ATI vs. NVIDIA which one to choose?

[andreadebiase]

hi
I was thinking to buy one of these two video cards and would like to know which one would you choose.

ATI Xpert2000 32mb AGP ($56)
NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 M64 AGP GRAPHIC CARD
32MB ($62)

I am not a gamer (I intend to play sometimes with flight simulators and DVDs). I intend to buy a good monitor but no more than 17``.
I also would like to know if, in your opinion, it is a waste to buy a 32MB card considering that at the most a will be using (I assume since is only 17`` inches monitor) 1024*768 resolution.
thanks

[Ghost_Hacker]

When it comes to memory on a video card the most important thing is the size of the textures the game generates. Most of today's games have textures that work best on a card with 32MB of memory. Next generation games will generate textures that work best on boards with 64MB of memory. So the more memory you have the faster your gaming experince because the board can hold the textures and doesn't have to use system memory to do so.


Anyway the TNT is better for games. The ATI card should be great for video. I base this on things I've read not on personel experince. So hopefully someone who has one of these cards can give you a first hand account.


Hope this helps http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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"It's just a whisper in my Ghost"

[Randy_tx]

I'm running a ATI-2000 right now and have the TNT in a previous machine of mine....I like em both! 32MB Ram on a vid card is a bit much unless you are a gamer...but at those prices, who cares. I give a slight nod to the ATI card because I like the company more.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[kenja]

In my quest for smooth DVD under Windows 2000, I own both of these cards (the PCI version of the TNT2). I bought the Jaton TNT2 M64 product in part because it comes bundled with the "Power DVD" player software, which is W2k compatible. Not satisfied with the playback (under W2k), I then bought the ATI Xpert2000 AGP because of its onboard (hardware) DVD decoder.

Unfortunately...upon further review...the hardware decoder function is not enabled when running on W2k. (Oh well, just another reason to maintain a dual-boot setup with Win9x http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif .) Both of these are good cards for the money, IMO.

High-intensity gamers would want a card with an onboard bus 128 bits wide; both of these have 64-bit busses. Memory is so cheap these days that there's no real "premium" being paid when going from 16MB to 32MB. (I seem to recall reading a review of the Jaton saying it was originally going to be released as a 16MB, but they went with 32MB for marketing reasons.)

Don't have the data at hand, but I think the NVIDEA has a faster processor than the ATI. I can run 768x1024 at 120Hz (vertical refresh rate) with the Jaton vs 100Hz with the ATI (but I can't see any difference between the two, anyway).

Some ATI products have had compatibility problems on motherboards with the VIA KT133 chipset, but I haven't experienced that with my Soyo board.

[myone]

I would certainly go for the Nvidia because the Nvidia has faster processor. Also, it is not a bad idea of getting a 32 Mb card. It delivers better pictures especially when you are playing dvd or when you are doing gaming.

I just bought a Nvidia GeForce2 GTS and it is working perfect!

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