Works great for me
Written: Feb 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent performance, "bells and whistles"
Cons: Fading (TNT2) technology
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| happousai's Full Review: Asus AGP-V3800 |
This item has, surprisingly, gotten some bad reviews from other members. Part of this is, I would think, due to the fact that there are different models of this card (V3800, V3800TVR, V3800U). I don't know what models the other guys had, but for the record, I'm using the V3800U, which is basically the TNT2 Ultra version of the V3800TVR (a "vanilla" TNT2 board with the 3D glasses and video in/outputs).
Using the default drivers, I had no problems at all with the card, though I needed to install extra OpenGL drivers to run Quake 3, though this was no problem. I also moved up to the Detonator 3.82 drivers when they became available, again with no problem. This is all on a P3 600 running Windows 98.
Why all the background? Because Pentium 3s benefit from a streamlined instruction set that, to put it simply, make for better 3D graphics. Also, if you're using an Athlon system, there are supposedly AGP compatibility issues (but you don't care because you'd be looking at a GeForce anyway).
That being said, this card has worked absolutely flawlessly for me. Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, and every other game I've ever played have worked fine on my computer. (For the record, this is with all the graphics options on, running at 1024x768 on average.) My UT performance actually surprised me, as I've heard that it really doesn't like TNT2/GeForce boards. And although I never actually chose to ask UT for my framerate, it is silky smooth, as subjective as that opinion may be.
The eternal question of "should I buy it" is, of course, a tricky one. Yes, it's an excellent TNT2 Ultra video card, with all kinds of bells and whistles including 640x480 video capture at 30 fps (though I never actually used this feature), TV-out (which would be good if you have a DVD-ROM drive), and various configuration and tweak utilities being the more notable ones. All great features, especially if you want to experiment with video capture and editing.
On the other hand, bells and whistles notwithstanding, the V3800U is, at its core, a TNT2 board, and this is rapidly becoming yesterday's news. With the markedly faster, more advanced, GeForce boards already entering a second generation marked by even faster DDR (double data rate RAM) boards, and 3DFX entering the fray with Voodoo 5 and 6, you will undoubtedly be able to find something faster. The Asus V6800 Deluxe, is a DDR GeForce board that, like the V3800, has video capture and even (according to some reviews) onboard MPEG compression, a feature that even the V3800 is lacking.
Bottom line, if you're on a budget, the V3800U will be a great card for you, for at least another year or two (significantly longer, if you're not a "hardcore gamer"), and is therefore a good investment - though you should, of course, shop for the best price. It is also signifcantly cheaper than finding a video capture card and a 3D card. You lose absolutely no 3D performance by going with this "all in one" card. Trust me, that was one of my main fears early on, but those fears have long since dissipated.
If you're not on a budget (or if that budget is very large), however, go with something faster, like a GeForce. If you want all the extra functionality (video capture, etc.), go with either the V6600 Deluxe as it's one of the two fastest SDR GeForce cards out there, or the V6800 Deluxe which is a DDR GeForce card (the fastest stuff out there, for now)--both have video capture and, supposedly, onboard MPEG compression (perfect for making VCDs, if you were wondering).
And that's my $0.02.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
happousai
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Location: Seattle, WA
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 4 members
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