Vetro GeForce2 MX400 64 MB SDRAM PCI
Written: Sep 25 '01 (Updated Feb 13 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Super easy installation and great customer support. Supports the PCI expansion slot.
Cons: Slower than AGP cards using the same nVidia chipset technology. Difficult to install XP drivers.
The Bottom Line: For users with no AGP slot, this card is the way to go because it's affordable and packs a powerful punch. All Windows operating systems, including XP, and Linux supported.
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| whitemike's Full Review: PNY Verto® GeForce®2 MX400,, (64 MB) PCI... |
New In The Box
When first purchasing the PCI version of the Verto card from PNY, I was a little wary. I heard and read that PCI cards using the nVidia chipset were much slower than their AGP counterparts. If you are like me and don't have an AGP slot, then you are left with only two choices. Buy a new motherboard, to most this means a new computer, or settle for a PCI card.
Having had a VooDoo 5 5500 from 3dfx, I wanted to "feel" the power of the nVidia chipset. Many told me that this would not be possible without the use of an AGP version. I just had to find out for myself.
Easy to Install
The Installation Guide that came with the card was very well written. I was surprised to see that the guide contained a visual representation of what an AGP, PCI and ISA expansion slot looked like. This is an insightful addition to help those not experienced with installing computer hardware.
It is as easy too install as the Guide states. Just take off the case and pop it in. After that, is just gets easier. The software was a cinch to install on Windows 2000. However, the software was a little difficult to install on XP. XP automatically installs drivers for the card, but the chipset properties are not enabled. I called PNY's customer support and was quite surprised at the efficient way they handled the situation. The service representative even called me back at home to make sure everything was working. All I had to do was download the newest drivers from nVidia's website and I was good to go.
Performance
The card worked for more than just gaming on my system. I could raise the screen resolution up to 2048 and color quality up to 32-bits. Even the icons on my computer seem brighter and more detailed, and thanks to multibuffering (double, triple and quad), animation and video playback were greatly increased. I was pleased to discover that the card was designed for more than just game play.
The card enhanced almost every game I play. I could set the display settings to their highest, and experience little to no drag. The games that I have found to work the best with the card are Counter Strike, Unreal Tournament, MDK2, Microsoft Motocross Madness and 4x4 Evolution. The most notable difference can be seen in Counter Strike.
Chipset and Compatibility
The card incorporates the award-winning nVidia GeForce2 MX400 chipset. nVidia makes the most popular chipsets and they are the most popular for a reason. Besides being affordable and consistent, cards incorporating the nVidia chipset offer the best graphics a game player could ever want, with the nVidia Shading Rasterizer and integrated second generation Transform and Lighting engines. The fill rates achievable with the nVidida chipset are amazing and the incorporation of SDRAM on cards such as the Verto make this card one of the best.
The card supports all Windows display drivers, as well as DirectDraw, Direct3D, DirectVideo and ActiveX drivers. OpenCL ICD is supported for Windows and Linux, and the card is fully PC00, PC99 and PC99a compliant.
To Buy or Not To Buy, That is the Question
Anyone looking for improved graphics on a PCI bus at an affordable price should look no longer. This is the card for you. If you have an AGP slot, then this is probably not the card for you. nVidia makes the GeForce3 chipset which is only available in AGP. That would be a wiser choice if you have an AGP slot and can afford it. Don't epext huge changes in Video and Animation that you might get from a card that costs thousands of dollars. But, if you are like me and have no AGP slot and a small pocketbook, then the Verto GeForce2 MX400 64 MB SDRAM is the best way to go.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 110
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Epinions.com ID:
whitemike
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Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I am a recent grad looking for that dream job.
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