantly less than other cards boasting 64MB of ram. At $299.00 retail it is much less than say the Hercules ProphetII 64MB card with is retailing at $419.00.
Geforce2
Let me begin by saying that although the Geforce2 cards all use the Nvidia chipset and are primarily set up alike. However, all Geforce2 cards are not created equal. Also, higher price does not always equal better performance.
The Geforce2 card is available in both the 32MB and 64MB of the DDR versions. There is also a MX version. However, I will not discuss that card as it belongs in a lower category of cards.There are currently several different manufacturers of the card. I will discuss several of those in some detail later. First, let me discuss the difference between the 32MB and 64MB versions and how each of those compare to the Voodoo5 card.
There is actually very little difference in the actual performance between the 32MB and 64MB versions for most people. The performance difference becomes noticeable at high resolutions. You will see this difference is games that have constant activity such as Half Life. Games that have a great deal of action at higher resolutions will play better on the 64MB versions of the card.
At this point you also have to consider the size and capabilities of your monitor. If you do not have a 17in monitor. There is really no reason to buy the 64MB card. You will not be able to use it to its full capability anyway.
Since the price difference between these cards is around a hundred dollars, you have to consider how much you want and need this minimal amount of extra performance. I have to admit I have the 64MB version of the Geforce2. However, if I did not sell the cards, I certainly would not spend the extra for the card.
Geforce2 versus Voodoo5
Let me say I have personally benchmarked several of the Geforce2 cards and the Voodoo5 cards. There is absolutely no comparison. The Geforce2 card simply out performs the Voodoo in every fashion.
I know you must be asking yourself how there can be such a startling difference in the 32MB Geforce2 card and the Voodoo5 5500, which is a 64MB card. The answer lies in the cards processor. The processor in the Voodoo5 5500 simply is not capable of the performance that the Geforce2 processor is. I have already explained that the Voodoo5 card is actually only utilizing 32MB of ram per frame. This combined with an inferior processor really cripples the Voodoo5 5500 card.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that many of the Geforce2 cards come with features not offered by the Voodoo5 5500 card. An example of this is the TV out found on the Leadtek and Hercules cards. There is also the 3d Glasses compatibility of the Elsa card. Combine this with the fact that most of the 32MB Geforce cards cost approximately the same as the Voodoo5 5500, and you really have very little competition.(Unless of course you play the games that are designed to work best with the Voodoo5 5500 card. Most of these games state that in some way on the box. It will say 3dfx somewhere.)
Not all Geforce2 cards are created equal
As I said earlier, the Geforce2 cards are primarily the same. Since Nvidia discouraged varying from their recommended layout, that left manufacturers with relatively small modifications they could make to set a card apart from the rest.
In most cases this came down to the fan. This was a significant point since the Geforce2 cards run pretty warm. Hercules put pretty blue heat sinks on their card. However, the tests have shown that those heat sinks are not all they are cracked up to be. Leadtek, has a larger fan. This was a great idea since it cooled a greater area on the card. Now take that with the $20.00 difference in price and I choose the Leadtek card. Both the Leadtek and the Hercules both offer TV out also.
Then there is the Elsa card. As far as retail stores go, it seems the 64MB version of this card has been pretty elusive. However, it is my favorite of all the Geforce2 cards. It offers great cooling. The manufacturer is known to make good cards. They offer the 3D glasses compatibility. You can also take advantage of a great software deal through their website. The Elsa tends to stay with the other two competitors in price. However, they are definitely worth it.
As a side note the Geforce2 Ultra cards are now available to consumers. I would not purchase this card if I were you. Reviews of the card show that there is not a significant improvement in the performance of it over the cards already on the market. It also carries a hefty $500.00 price tag. In addition, Nvidia plans to release a new chipset in Spring. This new card will cost around $300.00.
IN CONCLUSION
I think I made my stance pretty clear. I think both types of cards are good solid cards. However, it is pretty obvious that consumers looking to get the most for the money should really look hard at the Geforce2 card. If you are going to spend that kind of money you should get what you pay for. I would certainly think long and hard before spending that much money on a card that simply cannot keep up with other cards in the same price range.
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fatima98g
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Member: christy johnson
Location: Monterey,Ca
Reviews written: 78
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