It works for me
Written: Feb 03 '01 (Updated Feb 03 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap, 2D/3D support, 4X AGP, TV Outputs
Cons: A bit glitchy on some games, Direct X support is shakey
The Bottom Line: Cheap, 2D/3D support, Linux compatible, BLAZING FAST on OpenGL games! A tiny bit glitchy on older games and with older versions of Direct X.
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| BrianThomason's Full Review: Rio Diamond Viper II, (32 MB) AGP Video Card |
I just upgraded my computer by buying a new motherboard, case, cpu, memory, and video card saving me hundreds of dollars. One of the little beauties that came in this system is the now rather old, 32 Meg Diamond Viper II 220 with the S3 Savage2000 chipset. While a bit glitchy on certain games and Direct X games still sometimes cause problems, overall, this card is a great bang for the buck.
Pros:
It supports both 2D and 3D graphics meaning it's the only card you need in your system.
Cheap! This baby only set me back 65 bucks - Thats about 2 bucks per meg of video memory!
Open GL games run phenominally on this card! It comes with a tiny Quake III Demo which is customized for its chipset, and it is simply remarkable in both speed an graphical detail! If you run only OpenGL games and don't mess around too much with Direct X games, this card will be a perfect choice. If you're a Linux user - GET IT! (Make sure you have at least Kernel 2.3 installed along with XFree86 4.02)
With 4X AGP, this sucker is fast! (It comes default set to 2X, but a few quick and easy jumper settings and off you go!)
It comes with both S-Video and Composite outputs for your television!
When this card first came out I decided not to get it due to so many complaints about the drivers, but since that time they've come a LONG way!
Why spend $150 on a graphics card with 64 megs of RAM when you can get a 32 Meg card (which is most of the time even more RAM than you'll need!) for less than half the cost!
Cons:
Like I said, it's still a bit glitchy - especially on older games. I ran Rainbow 6 and for the most part, the card excelled, but at times, the screen would go black in spaces and you'd have to zoom in and then zoom out to get things back to normal.
Direct X support on older games is still shakey. I ran Need for Speed II, and while it ran perfectly in 800x600 and 640x600, anything higher simply didn't perform.
What it all comes down to is this: What are you really looking for in a card?
Are you an EXTREMELY hardcore gamer that wants to be able to run ANY game on the market? You MIGHT want to look elsewhere.
Are you looking for a good deal for a card that can run both 2D/3D applications?
This card is DEFINITELY the perfect choice. All-in-all, 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 65.00
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Epinions.com ID:
BrianThomason
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Member: Brian Thomason
Location: San Diego, CA
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 6 members
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