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We also spent some time
overclocking each of the GeForce 4 Ti4200s in this
roundup. To demonstrate the performance gained by
overclocking the cards, we ran 3DMark2001's default
benchmark at 1024x768 again, and compared the new scores
to the originals.
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Overclocking Benchmarks with 3D Mark 2001 SE |
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More Synthetic Gaming. |
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The Gainward card, with
its 3.3ns memory, was able to hit the highest overall
clock speeds, 310MHz core and 608MHz memory. The MSI
card also overclocked well, but the VisionTek card was the
real killer. The VisionTek card hit a stable 310MHz
core, with 583MHz memory! Overall the 64MB cards
were able to hit higher memory speeds, but those boards
were using faster memory to begin with. For example,
we were able to increase the memory on the Gainward card
by "only" 108MHz, but with the VisionTek card the memory
ran a full 139MHz over its default clock speed! The
X-Micro card used the same 4ns memory as the Visiontek but
was only able to hit a maximum of 553MHz, with a 308MHz
core clock speed. MSI's 128MB hit the highest core
clock speed, 313MHz, but its memory wouldn't run as fast
as the Visiontek model. The Best Data Arcade FX
Ti4200 was the least "overclocker friendly" board of the
bunch, but it did hit a decent 301MHz Core / 600MHz
memory.
AND THE WINNER
IS:
The time has
come to evaluate the benchmarks and declare an overall
winner. Clearly, the GeForce 4 Ti4200 is one heck of
a 3D accelerator, posting "Best of Class" performance in
every test we ran except for Jedi Knight II, and Quake
3 Anisotropic tests. Even in the benchmarks where
the Ti4200 didn't come out on top, the performance deltas
were so small that in "real world" scenarios users would
not be able to tell the difference. We were
impressed by all six of the GeForce 4 Ti4200s we
looked at, especially considering the most expensive card
in the pack can be found for under $190.
Our top picks
have to be the X-Micro Impact T4200 and the
MSI 128MB G4Ti4200.
While the 64MB cards from Gainward, Best Data and MSI were the
fastest overall, we feel buying a 128MB card is the
smarter choice in the long run. As newer games like
Unreal Tournament: 2003 and Doom 3, that use upwards of
80MB of textures in some scenes ship, the extra memory on
the 128MB cards will yield higher performance, making them
the better choice if you plan to get any mileage out of
your investment. The X-Micro card in particular was
less expensive than VisionTek's offering, shipped with DVD
playback software and a full version game. The MSI
128MB G4Ti4200 overclocked better than the Impact T4200,
but was lacking ViVo capabilities. In the end
though, whatever is more important to you is what is
important. If you're going to use the Video In on
the Impact T4200, go for it, but if you'd rather have the
three full version games, MSI's card is the better choice. We give
both the X-Micro Impact
T4200 and MSI 128MB G4Ti4200 HotHardware Heat Meter ratings of 9
and coveted Editors Choice awards!
Ultimately,
choosing any of the GeForce 4 Ti4200s we looked at
today would be a wise decision though. The
VisionTek GeForce 4 Ti4200 is obviously a well crafted
product. There is a reason VisionTek makes NVIDIA's
reference cards, and that reason is quality.
Being able to overclock the GPU on this card by 60MHz and
the memory by 139MHz is awesome. If you're an
enthusiast looking for the utmost in quality and don't
want or need ViVo capabilities, the VisionTek GeForce 4
Ti4200 would make a fine upgrade. We give this card
an 8.5 on the Heat Meter.
Best Data's 64MB Arcade FX
GeForce 4 Ti4200 sort of gets lost in the mix. As of
the time of this writing, we couldn't find the Arcade FX
for sale at any major on-line retailers, so "street"
pricing wasn't avaialble. Given Best Data's
reputation though, I suspect this card will be priced very
well. The bundle was not very impressive, and the
card didn't overclock as well as the others. The
cooler on the Arcade FX was nice though, and it was good
to see a perfect application of thermal paste on the GPU.
We give the Best Data 64MB Arcade FX GeForce 4 Ti4200 a
HotHardware Heat Meter rating of 7.5.
I seriously
considered giving the nod to the MSI GeForce 4 Ti4200,
but felt strongly that going with a 128MB card was the
better choice. The MSI GeForce 4 Ti4200
shipped with the most impressive software bundle we had
ever seen, bar none. MSI has also built quite a
reputation for manufacturing high quality products over
the years, so you know you'd be buying a card that was
meant to last. It wasn't the best overclocker, but
you can hardly fault a product because it won't run as far
out of spec as you'd like! The MSI GeForce 4 Ti4200
has earned itself an 8 on the Heat Meter
based on its excellent bundle and low price.
Last, but
certainly not least we have the Gainward GeForce4
PowerPack ! Ultra/650XP Golden Sample. Gainward
has proven time and again that they manufacture some of
the best video cards in the world. Their "Golden
Samples" have impressed reviewers all across the internet.
This card had the best cooler and memory heatsinks of the
bunch, and was the best overclocker and overall
performer. The bundle was a bit sparse though,
which ultimately cost it a few points. The Gainward
GeForce4 PowerPack ! Ultra/650XP Golden Sample is still a
great card, and walks away with an 8 on the Heat
Meter.
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