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
Rating:
9/10
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