Geforce, the definitive article!

[munnst]

Okay.
I've read all the GeForce posts and still none the wiser!

Which GeForce2 card is the one to get for FS2002?
Board, Make and Model please.

There are just too many GeForce2 boards!!!

Ted.

[Biff]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-26-01 AT 09:16AM (EDT)[/font][p]Since this question keeps coming back, I threw together a summary of the relative 'desirability' of Nvidia chipsets, listed from most desirable to least. The order is mainly based on raw speed, but also takes features into account. The chipset is what matters, who manufactures the card (for instance Asus, Hercules or PNY) is not so important, exception noted below.

GeForce 3 Ti 500
GeForce 3
GeForce 3 Ti 200
GeForce 2 Ultra
GeForce 2 Ti
GeForce 2 Pro
GeForce 2 GTS
GeForce 256 DDR
GeForce 2 MX400
GeForce 2 MX
GeForce 256 SDR
TNT2 Ultra
TNT2 Pro
GeForce 2 MX200
GeForce 2 MX100
TNT2
TNT2 M64
TNT
Vanta

A lower listing doesn't mean a card with this chip is slower under all circumstances. This is particularly the case with the GF2 Ultra, which runs at a higher clock speed than the GF3 and GF3 Ti 200 and is therefore faster in some games which only use DirectX 7 features. The list talks about AGP versions - PCI versions would be about 2 places lower in comparison to AGP.

The list is meant as a reasonable rule of thumb, not a definitive end to the debate. The sorting is not based on any particular edition of Flight Simulator, rather on 3D accelerated software in general. I chose not to pay attention to the Flight Simulator 2000 bug that gives odd 'lights in the sky' effects on GeForce 3 cards, as by most accounts it is fixed in the latest edition of Flight Simulator.

Note that I don't take memory sizes into account, as it is relatively unimportant. You do want to get at least 32 MB these days. Lastly, some manufacturers like Gainward make some cards ('Golden Sample' series) that factory overclock the chips and memory to run at a higher speed - with a manufacturer warranty. Cards like those might jump up a place in the list. Other than that, the only thing you really need to pay attention to is getting a card with the features you need, like TV output or a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connector.

No compromises performance recommendation: GF3 Ti 500
Best bang for buck recommendation: GF3 Ti 200
Need good speed on a budget: GF2 Ti or Pro
Buying lower than this doesn't make sense anymore for a halfway up to date PC: GeForce 2 MX

[munnst]

Great reply,thanks.
Just to drop a digital fly in the ointment, what about size.
Is there any point going 64mb over 32mb?

[Biff]

There isn't a lot of software yet that uses so many textures that 32 MB isn't sufficient, so if you can get a good deal on a 32 MB card I wouldn't worry about that too much. But more is always better of course; If the onboard memory isn't enough to store all information about a particular graphics scene, the graphics card has to fall back on main memory from the PC over the AGP bus, which is a lot slower. This may eventually be a bigger issue than it is now when software arrives that uses many massive textures.

[sonic33]

You really have to use the GeForce 2 GTS. I have benchmarked most of the others and they dont come anywhere near. I will not change mine for a 64 meg nor for a GeForce 3. It is fantastic in any game let alone FS2002.
They are stiil around £200 in English, but worth every penny.
In my expert opinion it is the best, tried and tested, Card on the market.
I run mine with 512mb PC133 ram and 1ghz Athlon on Windows XP and FS2002 Runs like a dream....

Regards.

http://www.flightsim.com/dcforum/Use...cd2f5d4903.jpg
69 Original FS2002 Screenshots here
Http://www.shifties.freeserve.co.uk

[rayN5432H]

Thank you! That is almost exactly what I wanted to see! (I did take your warnings into account) I might see if I can 'test run' an MX (does anyone think that CompUSA would let me buy it, take it home for a week to try it, then return for a refund if I didn't like it?)

Ray

[maniac]

Get the one you can best afford. That's the bottom line. I have a GeForce2 GTS & it works great.

[mith]

Outstanding reply Biff!