I am in the market for a new video card for my PC here at work. I have been using a Matrox G400 32MB since I started here almost 5 years ago. Although it has served me well, supporting a 2560 x 1024 resolution across my 2 19-inch CRTs, I want to upgrade to something more robust.
I am thinking of either upgrading to a better Matrox Card or maybe switching to an Nvidia card.
The card would need to support dual monitors, and at probably have support for DVI as I may soon be updating my CRTs to LCDs. I think most high-end cards have a DVI port by default.
Anyone have any suggestions? I was impressed with the Matrox Parhelia, but want to make sure I cover all options before sending the purchase request up the pipe.
While I am at it, does anyone have any favorite LCD monitors? I am proabably going to look for nothing larger than a 19- or 20-inch.
At the office, I’d stick with matrox, yeah. Unless you’re doing 3d graphics or something.
No suggestion on LCDs… I’m still using CRTs except for my laptop.
Unless you are gaming I would stick with the Matrox due to their superior 2d quality.
As for LCDs I would get the new Dell 20″ widescreen. Very nice.
All I’m say, in regards to new screen, is this
Go nVidia…their drivers have awesome multi-desktop support and customizable hotkeys to make it even easier
I currently have a 20″ Dell LCD and have been very pleased with the clarity and quality. It runs great on DVI at 1600×1200. I also have a second 15″ LCD as a dual system, the problem is my card doesn’t have dual DVI.
I’ve been looking for a dual DVI card to get it working again, and dual DVI that supports dual 1600×1200 monitors is out of my reach. I am thinking of getting 2 19″ Dell LCDs at 1280px res. with a dual DVI card that supports it. Problem is that i haven’t settled on a card either, but I am confident on the Dell LCDs (unless you need absolutely critical color for design, they have good color, but not if you are picky) that they are a good value.
Regarding LCD monitors the ones that impressed me the most were the Sony ones with xBlack technology.
Be careful not to get caught looking at one of the new Sony Vaios (laptops) with that technology and a pretty screensaver on…
I’ve been obsessed ever since…
Matrox has multiple desktop support.. I played with it once, but man, with 2560 x 1024 or higher resolution, it’s not like you need more space to dump icons. :-)
Any recent ATI or nVidia board with dual DVI and a couple of Dell 2001FPs (or 2005FP if you’re into widescreen). I absolutely love mine. :)
Nice monitor Michael. However, I’ll see your 20″ Monitor and raise you 10 more.
The G400 I have now supports multi-desktops, but I have never really used it. It always ran kind of buggy on my machine for some reason. So I am not really so much interested in that aspect of the card, just something that will render colors well and let me do better color matching across two monitors.
One drawback of the G400 is that I cannot set colors/brightness/etc. sepereately for my two monitors. I can on the monitor controls, but not through the video driver, so one monitor has always been slightly darker than the other.
yeah, Jeremy… I have the same problem on my g550. Mostly because I like my displays very bright — I could always turn the bright one down to match the darker one.
…I run electronic CAD like Orcad etc. at home biz, and just got my ‘first LCD monitor’:
[2] 19″ Tigerdirect 1280 x ? FujiPlus LCDs (only 250$ ea )
and think I’ll get a dual DVI Nvidea GeForce 660, 256MB, since they are ~ 150$…
I heard the NVidea sw auto moves dialog boxes so they aren’t split in the middle…
I can’t wait to never have to adjust a crt screen size again! BUT CRTs are 0.5 ms Tr and these monitors are 12 ms. response…
Hope they are as good on games…
I’d rather have one 24″ Dell at 1900 x 1200 pixl but they are too much on Ebay!
It’s _6″ wider pix_ than a 20″ crt monitor due to aspect ratio!
Now have to get better computer ??