General Questions about the ATI radeon card

[Kingpin 0]

So.. I've just bought a new computer, with the following specs:

Amd Atlon 1.4GHZ

524MB DDR ram

ATI Radeon DDR 64MB

SB LIVE! 1024

Accton Ethernet adapter...

And so on...

I currently have windows2000 installed, with the latest mainboard drivers installed, (VIA 4in1 4.32), Service pack2, directx 8, the works.

For the Radeon, I use the latest BETA drivers.

The thing is, that when I start DXDIAG, the AGP texturing are disabled, and cannot be enabled, like my card doesn't support it. But the thing is that my system works fine. It's just that I've heard about people getting a 50% increase, or "speedboost" when turning this option on. Should I be concerned about this.

The second thing: When you use windows 2000, are there any "Features" of the card that aren't used. Well I'm thinking about the saying "w2000 aren't designed for games yada, yada, yada....

And does anyone have a clue when ATI releases their new drivers. Becsuse if they don't, I'll buy a Gforce2 or 3.......

[Brian Frank 0]

ATI is horrible about support in general, and especially under Win2k.

I had a Voodoo 4 4500 AGP that performed better than the 32MB DDR Radeon in Win2k. Any nVidia card will run better than the RADEON's, despite the benchmarks, the drivers make or break the hardware.

My serious advice to you is get a GeForce 2. The Pro's can be found online for $150 easily, and sometimes that includes shipping. GF3's will run about $400, but it all depends on your budget.

I would take that Radeon back and buy a card with good drivers--pick a GeForce ANY GeForce.

Win2k may not be designed for games, but I have found that if you have a fairly beefy system you can run games just fine.

ATI had better get crackin' on NT-based OS drivers as XP will be based on the NT code.

[Pythagoras 0]

Quote:

ATI is horrible about support in general, and especially under Win2k.
I had a Voodoo 4 4500 AGP that performed better than the 32MB DDR Radeon in Win2k. Any nVidia card will run better than the RADEON's, despite the benchmarks, the drivers make or break the hardware.
My serious advice to you is get a GeForce 2. The Pro's can be found online for 0 easily, and sometimes that includes shipping. GF3's will run about 0, but it all depends on your budget.
I would take that Radeon back and buy a card with good drivers--pick a GeForce ANY GeForce.
Win2k may not be designed for games, but I have found that if you have a fairly beefy system you can run games just fine.
ATI had better get crackin' on NT-based OS drivers as XP will be based on the NT code.

I have an All in Wonder 128, and they promised full support in Mar 2000, We just got full support in Mar/May... 2001. So althought I think the All in Wonder is awesome in saving space in your system with good capture, dvd, and decent video, I think Ill be waiting a few months to get XP...

[Kingpin 0]

So, If I buy a Gforce, what is the performance difference between 32, and 64 megs of ram?

Would you go for creative's card or what??

 

 

Kingpin.

[Toby 0]

Hi, to me this sounds like just another VIA-shitproblem like has been all over this board since the early days of NT5.

 

I got APG-textures enabled on my system without any problems, Intel 815 (Asus CUSL2) with Radeon 64MB DDR with the latest BETA-drivers (5.13.3224)....

 

I know the drivers are far from perfect for the ATI-crards in Win2k when it comes to fps, but it seems most problems with stability and features not working comes with the VIA chipset...

 

Thank god Intel rules on the serverside....

 

Try RadeonTweaker and see what it can do for you : http://radeontweaker.sourceforge.net/

 

/Toby

[Arkaerial 0]

Its your via 4in1 drivers, I had the same problem until I uninstalled them. I have a 1.2ghtz machine with a Radeon64 ddr retail and its works great. As for their driver releases, its kinda hard to say at the moment since ATI is switching to the unified driver structure for their release of the new 8500. So you should see new drivers with the release of the radeon8500. I personally don't like nvida cards (pre geforce3) because their 2d image quality just plain and simple sucked. So if you do switch I would suggest the gf3.

[Brian Frank 0]

ATI has a great product, but that's worthless if the drivers don't come or suck.

Nvidia doesn't get the maximum out of their cards the first time they release a driver, but at least they are able to walk all over a 3dfx card.

The Radeons are great, but it's just the drivers that ATI needs to work on.

[DosFreak 2]

Quote:

ATI has a great product, but that's worthless if the drivers don't come or suck.
Nvidia doesn't get the maximum out of their cards the first time they release a driver, but at least they are able to walk all over a 3dfx card.
The Radeons are great, but it's just the drivers that ATI needs to work on.

WTF? Subtle bad words in paragraph!

[CrazyKillerMan 0]

HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

Quote:

ATI has a great product, but that's worthless if the drivers don't come or suck.

 

wow.....nice touch Brian

 

Quote:

I personally don't like nvida cards (pre geforce3) because their 2d image quality just plain and simple sucked. So if you do switch I would suggest the gf3.

 

I agree here 100%

BUT

The Radeon 8500 will be out in sept and with half finished drivers, the 8500 is about as fast as a geforce3. But then again u could wait for gf3 ultra too

 

Personally I dig ati. The only games I play are Diablo2 and maybe 1st person the odd time. AND in the article I read said the 8500 will have a team dedicated to driver release :p

[Brian Frank 0]

If ATI does some more work on their drivers, I think the 8500 could be able to smash the GeForce 3.

 

Oh, DosFreak, I'd had not been a good English or grammar student.

[Frank_Black 0]

I heard that the new ATI cards are supposed to be 30% or so faster than what is out there now. BUT if the Detonator 4 drivers are also true, providing a 30% increase too(www.anandtech.com), than both the new ATI and the gf3 should be about even, until and if ever ATI releases good drivers for the new card...