🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 14 Jan 1997, Brent Mason wrote:

> > 
> >         Hi all... I want to know your opinion from two cutting-edge video boards.
> > Maybe you can tell me something that here in Spain we don't know. I have the
> > ATI 3D Xpression+ card w/ 2 MB of SDRAM, that works quite fast, but now I have
> > the possibility of change it for a Matrox Mystique w/ 2 MB of SGRAM or a Matrox
> > Millennium card w/ 2 MB of WRAM (for this one I have to pay about 50 dollars
> > more)... now my question is: if I will use the graphic card for 3D games
> > (Quake, Duke3D, Monster Truck Madness...) flight simulator soft and for
> > Windows95 applications like Adobe Photoshop 4.0, which is the better option? I
> > heard that the Mystique card is fastest in 3D graphics and reports better
> > benchs over DOS tests... is it true? I know that the Millennium is really fast,
> > but is it SO fast? If you can help me, please send me an e-mail to:
> > gal...@redestb.es
> > Thanks to all :-)
> > 

I've got a Mystique with 2MB SGRAM.  I'm pretty pleased with it.  It runs
high-graphics games with no problem.  Some stuff I've tried:

F-22 Combat Game
Janes USNF '97 Flight-sim/Combat game
RoadRash
Fury 3X
Doom/Doom2
MS Flight Sim

All the games, I've run at the max resolution available (up to 1024x768
with Jane's), maximum detail, shading, etc.....basically any setting that
could put a burden on the system.  The graphics have never shuddered,
hiccuped, or jumped.....all smooth scrolling with no slowdown.

I haven't used a Millenium, but I know a little about it.  If you
primarily run games, etc......get the Mystique.  The Millenium is more of
a professional grade card.  If you do a lot of Adobe Photoshop and other
mpeg/avi video stuff, get the Millenium.

I've found that the Mystique is great with games, and more than adequate
using video, Photoshop 3.0, Netscape, etc.  I'm happy with it.

The Millenium has a couple of advantages.  It can run at high resolutions
at higher refresh rates than the Mystique.  In addition, the Millenium can
be upgraded to 8MB WRAM (which is dual ported....ie. can read and write to
WRAM at same time).  The Mystique can only go up to 4MB SGRAM, which is
fast sychronous RAM, but still isn't dual ported, and thus is a little
slower.

Bottom line.....I think right now that the Millenium is still the King of
the Hill, but its lack of cutting edge 3D stuff (which isn't standardized
yet anyway) will make some people think twice before they get one.  Just
depends on what you want to use it for.

-Michael


Michael D. Knight             "Only AIRPOWER can                  |
Gulfstream Aerospace           defeat AIRPOWER,               ____O____
Georgia Tech Aerospace         and without it, all       x-----=[[.]]=-----x
mkn...@g-net.net              is lost."                   * X    0    X *