Over the years, graphics cards have become more and
more of an integral component in our computer systems. While some
companies are bundling cheap graphics cards like the TNT2/Vanta,
ATI Rage LT, and the S3 Savage, some companies are clearly seeing
the light of day. This is a far cry from only a few years ago, when
prices were high, and all of the high-end cards sat on the shelves
-- and not in your system.
NVIDIA has done some growing since their TNT2/Vanta, and has
really found a niche for just about every card they sell. With
cards based on the GeForce2 MX getting cheaper and cheaper, it
finally starts to make a decent graphics card in your new system a
reality. If you're building your system on a budget, that killer
gaming performance you've been looking for is finally here for a
price you can handle.
Not only is the GeForce2 MX (400, 200 and regular series
included) a great card for a Windows box, but if you're looking to
put it in a Linux box, you can be sure it's backed by some great
drivers straight from NVIDIA. If you don't like that closed-source
thing, however; you're going to have to put up with a 2D driver
only.
Now it comes down to the Abit Siluro MX400. Does the MX400
destroy the old MX chipset? Does that extra 64 MB of SDRAM on the
card help push it by the competition and up into the GeForce2 GTS
performance bracket? Will you be able to put up with closed-source
drivers on Linux?
