All in all the benchmark numbers are to be expected, and at the standard gameplay resolutions of 640x480 & 800x600, the Geforce2MX compares favorably to the last-gen Geforce DDR. It's only as the resolutions scale that the 64bit memory interface begins becoming a limiter performancewise with the Starforce 816.  It compares especially well, considering that even now GeforceDDR cards *still* bring roughly a $50-60 premium over the cost of this MSI Starforce 816.

We used to expect "value" cards to be unforgiving, and suffer from serious compromises that made them unsuitable for gaming. I played many of a game of Q3a the past week this card has been in my system, and it's been a nice card to play on. At higher resolutions it begins to suffer, but let's be honest. Most people have 15" monitors on their PC's still. Even with 17" monitors becoming the "standard" on the desktop, playing at ultra high resolutions is often not necessary, or even possible.  The Geforce2MX is an outstanding compromise GPU for those on a budget, system builders, corporate desktops, OEM's. The MSI Starforce 816, with the nice little TV-Out feature and Twinview, is a very nice bargain at $139.  In the bang for your buck category, this card is a winner!

Pros

• Price. $139 for TV-Out, 32megs, and fast sub 1024x768 performance.

• Nvidia's Twinview technology, implemented here as a TV-Out mode. Nice to have simultaneous TV-Out (or just TV-Out period) in a product in this price range.

Cons

• performance limitations inherent in the 64bit memory interface of the Geforce2MX.

Rating: 9/10

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