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| NVIDIA Riva TNT2 Buyer's Guide |
Introduction
There has been a flood of information released recently about which of the next generation video chipsets will be the end all, kill all. That's all fine and dandy, except some of us are more interested in what we can actually buy that utilize these chipsets.
That's where this guide comes in. I've gone ahead and compiled the information I've gather while investigating TNT2 card offerings from several companies. I was going to do something similar for 3dfx's Voodoo3 cards, but decided that since their merger with STB, there just isn't much to report on this subject. (but I may throw something together at a later date)
Here they are, in no particular order, a (fairly complete) run-down of announced NVIDIA TNT2 powered cards and their features:
| AOpen PA3010 |
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AOpen is offering two options to TNT2 buyers. The PA3010-A features 16 MB of SDRAM, while the PA3010-N features 32 MB of SDRAM and TV-out capabilities. The two card available from AOpen both ship with the standard 125MHz TNT2 chipset and RAM running at 125MHz, however, AOpen has reported the ability to overclock the card to 140MHz/170MHz respectively. |
AOpen PA3010-A Features:
Memory: 16 MB SDRAM
Price: Unknown
Included Software: Clock Tuning Utility
Bundle: Unknown
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 125MHz TNT2 - 125MHz RAM
AOpen PA3010-N Features:
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Price: Unknown
Included Software: Clock Tuning Utility
Bundle: Unknown
Other Features: TV-out
Clock Speeds: 125MHz TNT2 - 125MHz RAM
Links:
AOpen PA3010 Page
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| ASUS AGP-V3800 |
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ASUS looks like they are offering TNT2 buyers a wide variety of options. Standard on all ASUS AGP-V3800 cards is 32 MB of SGRAM, but with optional features like Video-in, TV-out and support for their 3D Virtual Reality glasses, ASUS is offering everything a gamer wants. |
AGP-V3800 Pure Features:
Memory: 32 MB SGRAM
Price: Unknown
Included Software: Unknown
Bundle: N/A
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 125MHz TNT2 - 150MHz RAM
AGP-V3800 TVR Features:
Memory: 32 MB SGRAM
Price: Unknown
Included Software: Unknown
Bundle: N/A
Other Features: TV-out, Video-in, VR Circuit
Clock Speeds: 125MHz TNT2 - 150MHz RAM
AGP-V3800 TVR Deluxe Features:
Memory: 32 MB SGRAM
Price: Unknown
Included Software: Unknown
Bundle: N/A
Other Features: TV-out, Video-in, VR Circuit, 3D Glasses
Clock Speeds: 125MHz TNT2 - 150MHz RAM
AGP-V3800 Ultra Deluxe Features:
Memory: 32 MB SGRAM
Price: Unknown
Included Software: Unknown
Bundle: N/A
Other Features: TV-out, Video-in, VR Circuit, 3D Glasses
Clock Speeds: 150MHz TNT2 - 183MHz RAM
Links:
Asus AGP-V3800 Press Release
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| Diamond Multimedia Viper V770 |
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Diamond has recently decided to offer two varieties of TNT2 powered cards. The Diamond Viper V770 uses the standard TNT2 chipset and offers a 125MHz engine clock with 32 MB of RAM running at 150MHz. In addition, Diamond will also be offering the Viper V770 Ultra, which will use the TNT2 Ultra chipset running at 150MHz and 32 MB of RAM at 183MHz. |
Viper V770 Features:
Memory: 32 MB
Price: $179.95 @ Amazon.com
Included Software: InControl Tools 99, Zoran SoftDVD
Bundle: See Page
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 125MHz TNT2 - 150MHz RAM
Viper V770 Ultra Features:
Memory: 32 MB
Price: $249.95 @ Amazon.com
Included Software: InControl Tools 99, Zoran SoftDVD
Bundle: See Page
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 150MHz TNT2 Ultra - 183MHz RAM
Links:
Diamond Viper V770 Page
Diamond Viper V770 Ultra Page
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| ELSA Erazor III |
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Hailed as having one of the most economical and best performing TNT cards, ELSA looks to continue this history with the Erazor III. Coming in three varieties, the Erazor III should offer the buyer flexibility when making their descision. Of note is the Erazor III Video, which is targeted for towards people interested in doing video editing, and includes ELSA's MainActor video editing software. |
Erazor III 16 MB Features:
Memory: 16 MB
Price: TBA
Included Software: ELSASettings
Bundle: TBA (Full Retail Game and 3D Game Demos)
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: Unknown
Erazor III 32 MB Features:
Memory: 32 MB
Price: TBA
Included Software: ELSASettings
Bundle: TBA (Full Retail Game and 3D Game Demos)
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: Unknown
Erazor III Video MB Features:
Memory: 32 MB
Price: TBA
Included Software: ELSASettings, MainActor, NetMeeting
Bundle: TBA (Full Retail Game and 3D Game Demos)
Other Features: Video In and Video Out
Clock Speeds: Unknown
Links:
ELSA Erazor III Page
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| Guillemot Maxi Gamer Xentor |
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Guillemot has a history of impressive 3D cards, and their next generation is no exception. Guillemot, like many vendors, has decided to ship several varieties of TNT2 powered cards. On the low-end, the Maxi Gamer Xentor will feature a 125MHz rendering engine, w/16 MB of 166MHz SDRAM. On the high-end, the Maxi Gamer Xentor 32 will house a screaming 150MHz rendering engine, w/32 MB of 183MHz SDRAM to back it up. |
Maxi Gamer Xentor Features:
Memory: 16 MB SDRAM
Price: $149.99 ($20 Rebate Offer)
Included Software: XingDVD
Bundle: Playable Demos
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: TNT2 Unknown (125MHz ?) - 166MHz RAM
Maxi Gamer Xentor 32 MB Features:
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Price: $229.99 ($30 Rebate Offer)
Included Software: XingDVD
Bundle: Playable Demos
Other Features: TNT2 Unknown (150MHz ?) - 183MHz RAM
Clock Speeds: Unknown
Links:
Guillemot Maxi Gamer Xentor Page
Guillemot Maxi Gamer Xentor 32 Page
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| Hercules Dynamite TNT2 & TNT2 Ultra |
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Hercules has a wide variety of TNT2 products planned. The first that should be publically available will feature a TNT2 chipset with 32 MB of RAM clocked at 175MHz/200MHz, respectively. You can expect features like TV-out and a DVD solution on other offerings from Hercules. |
Dynamite TNT2 16 Features:
Memory: 16 MB SDRAM
Price: $149.99
Included Software: Hercules Power Drive
Bundle: None
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 145MHz TNT2 Ultra - 170MHz RAM
Dynamite TNT2 32 Features:
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Price: $199.95
Included Software: Hercules Power Drive
Bundle: None
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 145MHz TNT2 Ultra - 170MHz RAM
Dynamite TNT2 Ultra Features:
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Price: $229.99
Included Software: Hercules Power Drive
Bundle: None
Other Features: N/A
Clock Speeds: 175MHz TNT2 Ultra - 200MHz RAM
Dynamite TNT2 Ultra TV Features:
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Price: $245.99
Included Software: Hercules Power Drive
Bundle: None
Other Features: TV-out
Clock Speeds: 175MHz TNT2 Ultra - 200MHz RAM
Dynamite TNT2 Ultra DVD Features:
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM
Price: $249.99
Included Software: Hercules Power Drive, DVD
Bundle: None
Other Features: TV-out
Clock Speeds: 175MHz TNT2 Ultra - 200MHz RAM
Links:
Hercules Dynamite TNT2 Page
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Closing Words
That's all I have for right now, I'll post more information when I can find more. Keep in mind that this guide is not meant to be the end all, be all in TNT2 information, its a place for people who are looking to buy a TNT2 powered card to learn what options are available. If you find something on this page in error, please email me so I can get it corrected as soon as possible.
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