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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: McNorris on December 25, 2002, 03:25:28 AM
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What's going to do better:
1-A3000, 040 25mhz, 16MB RAM
or
2-A600, 030 42mhz, 6MB RAM ( :-? )
How about this:
1-A600, 030 50mhz, 16MB RAM
2-A3000, 040 40mhz, 16MB RAM
Think I could watch QT, MPGs or AVIs? How about jpg manipulation or mp3 playback?
Planning to upgrade... Any word would be great.
TIA
McNorris
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Go for the A3000 with 040. 040 chips provide better performance than 030's, even at slower clock speeds. Plus, with the A3000, you can plug in multitudes of expansion cards!
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Is it true that you can simply plug in a standard VGA monitor for ALL Amiga needs (I.E. games). (Scandoubler/flickerfixer?)?
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McNorris wrote:
Is it true that you can simply plug in a standard VGA monitor for ALL Amiga needs (I.E. games). (Scandoubler/flickerfixer?)?
;-) The scandoubler/flickerfixer is built-in on the A3000. When I bought mine a year or so ago, it came with an appropriate Commodore monitor, with a VGA plug. (Sorry that I can't remember the model number off the top of my head; I'm in Seattle now visiting family for Christmas, and can't look at it to find it out.) However, that monitor will display anything the A3000's chipset can throw at it, including standard NTSC and PAL screenmodes.
:-( However, it is unlikely that a standard VGA monitor will support the lower frequencies needed for most amiga games. Some will, some won't. Best to check it out before buying.
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@silrDrgn
Go for the A3000 with 040. 040 chips provide better performance than 030's, even at slower clock speeds. Plus, with the A3000, you can plug in multitudes of expansion cards!
Hmm, guess you never drove aA2K with a 50Mhz +FPU GVP 32 bit 3001 SCSI +dma32 bit wide bus, with many more ZII options? Heh, just bragging about the old hot-rod..still in the closet
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A3000 is your best bet as it looks like you will be wanting a graphics
card as a 64 colour dsplay is pretty crappy for mpegs, jpegs, web,
etc.
I run a (fast) high colour 1152x864 dsplay, can't do that on a 600
;-).
The 040 is a heck of a lot faster than the 030 as well! At 40MHz the
040 makes any 030 seem sluggish.
16Mb? Most cards can take 128Mb, mine can. :-)
060 at 66MHz with 128Mb ram is really nice :-)
BTW you can plug in any svga monitor and it will work with all native
modes including games on the 3000! (While you save up for a nice
graphics card to go with it ;-) )
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Lo wrote:
@silrDrgnGo for the A3000 with 040. 040 chips provide better performance than 030's, even at slower clock speeds. Plus, with the A3000, you can plug in multitudes of expansion cards!
Hmm, guess you never drove aA2K with a 50Mhz +FPU GVP 32 bit 3001 SCSI +dma32 bit wide bus, with many more ZII options? Heh, just bragging about the old hot-rod..still in the closet
Actually a 25mhz 040 is faster than a 030 at 50mhz. Go for the 040 3000. The sd/ff is nice and if you can find a graphics card with pass thru it will come in handy.
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@stew
Know of any place to find one of those cards?
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@McNorris:
I completely agree with everyone else on the A3000. Another advantage
is the whole machine is 32 bit while the A600 is mainly 16 bit,
therefore GFX speed, ROM access times, etc, is much slower on the
A600.
And to answer your questions of abilities:
Watch QT,MPEG, AVI?
If you had a GFX card like a PicassoIV you can use the special version
of MooVid to watch some AVIs using older compression with good video
speed. Though most AVI/QT movies you will come accross use newer
compression methods, so you need something like SoftCinema (PPC only)
to view these.
As for MPEGs, a fast 060 can JUST do it, but struggling for a smooth
playback, so don't expect anything flash from an 040/25.
JPEG manipulation?
Sure, there's heaps of good GFX progs out there, freeware and
commercial. To do anything serious, you'll definately need a GFX
card, which many of the progs have to use anyway. Personally I use
TVpaint which is now freeware.
Play MP3s?
The 040/25 can do it. You'll get smoother performance
if you decode at medium quality.
You can play full quality in stereo, but it takes all of the 040/25's
power to do it.
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Go for the A3000, a 040/40 is miles ahead any 030 and in addition to that the A3000 includes a flicker fixer so you can plug it to any VGA monitor, and you also can expand it easily...
A Cybervision64(not the 3D version) would be a great card for the A3000, because you can plug the VGA output of the A3000 to the passtrough and watch everything in the same monitor.
The A600 is not an option if you are looking for expansion...
You'll be able to watch old QT and AVI videos. MPEG runs slowly (your best bet will be RiVA, the fastest 68k MPEG viewer). With a 040/40 you can play Mp3 quite well, at 44khz mono or maybe you can adjust it to play in stereo at more than 22khz... I guess that you'll be able to get around 33khz at stereo.
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However, it is unlikely that a standard VGA monitor will support the lower frequencies needed for most amiga games. Some will, some won't. Best to check it out before buying
That is what a flickerfixer is for !!
ALL (*) sreenmodes the A3000 can produce will work with a standard VGA.
(*) exept SuperHighRes, but who uses 1280x256 ....
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Thanks for the word fellows.