I've also had CSMKII's (and CSPPCs) and sure, they were nice. They don't make the machine all that much more capable than the 3640, though, unless you're running '060 demos and games. I'm not a day to day user by any means, so I'm more than happy to go with the 3640 ($100 card) and sacrifice the snappiness the $400+ cards afforded.
Yeah, we may be coming at this one from different angles. I'm speaking from my memory of back when Amiga WAS my primary system. (Talking back in 1992-1995). I had an A1200 with GVP 030, that I sold to afford that A4000 w/ stock 040. And, honestly, a couple weeks after I pulled the trigger, and made that deal, I was pissed that I had done it. I spent a bunch of money to end up with less machine. The A1200 with 40mhz 030 was a faster, crisper, edgier machine in day-to-day use than the A4000/040 was. The 4000/040 rendered a little faster, but the A1200 tromped it where it counted -- usability.
I was unhappy with that A4000... Right up until I added the CSMKII. And then WOW! The only thought in my mind was "This card MAKES the A4000. THIS is what I expected to see when I bought this rig." The usability was great. Very crisp, folders were open before I released the mouse button. The onboard SCSI was fast as heck for the time, and the benchmarks and rendering speed were tremendous.
I didn't add the graphics card until later. After adding it, though, that was another "WOW" moment.
The retro Amiga rig I chose to keep is an A1200/030 very similar to the one I sold so many years ago. And still today I'd set it next to a stock 4000/040 and show you what I mean about usable speed vs. benchmark and rendering numbers.
