Matrox Millennium P750 review

[Ioman]

We have just posted a new review you can check it out here: http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review227.html

Please post your thoughts in this thread.

[questionlp]

Very nice review and I really like how it focused on what the Parhelia/Millennium cards are targetted at: high quality 2D/3D output and flexible multi-monitor setup, not your frag-em-up OC-ing 1337 h4x0rz.

The sites that think that any video card must be made for gaming -- it's a laugh when you see sites getting Q3 and UT numbers on Fire GL, 3D Labs and Quadro cards when the actual markets are into precision and quality 3D rendering, not fragging and FPS steroids... that is just damned wrong. Same with sites and reviewers that only look at gaming performance and not video capturing or TV tuner quality when reviewing All-in-Wonder cards. Sorry for the rant but it must be said.

I have a G450 at work and love it... I'd like to see an nVidia card try to run two monitors at 1600x1200 @ 85Hz and at 32-bit color without smearing or any fuzziness. I'd also like to see ATI and nVidia make their multi-monitor setup as flexible and stable as Matrox's setup.

<rant mode off>

[RageSlave]

Originally posted by questionlp
Very nice review and I really like how it focused on what the Parhelia/Millennium cards are targetted at: high quality 2D/3D output and flexible multi-monitor setup, not your frag-em-up OC-ing 1337 h4x0rz.

The sites that think that any video card must be made for gaming -- it's a laugh when you see sites getting Q3 and UT numbers on Fire GL, 3D Labs and Quadro cards when the actual markets are into precision and quality 3D rendering, not fragging and FPS steroids... that is just damned wrong. Same with sites and reviewers that only look at gaming performance and not video capturing or TV tuner quality when reviewing All-in-Wonder cards. Sorry for the rant but it must be said.

I have a G450 at work and love it... I'd like to see an nVidia card try to run two monitors at 1600x1200 @ 85Hz and at 32-bit color without smearing or any fuzziness. I'd also like to see ATI and nVidia make their multi-monitor setup as flexible and stable as Matrox's setup.

<rant mode off>

I agree with this sentiment. This card is pretty awesome on 3 monitors! I am enjoying it immencely and I hope that Matrox continues to put things like this out. I don't do alot of video editting, so I am no expert. I do however do tons of pics (not very good ones) and alot of CAD drawing too and this card rox!

[William9]

P750 vs 9600 2D fight!

With respect to 2d only, will there be a difference in web pages or clarity of text fonts in 800 X 600 or 1024 X 768 between the:

Matrox P750 or

Sapphire Atlantis ATI RADEON 9600 PRO ULTIMATE.



I appreciate your thoughts – but 2D is the question as everyone already knows the answer to 3D (dah). More accurate color rendition is irrelevant.

TIA

[Ioman]

Doesn't Nvidia have pretty bad 2D when compared to ATI and Matrox? I also heard Nvidia's 3D isnt that great, just faster.

[Cloud]

Originally posted by Ioman
Doesn't Nvidia have pretty bad 2D when compared to ATI and Matrox? I also heard Nvidia's 3D isnt that great, just faster.

Ya, Nvidia 2D sucks. Their 3D sucks too, but its fast and the drivers are stable which I guess what counts. Once ATI gets their act together and produces stable drivers, they will be hard to beat.

Matrox needs to stay in the workstation business, they will never compete on the gaming end.

[RageSlave]

Originally posted by Cloud
Ya, Nvidia 2D sucks. Their 3D sucks too, but its fast and the drivers are stable which I guess what counts. Once ATI gets their act together and produces stable drivers, they will be hard to beat.

Matrox needs to stay in the workstation business, they will never compete on the gaming end.

So true, but they are not at all trying to either. Even their site is full of that sort of PR. since the smack they took over the G450 about 4 years ago which was marketed towards the gaming industy, I think that the lesson is well learned. This sucker rox for PhotoShop and illistrator and even Splinter cell looks damn good at lower res. Slower but great looking. Gernerals is choppy at best though an Balder's Gate is pretty awesome looking if you care to fire it up. I miss Torment I found out too.

[dang]

matrox drivers suck. so do ati. once they make all in once driver will they be able to keep up with nvidia. its all about simpilicity.

[Porsche911]

What I don't understand is why Matrox has given up on the 3D market? It seems like they have the talent. Sure the Parhelia was not the fastest card on the market, but the 3D was great, and with surround sound gaming Matrox could have really been onto something. It seems like they just game up.

[questionlp]

Originally posted by dang
matrox drivers suck. so do ati. once they make all in once driver will they be able to keep up with nvidia. its all about simpilicity.

I actually haven't had any issues with the drivers that they release for the G450/G550 cards that are used at work. All of the machines are Windows 2000 with SP3 and one Windows XP Pro with SP1.

As far as bloat is concerned, it's not as bad as the bloaty UI stuff ATI and nVidia (and any of the third-party guys that make ATI and nVidia cards) cram into their driver set either.