From...

April 27, 1999
Web posted at: 4:45 p.m. EDT (2045 GMT)

by Rex Farrance

(IDG) -- Even the most dedicated PC gamer must use a standard graphics card for run-of-the-mill business applications such as Microsoft Word or Lotus 1-2-3. Many users just don't have the budget to buy a specialized 3D game board in addition to that workhorse multiuse board. But while good 2D/3D boards perform consistently well with business programs, their speed with 3D games varies widely. To address this issue, we've created a Top 10 chart that emphasizes the 3D performance you'll need to really enjoy your favorite games.

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We've based our new Top 10 2D/3D Gaming Boards chart on PC World's monthly Top 10 Graphics Boards lists, but we update the pricing of the boards on that chart and increase the importance of 3D performance. From time to time, we'll also introduce some new models into the mix.

This month's players

Our inaugural Top 10 2D/3D Gaming Boards shows that some of the models on our "Top 10 Graphics Boards -- May 1999" (link below) are also great choices for gaming.

Specifically, the Creative Labs 3D Blaster Banshee PCI card earns a Best Buy on our May issue's PCI chart -- and a Best Buy on the PCI section of this gamer's edition as well. The STB Velocity 4400 AGP -- which rated a strong number two on the May Top 10 -- did even better in a gaming arena, ascending to the top of our AGP list. But other models didn't fare so well: Matrox's Millennium G200 PCI and AGP versions, which ranked high in the May Top 10 Graphics Boards (the AGP model was a Best Buy) drop lower -- primarily because their 3D performance didn't match the top-rated models here. The PCI version, in particular, had a pedestrian Quake II frame rate.

Metabyte's Wicked3D PCI card gained some ground, hitting number two on the gaming chart due to the strength of its top-notch 3D rendering. Two other PCI cards, Guillemot's Maxi Gamer Phoenix and Quantum3D's Raven PCI, fill out our PCI gaming chart. Once again, fine performance in 3D games did the trick.

In the AGP arena, all our gaming contenders are also on our May Top 10 chart -- although the rankings are different. Creative Labs' Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT just missed a Best Buy: Although it is more affordable than the STB Velocity 4400, it still provides a close performance match. But STB's more generous software bundle ultimately tipped the scales. Hercules' Terminator Beast SuperCharged and Elsa's Erazor II filled out our AGP rankings: Both are fine boards, although neither matches the STB and Creative Labs models' excellent speed ratings.

Top 5 PCI boards

1. Creative Labs 3D Blaster Banshee ***Best Buy***
2. Metabyte Wicked3D Vengeance
3. Guillemot Maxi Gamer Phoenix
4. Quantum 3D Raven PCI
5. Matrox Millennium G200 SD PCI

Top 5 AGP boards

1. STB Velocity 4400 AGP ***Best Buy***
2. Creative Labs Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT
3. Hercules Terminator Beast SuperCharged
4. Matrox Millennium G200
5. Elsa Erazor II