Exhasperated--Radeon 7500 or GeForce 2?

[Guest]

Hi. I am totally overwhelmed from reading such varied reviews of different cards. Could everyone please gimme their input? Even if it's just an opinion without any justification, it'd be good to hear...

I'm either going to get a Radeon 7500 or a GeForce 2 for my new computer. (What type of GeForce 2? I don't know...Ti? Pro? GTS? ???)

I plan on doing a bit of gaming under Win98, but nothing hard-core. I also plan on using Linux, but only for basic 2D things, like word processing and the internet and such. What I want is a good, strong card that probably won't go obsolete super-quickly.

So which way should I go? And if I get a GeForce 2, which brand? I've heard good things about VisionTek and Asus, but I'm open to anything.

Thanks a ton.

--Geoff

 

[Guest]

the ati radeon is the way to go i have had a early one for about 6 months and i have been istall them in about hundreds of computer since. ATI is the choosen card for most big gamming rig and how about smartshading and truforming nobody else has it!!!!!!

 

[arsend]

The best way to look at these two cards is to look at the features and then ask yourself if you will use them in the next year or two. NVidia's cards are very good for gaming, that is there strong point. The drivers are also more stable in the first generation, than ATI. The 7500, howver, is not a first generation device, as it is just an upgrade of the original Radeon, so there will be very little problems running it on most platforms. ATI also includes very good DVD playback. If you plan on watching DVD's on your computer, I would go for the Radeon hands down. The Radeon also offers multiple monitor support, faster clock speeds and better memory. All these features will cost you though as the price for the Radeon will be $50-$70 more than a Geforce GTS or MX. The catch is that it will last longer because of its higher specs. Another thing about the Radeon is that it does not support Linux right out of the box, but you can download 3rd party drivers at other sites that specialize in Linux. I am not sure if NVidia supports Linux or not, so i can't answer your question there.

If it works for you then don't fix it.

 

[phsstpok]

Here's my opinion.

Radeon's have better visual quality (2D and 3D) but Geforces are very good at up to and including 1024x768 resolutions. Higher than that some Geforces have only fair visual quality while other remain quite good, depends on the manufacturer and model.

As for 3D performance, (depending on who you listen to), the Geforce 2 GTS outperforms the 32mb Radeon DDR. The 64mb Radeon DDR is pretty close to the GTS but still trails. The Radeon 7500 is basically a souped-up 64mb Radeon DDR and the fastest model yet. I suspect it is faster than a GTS but probably trails a Geforce2 PRO or Ultra.

The Radeon 7500 can be found on the Internet for $150 for the OEM version and $175 for a retail version. Geforce2 GTS can be had for as little as $83, Pro's $117 (with 5.5ns memory), Pro's $98 (with 5ns memory, this doesn't sound right. Whatever!), Ultras $173.

With the above range of pricing and performance I would find it difficult to make a choice. All kinds of bargains are available. However, the pricing on the new Geforce3 Titaniums are starting at $174. One of these should be considered, as well. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see prices continue to drop (rapidly) on all video cards.

If you can afford to purchase one of the latest generation video cards, Radeon 8500, Geforce3, or Geforce3 Titanium series, you will definitely buy a longer service life. however, if you choose an earlier generation, getting a card 64mb with video memory would help in "future proofing", a little. More wideo memory will become more important for newer games and 32mb cards won't cut it.

Personally, I tend to buy a video based on what capabilities I need today and I buy something new when I need something new. I don't buy for the future (because I'm not good a predicting it).

I believe Geforce cards are better supported in Linux but this is probably changing.

<b>This has been my opinion. To other posters don't flame me just state your own opinions, please.</b>

Would you like a Quarter Pounder?
No, thank you. Just give me the BIG heatsink. It's an Athlon.

 

[bront]

As someone who just purchased a Radeon All-in-wonder card, I would recomend the Nvidia if you're going to be doing Linux and Gaming. It's got better specs for cheeper on gaming, and supports Linux with most installs (I had no problem with running Linux on my TNT card, and it had Geforce support in Redhat 7.1 too)

Only go with the radeon if you want some video editing capabilities, as The All-in-wonder has 32MB DDR, so is servicable as a 3D card as well as gives you all sorts of video options. The Radeon 64MB DDR VIVO gives you some better performance and some RCA in and out jacks, so it's a moderate compromise if you want to do video editing too.

Just my humble oppinion.

 

[SerArthurDayne]

If what you really want is longevity in your card, your best buy at this time is a Geforce3 Ti 200. At 180 dollars it's a real steal.

With Nvidia you can always be sure of two things - fast 3d performance and stable, regularly updated drivers. The difference in 2d/3d image quality is not as big as some make it out to be (especially with Geforce3's... Geforce2's in high resolution such as 1600x1200 are slightly but noticeably less impressive than that of a Radeon in very high resolution, but in 1280x1024 and below it is absolutely impossible to tell the difference).

As far as the Radeon 7500 vs. Geforce2 series, I think the 7500 might offer more longevity if ATi can offer better driver updates. But until that ever happens, the Geforce2 Pro is a guaranteed fast performer with rock solid drivers. Get a 64 MB version if you plan on keeping the card for any real length of time... but again, if you do want a card that will last 1.5 to 2 years, I would suggest the Geforce3 Ti 200.

"Laziness is a talent to be cultivated like any other" - Walter Slovotsky

 

[Makaveli]

Hmm I've seen benchmarks and the 7500 is beating or tieing the Pro and ultra so how are the Geforce 2's better game performers?

I'm in the same situation deciding if I should sell my Ati Radeon for a 7500. Then sell that around christmas when the 8500 drivers should be better

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1544&p=9" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1544&p=9</A>

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1544&p=10" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1544&p=10</A>

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1544&p=11" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1544&p=11</A>

<A HREF="http://216.194.77.210/7500p1.php" target="_new">http://216.194.77.210/7500p1.php</A>

<A HREF="http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/video_cards/ati_radeon_7500/1.htm" target="_new">http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/video_cards/ati_radeon_7500/1.htm</A>

 

[SerArthurDayne]

Um, excuse me, but I don't recall saying that the Geforce2's were better performers than the Radeon 7500's, so please don't put words in my mouth.

In another thread outside this one, you'll note that I specifically say the 7500 is faster than the Ge2 Ti, Pro series but isn't anywhere near the Ge3 Ti 200.

The 7500 is faster than the Ge2 series, but still costs 50-80 dollars more than a Ge2 Pro. I said the Ge2 Pro is a guaranteed 'fast' performer.. not 'fast<b>er</b>' performer. For the price difference, it is my opinion that the Geforce2 Pro is a better price/performance buy than a 7500. Same thing with the Geforce3 Ti 200... better price/performer than the 7500 on the high end. Seems like the 7500 is stuck in a rut in the middle, until ATI makes their drivers shine, if ever.

"Laziness is a talent to be cultivated like any other" - Walter Slovotsky

 

[Guest]

You are probably going to be happy with either. The endless debate is a STRONG vote for the sameness of the two brands..... If you have a history with either company let that be your guide. If you are on a budget, let that be your guide... yer gonna get what you pay for... Either of the two boards you are considering are going to do just fine. I happen to run on NVidia and like them, but several of my friends swear by ATI. Relax, buy what you can afford and let the blowhards duke it out here in the land of the superficial. (For the youngsters... superficial = insignificant)

half these guys don't even own the boards they keep yammering about!

 

[SerArthurDayne]

I own a 32MB Ge2 GTS, 32MB Radeon DDR (well... it's not *mine*, but it shares the house with me ), a TNT, Rage128 (oh wait, I blew that one up with a 21 bottle rocket salute), 4MB Diamond Stealth, etc etc.... it starts degrading into a computer junkyard. Hrm... I wonder if that STB Trio is around here somewhere

/me rummages

Oooh, look what I found! A 14.4kbps ISA modem!

/me rummages some more

Hrmm.... old WinTV tuner card.. probably doesn't have drivers for Win2k

/me rummages again

Woohoo! Commodore 64! Time to get back to programming games in BASIC!

"Laziness is a talent to be cultivated like any other" - Walter Slovotsky