[linux-help] Re: Recommendation for a video card.

["Jonathan Hall" <flimzy@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Although it's probably technically true that 2D can bennefit from some of
the enhancments found on a 3D card (such as faster memory, wider bus, etc),
the improvements found in a 3D card that bennefit 2D will, in most cases, be
completely unnoticable by human senses.

It's also not true that "any 1 meg trident based card" will be good enough.
Those are good if all you need is a video card for a server or something.
For someone who stares at the display 8 hours/day, I'd definately NOT
recommend a card like that.  Here are reasons:

1) 1mb of video memory is only enough for an 8-bit display (256 colors) at
1024x768.  Knowing Clint, I wouldn't be surprised if he likes to run at a
higher resolution than that even, which would reduce him to 16 colors or
perhaps even 1-bit (monochrome) color.  I know of few people who would be
satisfied editing code 8 hours/day under these conditions.

2) Cards like that have little enough processing power that it can be
annoying, at minimum, and counter-productive at worst, to wait for them to
redraw portions of the screen.  When scrolling through large portions of
text (as often is the case when editing code), this can be a real headache.
I experience similar things even on my S3 ProSavage 4 card, wich is a 4X AGP
card that sucks more than an 8lb Orac does over its anticipated lifetime!
(And my S3 card uses less power, too! :P)

Remember Windows 3.1 when it was common to wait for the image on the screen
to redraw after closing a window, or opening a new one?  You get the same
effect again when using old PCI cards (even more noticable with ISA or VLB
cards) in X.

-- Jonathan




----- Original Message -----
From: "David Carmichael" <dec2955@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <linux-help@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2002 6:08 AM
Subject: [linux-help] Re: Recommendation for a video card.


>
> Clint -
>
> I think what caused some confusion in your reply was the fact that you
> stated:
> "..... I need a good, pci, 2d card that works with Linux and X. ....."
> "..... I will mainly be editing code and viewing web pages,with it. ....."
>
> From every video card review that I have read, both a graphic interface
such
> as "X" and Windows benefits from even the smallest amount of boost
provided
> by the "3D" rendering power of the more modern video cards.
>
> And in my suggestion I pointed out the use of dual monitor setup, where
you
> could be viewing your code in one monitor (window) and running the program
> in a second.
>
> If all you really want is a flat 2D card then any 1mg trident based card
> would fill your needs and since you did not say if it needed to be new,
both
> of the used computer stores in town have them for less than $5,  I have a
> Matrox Mystique (8meg + 4meg upgrade) used that I will sell you for $5.
>
> --David
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Clint Brubakken" <cabrubak@xxxxxxx>
> To: <linux-help@xxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2002 4:04 AM
> Subject: [linux-help] Re: Recommendation for a video card.
>
>
> >
> > I know, but of the 3 responses I received one, 2 were questioning if I
> > really meant what I said in my question.
> >
> > I've noticed that lately is becoming more common, when people ask
> > questions.
> >
> > I could understand if someone was clueless and didn't give enough
> > information.
> >
> > Another example recently was when someone had problem with installing an
> > rpm, one suggestion was to use debian instead.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: linux-help-bounce@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:linux-help-bounce@xxxxxxxxx]
> > On Behalf Of Anne McCadden
> > Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 9:27 PM
> > To: linux-help@xxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [linux-help] Re: Recommendation for a video card.
> >
> >
> >
> > Well, you didn't say why, PCI video cards are getting rare and AGP is
> > much more common, but ISA video cards are much more rare.  I have a PCI
> > 16mb video card in use right now, but when it becomes available I could
> > let you know, that is if you haven't already found another PCI video
> > card.  All my other PCI video cards are 4mb or less.
> >
> > Clint Brubakken wrote:
> >
> > >well, I guess i could be ISA, bought I thought PCI would be faster. It
> > >has on board AGP, so theoritically I might be able to sodder in a agp
> > >card, but thats beyond my knowledge.
> > >
> > >
> > >On Thu, 2002-08-22 at 22:00, Anne McCadden wrote:
> > >
> > >>Does it have to be a pci video card?
> > >>
> > >>Clint Brubakken wrote:
> > >>
> > >>>I need a good, pci, 2d card that works with linux and X.
> > >>>
> > >>>I was thinking like getting an ATI 16 or 32 meg card (has 3d, but
> > >>>hard to find it without).
> > >>>
> > >>>This is for me workstation, I will mainly be editing code and viewing
> >
> > >>>web pages,with it.
> > >>>
> > >>>Thanks, Clint
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
>
>
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