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Well here is a hardware review of Power Colors, Geforce 2 mx 400 pci 64 meg w tv out card.
First off let's tell you about the victim:
Emachines 533id 533 mhz cpu
2 maxtor hard drives(5400)1x15gig,1x13gig
8x Samsung (608)dvd drive
aopen network card(325)
win 98SE micro atx mother board with Intel 810 & 3 pci slots
Conexant 56k pci modem(winmodem)
64 megs pc100 ram
Power Color 64meg Geforce mx400 w/tv out(pci version/cmx6p)
Card specs:
Geforce 2 mx pro pci edition(stated on box???)
64mb mx 400 features: nvidia Geforce 2 mx gpu,256-bit 2d&3d graphics architecture.
AGP 2x/4x with fast writes and execute mode.
what comes with it :
1 driver cd,1 video out cable,1 powerdvd (v3.0)cd, manual.
not much but it's what I have no 1 gig beast but it does it's job very well.
I use this for Internet ,web page design and gaming.
At first when I first got this it wasn't for gaming . It was for Internet and web page design.
I was a Amiga owner before(my first computer). I got the pc for better Internet choices and more software.
But now back to the review.
Ok so I heard about a review of a Power Color card on one of the tech sites I look at.
(Techzone, modding zone ,etc.) and I started to get into gaming but had no agp slot.
So I needed a pci card so I gave Power Color a try.
When I got the card it was burning my hand I wanted to put it in right away.
So I installed it put in the stock drivers(yes some say not too) just to test the card then
I updated the drivers from the site.
Well after 2-15 min the screen would be full of lines.
So I'm thinking all what the hell man . I know it's a cheap card 86 us I think (got it as a gift).
But it should work right????
Well I did the swap cards around thing then did a driver update or two
after removing the card for two to 4 weeks after being pissed.
and with the new driver I got 30-35 min of use out of it. still not good
I then asked a friend of mine and he had heard of a lot of problems with the mx 400 based cards .
So I'm thinking great I got a beat card then.
I removed the card after a month or less of being online or other stuff and
after the 30-35 min having it crash.
this time at least a month goes by then I try it again.
this time new driver at the bottom pci slot and it works for hours with cover on . then crashes
so I try it out with out the cover and it works for days. no crashes unless it's hot in the room or covers on.
I run the 21.85 nvidia driver and the display software that came with it from Power Color.
Ok after all this how does it work??? Well yes it does I get very good performance from it.
unreal 4.36 w/no cd crack : 11876 frames rendered in 385.68 sec
. min 5.81 max 46.57 avg 30.79 fps not the fastest card eh???
I've yet to try the tv out yet but would love too.
I guess I shouldn't have expected much with my low memory the way it is an as a low end chipset compared to Geforce 3 and Geforce 4.
But I've got some great new effects in UT, Quake 3. but games like Unreal, Duke Nukem etc
don't really benefit from this card.
Is this card worth it for the price yes if you just need basic gaming to low mid range an tv out.
I'm sure I'll get better marks when I upgrade ram and harddrives.
As for Service from the company they answered back if a fare amount of time.
They told me to do the pci switch around(I tried that already).
their web site doesn't have to many FAQ'S about this card.
The drivers page is slow at times.
I've didn't contact the vendor they were on pricewatch..
I've come to get the card very stable an think it was a heat issue. .
even though I have to leave the tower case cover off..
now and then I get a bsod with a grey block (can't see any text) but not very often..
Also during install it ask you if you have the latest agp drivers for your mother board???
(I have no agp slot or support for one in mine) I thought this was odd!!!
News: I've traded the card for 256megs ram 128x2 after more problems.
I wish the card would have worked better in this system it must have been the 810 chipset also !!!!
I also can play at a pretty good rate all my games with the 810 chipset.
Including Rogue Spear Black Thorn.
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