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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: mikey2001 on November 12, 2003, 08:13:00 PM
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I would like to ask the advice of the people on this forum.
Which graphics card is best out of the Cybervision 64/3D and Picasso IV? I would be using it in my A4000 desktop and maybe my A2000 as well. All advice greatly appriciated. :-)
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Picasso IV -> ZII/ZIII autosensing, 4MB video memory, built-in ScanDoubler/FlickerFixer, on-board slot(s) for sound card expansion, mpeg module, tv-card, etc., needs to be cut in half for fitting in A2000 (literary)
Cybervision 64/3D -> ZII/ZIII autosensing?, 4MB video memory, on-board slot for an optional ScanDoubler/FlickerFixer module, 3D hardware acceleration (very basic compared to CybervisionPPC/Voodoo, but still...)
If you can buy CV64/3D that comes with the ScanDoubler/FlickerFixer module, I say go for it, otherwise Picasso IV is a very nice solution as well.
Overall IMHO, CV64/3D wins, but just barely.
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mikey2001 wrote:
I would like to ask the advice of the people on this forum.
Which graphics card is best out of the Cybervision 64/3D and Picasso IV? I would be using it in my A4000 desktop and maybe my A2000 as well. All advice greatly appriciated. :-)
Don't forget the MediatorPCI option, which would aloow far more than either of these very old cards.
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For the A4000, I would suggest going the Mediator route and getting a Voodoo card. If you don't want the Mediator, then go for a PicassoIV unless you can find a Cybervision3D w/Flicker Fixer. - Lars
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I agree with the others about the Mediator. For about the same price as a new Picasso 4 card (if you can find one) you can get a Mediator. Its not much more if you get the package with the Mediator/tower together. Elbox is offering free shipping now too. Go check it out.
When i was wanting a new graphics card for my A3000 I just about got the P4, an x-surf and a few other things. For less money I got a Used Voodoo 3, paid $5 for a PCI ethernet card, and got the Mediator for $300 with free shipping from Elbox. You cant beat it.
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I'd go for PIV. It has better picture quality than CV3D, IMHO. And AFAIK it's bit faster and has nice bonus features like built-in scandoubler/flickerfixer, addon-options, possibility to add frequency of video-modes etc..
CV3D is nice for "cheap" gfx-card, but lacks bit in speed and picture quality and 3D features are useless in practise. And scandoubler addons are quite rare for it...
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CV64/3D is ZII/III autosensing + the scandoubler (no flickerfixer!) only works in an A4000 video slot. (it won't work even if you modify the A2000 video slot to take it)
The PIV is a nicer card, but don't waste it in an A2000! Stick it in an A4000. Please. Zorro II is just so slow when you're running the card at modern resolutions - screen flipping takes several seconds when the entire bitmap chugs through the 3.5MB/s bus.
I have a CV64 in my A4000 and a CV64/3D in my A2000, guess which one is nice to use and which one is agonisingly slow?-) Both machines are 060/50. :-)
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For only 130 euro you can get a brandnew CV64/3D at Vesalia (http://www.vesalia.de/?V02b0f1552504f14785f5853520f514e01101f0647414752050140090a1e31115579633a223c6373744e03263f2a2a766105396469622778292077055d703f3b6b0a40590c43053268796) ...
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PicassoIV.
But CV3D is the only option to run hw accelerated games on my A500T - then just ADescentWarp3D is the only game to reach decent speed, at 320x400 at most, on Blizzard2060...
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None of the above, and not even mediator.
I'd recomend you get a Prometheus unless you want everything to fit neatly in a stock desktop case, then I would say Mediator.
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But CV3D is the only option to run hw accelerated games on my A500T
I like to see some pics of your A500T system. Is it self made? What type of bus is in it?
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Acill wrote:
But CV3D is the only option to run hw accelerated games on my A500T
I like to see some pics of your A500T system. Is it self made? What type of bus is in it?
Yeah! Me too.
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For only 130 euro you can get a brandnew CV64/3D at Vesalia ...
That works out at only £90.64 in my currency. Although expensive for a graphics card, its seems pretty cheap to me. And it will definately be going in the A4000... Thanks for the tip Effy, and thank you everyone else for your advice. :-) :-)
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That works out at only £90.64 in my currency.
I think Eyetech advertised them at £90 in the last issue of Total Amiga. They always charge a small fortune for postage though :-( .
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redrumloa wrote:
I'd recomend you get a Prometheus unless you want everything to fit neatly in a stock desktop case, then I would say Mediator.
Why would you recommend promethius over a mediator? It has only one DMA capable slot, less drivers, and a smaller userbase (so less people to ask if you're stuck).
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Yo!
A month before my amiga 4000 was blown up, i'd bought myself a CV643D, xsurf and some os31 chips.
I'm willing to sell em' cheap let's say 150 and i pay for the postreal service inside EU.
They are as new, no errors they wasn't in the amiga when i short circuted it :-(
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Sorry ryan, Ive already placed the order! :-)
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Why would you recommend promethius over a mediator?
Cheaper, works as advertised without hidden malicous code, and has more then enough drivers for most people.
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redrumloa wrote:
Cheaper,
True.
works as advertised without hidden malicous code,
Can't argue with that, I thought that was appauling.
and has more then enough drivers for most people.
Hmmm... Does it have TV card drivers, including FM radio and IR remote? Faster than 10Mbit LAN? I use those every day.
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No own pics, but it's Micronik tower and Micronik busboard. The same tower housing was used for A500 and A1200 (first version).
http://www.amiga-hardware.com/micromini.html (tower) and http://www.amiga-hardware.com/micro500busboard.html. Those old pics suck...
With a Denise adapter you could make the PicassoIV SD/FliFi to work in the zorro slot even when the video slot was nonfunctional. And the busboard has a kick switcher for 1.3, 2.x and 3.x ROMs
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Does it have TV card drivers, including FM radio and IR remote?
The last time I checked, no.
Faster than 10Mbit LAN?
IIRC the last time I checked there was 100Mbit lan drivers added.
Back when I owned a Prometheus based A3k there was only Voodoo 3 and 10Mbit LAN support but both woked flawelessly. I have seen a few places selling Prometheus pretty darn cheap in the last year or so. If there are still good prices on them it is definately worth taking a lok at. The other good thing is Matay support the OpenPCI project which should heavily expand supported drivers. Anyone can write drivers for the Prometheus where Elbox prohibits anyone making drivers for the Mediator.