) goes a step further by using Window RAM (WRAM).
Opti
mized for Windows, WRAM is the latest in graphics memory technology, and it helped the MGA Millennium to top all the other cards in
our InterMark 32-bit-color benchmarks
. WRAM's 256-bit-wide internal buses transport data at 1.6 GBps, resulting in fast Windows drawing operations, such as rectangular fills and color-text expansion.
Elsa America's Gloria 4
(
our best-overall choice
) costs a whopping $2990, but it utilizes a 3DLabs' Glint chip for 3-D acceleration. Diamond's Stealth Video 3400 XL ($569) offers 30-frame-per-second playback on a full screen instead of in a teeny window if you attach an optional MPEG daughtercard. Any video played back at less than 30 fps appears jerky, not broadcast-quality (like you see on TV or at the movies).
For
our best-overall category
, we combined the performance numbers of the cards at two different resolutions: 1024 by 768 pixels and 1280 by 1024, set at 256 (8-bit) color
s. These resolutions and color settings are what you'll find on a typical business desktop system.
Although the Gloria 4 wins our best-overall category, STB Systems' Velocity 64 Video ($500) uses an S3 Vision 968 accelerator chip and 4 MB of extended-data-out (EDO) video memory to breeze through our benchmarks. A digital-video window control allows full-motion playback of all Display Control Interface (DCI)-compliant video clips, including Audio Video Interleave (AVI), MPG, Indeo, and Video CD. Its Windows Display Control utility provides easy switches between color depths, a virtual desktop, and a zoom window for taking closer looks at different areas of the desktop.
Number Nine's Imagine 128 Pro was also a strong performer in our lower-resolution benchmarks and second best in our 32-bit-color tests. The Imagine 128 Pro 128-bit bus width provides snappy performance. The $699 card (with 4 MB of video memory) is available with 2, 4, or 8 MB of video memory and supports 16.7 million colors at a re
solution of 1600 by 1200 pixels when fully loaded with video memory.
AsusTek's PCIV192, a 192-bit accelerator, didn't perform nearly as well as the Imagine 128 Pro. The PCIV192 board uses a parallel architecture with three S3 Vision 864 graphics chips controlling RGB; each engine has its own 2 MB of dedicated video memory. The $499 card's three-pronged approach to pixelation is slow compared to that of the other video memory-based boards, perhaps because its drivers aren't optimized for Windows 95.
The VideoLogic Graphix Star 700's ($449) and Actix Systems GE Ultra 64 AV-4MB's ($399) InterMark scores were almost identical, but the GE Ultra 64 was faster by a mere whisker. The overall edge goes to the Graphix Star 700 because it offers more features and supports higher refresh rates and more colors at higher resolutions.
Hercules's Graphics Terminator Professional ($559) was a strong performer in all our benchmarks. It incorporates an S3 Vision 968 processor with 4 MB of video memory and s
upports a maximum refresh rate of 150 Hz.
In our high-resolution category, we tested the add-in cards at 1600 by 1200 pixels at 256 colors, which eliminated four of the lower-end boards. Cards that support this resolution are ideal for desktop publishing, image processing, and photo-realistic rendering. VideoLogic's Graphix Star 700 and STB Systems' Velocity 64 Video outperform the
Elsa Winner 2000Pro/X-4
(
our best high-resolution pick
), but the Winner 2000Pro/X-4 has more features.
Our low-cost category
comprised only those boards with as-tested prices of under $400. At $399, the
Actix GE Ultra 64 AV-4MB
won this category with a strong performance score. The STB PowerGraph 64 Video follows the Actix in performance and costs just $250.
PERFORMANCE:
75%
1024 x 768 x 256 37.5%
1280 x 1
024 x 256 37.5%
FEATURES:
15%
USABILITY:
10%
PERFORMANCE:
75%
1024 x 768 x 32-bit 37.5%
1600 x 1200 x 8-bit 37.5%
FEATURES:
15%
USABILITY:
10%
Elsa America's Gloria 4 has the second-fastest InterMark performance
with resolutions of 1024 by 768 pixels, as well as 1280 by 1024
pixels at 256 colors. Configured for testing at $2990, this video
memory -- based board costs over 10 times as much as the other boards
tested here, but it utilizes a 3DLabs' Glint chip for 3-D
acceleration, making it ideal for CAD users with fat wallets.
ACCELERATOR
PRICE RAM (MB) CONTROLLER
BEST Elsa Gloria 4 $2990 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
RUNNER-UP Elsa Winner 2000Pro/X-4 $545 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
RUNNER-UP Matrox MGA Millennium $948 8 WRAM MGA-2064W
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video $500 4 EDO VRAM S3 Vision 968
PERFORMANCE FEATURES USABILITY OVERALL
SCORE INDEX INDEX SCORE
BEST Elsa Gloria 4 9.75 *** *** 9.38
RUNNER-UP Elsa Winner 2000Pro/X-4 9.73 *** *** 9.37
RUNNER-UP Matrox MGA Millennium 9.78 *** *** 9.35
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video 9.7 *** *** 9.16
KEY
Ratings from 1 to 4: * is the lowest; **** is the highest.
The MGA Millennium is the only board we tested with WRAM, which
provides video memory-level performance at near-DRAM prices. The MGA
Millennium came loaded with 8 MB of video memory and supports a
lightning-fast 200-Hz noninterlaced refresh rate. Although the $948
price tag is steep, the board has 3-D capabilities, excellent
performance under all conditions, and a host of accompanying utility
software, including a software MPEG video player.
ACCELERATOR
PRICE RAM (MB) CONTROLLER
BEST Matrox MGA Millennium $948 8 WRAM MGA-2064W
RUNNER-UP Number Nine Imagine
128 Pro $699 4 VRAM Number Nine Imagine128
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video $500 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
RUNNER-UP Elsa Gloria 4 $2990 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
PERFORMANCE FEATURES USABILITY OVERALL
SCORE INDEX INDEX SCORE
BEST Matrox MGA Millennium 9.89 *** *** 9.43
RUNNER-UP Number Nine Imagine
128 Pro 9.9 **** *** 9.41
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video 10 *** *** 9.38
RUNNER-UP Elsa Gloria 4 9.29 *** *** 9.04
KEY
Ratings from 1 to 4: * is the lowest; **** is the highest.
Elsa America's Winner 2000Pro/X-4 combines an S3 Vision graphics
accelerator with 4 MB of video memory for the third-best InterMark
performance in our high-end 1600-by 1200-pixel benchmarks. In true
color, the $545 card maintains a refresh rate of over 100 Hz when set
at resolutions of 1280 by 768 pixels. If you want to pump up
performance, you can add another 4 MB of video memory.
ACCELERATOR
PRICE RAM (MB) CONTROLLER
BEST Elsa Winner 2000Pro/X-4 $545 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
RUNNER-UP VideoLogic Graphix
Star 700 $449 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
RUNNER-UP Elsa Gloria 4 $2990 4 VRAM S3 Vision 968
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video $500 4 EDO VRAM S3 Vision 968
PERFORMANCE FEATURES USABILITY OVERALL
SCORE INDEX INDEX SCORE
BEST Elsa Winner 2000Pro/X-4 9.89 *** *** 9.49
RUNNER-UP VideoLogic Graphix
Star 700 10 *** *** 9.45
RUNNER-UP Elsa Gloria 4 9.77 *** *** 9.39
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video 9.93 *** *** 9.33
KEY
Ratings from 1 to 4: * is the lowest; **** is the highest.
The Actix GE Ultra 64 AV-4MB ($399) came with 4 MB of video memory
and performed better than all the cards that cost under $400. The GE
Ultra 64 supports 1600- by 1200-pixel resolution, and 32-bit color at
lower resolutions.
ACCELERATOR
PRICE RAM (MB) CONTROLLER
BEST Actix CE Ultra 64 AV 4MB $399 4 VRAM S3 86C968
RUNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video $250 2 EDO DRAM S3 Trio64+
RUNNER-UP Boca Research Voyager 64 $189 2 DRAM S3 Trio64
RUNNER-UP Hercules StingRay 64/Video $259 2 EDO DRAM ARK 2000PV
PERFORMANCE FEATURES USABILITY OVERALL
SCORE INDEX INDEX SCORE
BEST Actix CE Ultra 64 AV 4MB 9.25 ** *** 8.68
R
UNNER-UP STB Velocity 64 Video 9.17 ** *** 8.62
RUNNER-UP Boca Research Voyager 64 8.71 ** *** 8.30
RUNNER-UP Hercules StingRay 64/Video 8.08 ** ** 7.63
KEY
Ratings from 1 to 4: * is the lowest; **** is the highest.
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The Best In Ultrafast Graphics Adapters
