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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: LoadWB on November 06, 2006, 12:02:50 AM
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I fought hard, but lost an auction for a G-Rex 4000d. *sigh*
I started thinking about the comparison between the G-Rex and Mediator. I assume the G-Rex will be faster because it interfaces directly with the CyberStorm's PCI connector. I also prefer the G-Rex because of the video slot, I can put an internal SD/FF (errr, are there any 24-bit internal ones available?) in the box. The G-Rex also seems to be a much more compact design than the Mediator.
Although, the Mediator seems much more available.
Thoughts, anyone? Spare G-Rex, anyone? :-)
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The G-Rex4000D is a little sweet beast. With a CSPPC you will get the fastest Classic Amiga on Earth. ;-)
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As I understand it, G-Rex does indeed outperform Mediator, however you'll find a serious lack of support for it... Especially from OS4. Whereas Mediator has alot better support, since it's an actively sold product. That and Mediator fits better inside either the original case, or in a tower (depending on the model).
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however you'll find a serious lack of support for it... Especially from OS4.
I was under the impression that the Cyberstorm version of OS4 was never released and at the rate things are going it doesn't seem like its going to happen anytime soon.
On the other hand there is a version of MorphOS for PPC equipped classic machines and from what I understand it does support the G-Rex, but it doesn't support the Mediator.
Under 3.X the Mediator certainly has better support, but if all you want to add is a Voodoo card and ethernet that doesn't seem to be much of an issue.
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That's pretty much my plan. I want a RTL-8319 network card, some sound card (whichever would be supported,) and a supported video card (I have TONS of S3 Virge and Virge/DX laying around.)
So, the quandary becomes a faster interface with less support, or a slower interface with better support. That sucks.
Oh, FWIW, this is a non-PPC CyberStorm (MK III).
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The mediator is no slouch. Plenty fast enough for me. In a classic Amiga your bottleneck is usually not going to be the PCI bus anyway, whether its G-REXX or Mediator.
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the G-Rex4000D is superrior to the Mediator because:
- it has a video-slot (u can use there an Arxon scandoubler which is full 24bit)
- it has cleaner software installation, u don't have to use tricks to install rtg drivers (because elbox never came to agreement with the p96 authors)
- it is faster than Mediator because of it's direct interface with the MKIII/CS-PPC
- can run MOS which is available NOW (any OS4 "advantage" the Mediator might have, which I seriously doubt, is only speculation, because we never know if OS4 will ever be released for classic amigas :-( )
- and a PERSONNAL advantage is that G-REX uses CGX and not P96 for RTG...
but as already has been said, Mediator is a good product too because
- it is available, sold and can be bought brand new NOW
- u can use it with whatever cpu card u have (g-rex needs MKIII or CS-PPC)
- u can buy (the rather expensive) Spider2.0 pci card and have USB2 on the amiga
Maybe Amigaz can tell us more, he has a Mediator4000D , which I hear from him that the 4000 versions of mediator are WAY better than their 1200 counterparts...
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Is the video slot on the Mediator disabled or something? My Mediator has a video slot. *confused*