Faster, but not fastest.
Written: Dec 26 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast, easy to install, good software/drivers
Cons: NOT an equivalent of a new Mac.
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| Mradyfist's Full Review: NewerTech Maxpowr G3 PDS |
A couple months ago, I decided that instead of buying a new computer (I was using a 604e 200mhz clone) I would buy a cheap PCI-based Mac, and get a brand new G3 upgrade card. Originally, I was looking at the cheapest upgrade available - 350mhz G3. But as I thought about it more, I decided 350mhz wasn't good enough for me. I needed 500mhz. So I bought it. And believe me, it is FAST.
Here are some specs:
• Encodes MP3s (160kbps Joint Stereo) at 3.5x while ripping
• Decodes from MP3 to CD-Quality AIFF at 20x)
• Unreal Tournament(640x400 high detail 32-bit) 15-20 fps
This card is amazing, and if you just need a speed boost, it is definitely the way to go, with brand new cards available from mail-order catalogs at around $350 for the 500mhz version. But you have to realize that there are many more factors in computer speed than processor speed. One of the biggest is RAM. In fact, for day-to-day use, RAM is more important than processor speed. With today's application sizes, for average web-browsing and email, you will probably need at least 64mb of RAM, no matter how fast your processor is. And even then, you won't have RAM that's nearly as fast as the standard for new Macs. Same thing for bus speed, hard drive, video card.
The bottom line is, this card is great if all you need is a speed boost. But if you want to start editing videos on your computer, or playing UT at 1024x768, you'll need an entirely new Mac.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Mradyfist
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Reviews written: 3
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