From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jan 11 07:54:42 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9C1B616A4CE for ; Sun, 11 Jan 2004 07:54:42 -0800 (PST) Received: from tomts5-srv.bellnexxia.net (tomts5.bellnexxia.net [209.226.175.25]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1E24043D1D for ; Sun, 11 Jan 2004 07:54:37 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from louismunro@altern.org) Received: from gonzoboreas ([67.68.236.29]) by tomts5-srv.bellnexxia.net (InterMail vM.5.01.06.05 201-253-122-130-105-20030824) with SMTP id <20040111155436.SPBC2334.tomts5-srv.bellnexxia.net@gonzoboreas> for ; Sun, 11 Jan 2004 10:54:36 -0500 Message-ID: <000801c3d85b$3725e600$0300a8c0@gonzoboreas> From: "Louis Munro" To: Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 10:54:35 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.1 Subject: Choosing a video card - Nvidia or ATI X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 15:54:42 -0000 Greetings O repository of knowledge and wisdom... I have been building myself a new computer in the last weeks and I am = now almost done except for choosing a video card. I have been reading up = on the matter but some things remain confused after reading through both = this list and xfree86.org, namely what support I might expect for things = such as accelerated graphics using either an Nvidia or ATI chipset. These are the cards I am considering:=20 - Asus V9520 TD (nvidia GFX 5200) - Asus ATI Radeon 9600 SE - MSI GFX FX5600XT-TD128=20 I had tought that the ATI chipset was unsupported (at least until the = release of Xfree86 4.4) until I read of someone using a Radeon 9600 on = this list. At the same time I don't see any mention of the nvidia = Geforce FX on the list of supported drivers for xfree86. Is that because = it's simply covered by the "Geforce DDR" category or is it still = unsupported at this point? So based on actual experience and knowledge, what can I expect from = these three? I might be willing to forgo 3d acceleration if I can get = decent performance as 2D for general window managing and such as the 3D = functions are probably going to end up being used to play games running = Windows anyway.=20 Both the Asus V9520 TD (nvidia GFX 5200) and the Asus ATI Radeon 9600 SE = support a second VGA output. Has anyone had any experience using that = function? I have an old monitor which I would press into service if it = works. Any advice is welcome. I'm still a recent convert to FreeBSD so things = that may be obvious to others might not be so to me ;~) Louis