Top 10 Graphics Boards (8/97)

Top 10 Graphics Boards

Graphics Boards Month tested Street price Overall rating PC WorldBench graphics score Comments Reader service number
1 Best BuySTB Nitro 3D
888/234-8750
www.stb.com July 97 $149 104 189/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of EDO DRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, optional TV tuner,
3-D acceleration, bilinear video interpolation, Active Movie MPEG player, S3 Virge/GX chip
PRO/CON: Fast 2-D and 3-D performance, excellent AVI and MPEG playback, lifetime
warranty;all components are not automatically installed.
2 Best BuyHercules Terminator 3D/DX
800/532-0600
www.hercules.com June 97 $149 104 189/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of EDO DRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, 3-D acceleration,
bilinear video interpolation, Xing MPEG software, S3 Virge/DX chip.
PRO/CON: 2-D and 3-D graphics are improved over Terminator 3D, excellent MPEG
playback, good software; mediocre AVI playback.
3 Matrox Mystique 220 Business
800/361-1408
www.matrox.com/mga NEW $179 103 188/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of SGRAM, 140-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, bilinear video
interpolation, optional video editing card, Compcore 2.2 MPEG software, Matrox MGA-1164SG chip.
PRO/CON: Easy installation, clear documentation, good quality MPEG and AVI playback;
no hardware filtering for smooth 3D images.
4 ATI 3D Xpression+ PC2TV
905/882-2600
www.atitech.ca Jan 97 $189 102 180/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of SDRAM, 150-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768; 3-D acceleration, bilinear video
interpolation, ATI MPEG player, bundled games and 3-D graphics programs; ATI Rage II chip.
Pros/Cons: Connects to a TV, excellent AVI and MPEG video; 3-D quality is merely okay.
5 Diamond Stealth 3D 3000XL
800/468-5846
www.diamondmm.com Mar 97 $200 102 184/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of VRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, 3-D acceleration, bilinear video
interpolation, Mediamatics MPEG software, bundled games, S3 Virge/VX chip.
PRO/CON: Good for graphical apps, great software utilities, excellent AVI and video playback; expensive.
6 STB Velocity 3D
888/234-8750
www.stb.com Feb 97 $199 101 187/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of VRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, 3-D acceleration, bilinear video
interpolation, Mediamatics MPEG software, bundled games, S3 Virge/VX chip.
PRO/CON: Good for graphically intense programs, memory upgradable, lifetime warranty;
mediocre AVI and MPEG video playback.
7 STB Lightspeed 128
888/234-8750
www.stb.com Aug 96 $99 101 186/Very good FEATURES: 2.25MB of MDRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768,
bilinear video interpolation, Xing MPEG software, Tseng Labs ET6000 chip.
PRO/CON: Performs well with business and graphics programs, perfect AVI video
playback, excellent MPEG, lifetime warranty, low price; no 3-D acceleration.
8 Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 Pro
800/468-5846
www.diamondmm.com July 97 $150 100 182/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of EDO DRAM, 100-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, bundled
multimedia software, bilinear video interpolation, Mediamatics MPEG player, S3 Virge/DX chip.
PRO/CON: Excellent MPEG and AVI video playback; software is difficult to install,
performance could be better considering the chip.
9 Matrox Millennium
800/361-1408
www.matrox.com/mga Apr 97 $219 100 187/Very good FEATURES: 4MB of WRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768; Compcore
MPEG software,bundled game and 3-D graphics program; Matrox MGA-2064W chip.
PRO/CON: Fast, superb AVI and MPEG video, great software utilities, upgradable memory;
expensive, no bilinear interpolation for sharp images.
10 VideoLogic GrafixStar 600
800/578-5644
www.videologic.com Apr 97 $149 99 189/Very good FEATURES: 4MB MDRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768; bilinear video interpolation,
Xing MPEG software, bundled multimedia apps; Tseng Labs ET 6000 chip.
PRO/CON: Very fast 2-D performance, excellent software utilities;
no 3-D acceleration, average AVI and MPEG performance.

How We Test: We test PCI boards under Windows 95 with the PC WorldBench 1.0 benchmark at 800-by-600-pixel resolution and 16.8 million colors (reported here) and at 1024 by 768 and 65,536 colors. Boards are tested in a Dell Dimension XPS P133c with 16MB of EDO DRAM and 256K of pipeline-burst secondary cache. The overall rating is based on performance (40 percent), features (30 percent), price (20 percent), and service and support policies (10 percent). For all ratings, higher is better. Data based on tests designed and conducted by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved.

Top 10 Graphics Boards
	Graphics Boards	Month tested	Street price	Overall rating	PC WorldBench graphics score	Comments	Reader service number
1	Best BuySTB Nitro 3D 888/234-8750 www.stb.com	July 97	$149	104	189/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of EDO DRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, optional TV tuner, 3-D acceleration, bilinear video interpolation, Active Movie MPEG player, S3 Virge/GX chip PRO/CON: Fast 2-D and 3-D performance, excellent AVI and MPEG playback, lifetime warranty;all components are not automatically installed.
2	Best BuyHercules Terminator 3D/DX 800/532-0600 www.hercules.com	June 97	$149	104	189/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of EDO DRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, 3-D acceleration, bilinear video interpolation, Xing MPEG software, S3 Virge/DX chip. PRO/CON: 2-D and 3-D graphics are improved over Terminator 3D, excellent MPEG playback, good software; mediocre AVI playback.
3	Matrox Mystique 220 Business 800/361-1408 www.matrox.com/mga	NEW	$179	103	188/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of SGRAM, 140-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, bilinear video interpolation, optional video editing card, Compcore 2.2 MPEG software, Matrox MGA-1164SG chip. PRO/CON: Easy installation, clear documentation, good quality MPEG and AVI playback; no hardware filtering for smooth 3D images.
4	ATI 3D Xpression+ PC2TV 905/882-2600 www.atitech.ca	Jan 97	$189	102	180/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of SDRAM, 150-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768; 3-D acceleration, bilinear video interpolation, ATI MPEG player, bundled games and 3-D graphics programs; ATI Rage II chip. Pros/Cons: Connects to a TV, excellent AVI and MPEG video; 3-D quality is merely okay.
5	Diamond Stealth 3D 3000XL 800/468-5846 www.diamondmm.com	Mar 97	$200	102	184/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of VRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, 3-D acceleration, bilinear video interpolation, Mediamatics MPEG software, bundled games, S3 Virge/VX chip. PRO/CON: Good for graphical apps, great software utilities, excellent AVI and video playback; expensive.
6	STB Velocity 3D 888/234-8750 www.stb.com	Feb 97	$199	101	187/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of VRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, 3-D acceleration, bilinear video interpolation, Mediamatics MPEG software, bundled games, S3 Virge/VX chip. PRO/CON: Good for graphically intense programs, memory upgradable, lifetime warranty; mediocre AVI and MPEG video playback.
7	STB Lightspeed 128 888/234-8750 www.stb.com	Aug 96	$99	101	186/Very good	FEATURES: 2.25MB of MDRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, bilinear video interpolation, Xing MPEG software, Tseng Labs ET6000 chip. PRO/CON: Performs well with business and graphics programs, perfect AVI video playback, excellent MPEG, lifetime warranty, low price; no 3-D acceleration.
8	Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 Pro 800/468-5846 www.diamondmm.com	July 97	$150	100	182/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of EDO DRAM, 100-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768, bundled multimedia software, bilinear video interpolation, Mediamatics MPEG player, S3 Virge/DX chip. PRO/CON: Excellent MPEG and AVI video playback; software is difficult to install, performance could be better considering the chip.
9	Matrox Millennium 800/361-1408 www.matrox.com/mga	Apr 97	$219	100	187/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB of WRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768; Compcore MPEG software,bundled game and 3-D graphics program; Matrox MGA-2064W chip. PRO/CON: Fast, superb AVI and MPEG video, great software utilities, upgradable memory; expensive, no bilinear interpolation for sharp images.
10	VideoLogic GrafixStar 600 800/578-5644 www.videologic.com	Apr 97	$149	99	189/Very good	FEATURES: 4MB MDRAM, 120-Hz refresh rate at 1024 by 768; bilinear video interpolation, Xing MPEG software, bundled multimedia apps; Tseng Labs ET 6000 chip. PRO/CON: Very fast 2-D performance, excellent software utilities; no 3-D acceleration, average AVI and MPEG performance.
How We Test: We test PCI boards under Windows 95 with the PC WorldBench 1.0 benchmark at 800-by-600-pixel resolution and 16.8 million colors (reported here) and at 1024 by 768 and 65,536 colors. Boards are tested in a Dell Dimension XPS P133c with 16MB of EDO DRAM and 256K of pipeline-burst secondary cache. The overall rating is based on performance (40 percent), features (30 percent), price (20 percent), and service and support policies (10 percent). For all ratings, higher is better. Data based on tests designed and conducted by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved.