Vista and Graphics - Is Matrox really that good for text? - Please enlighten me

I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

I just built a new PC based on the PCI-e spec running Windows Vista. I have
Vista Enterprise thru my company.

Because I wanted to run the Vista Aero color scheme, I opted for a card that
has 256 mb of memory - an excellent card from Gigabyte that uses the NVidia
7600GT engine - GIGA N 7600GT GV-NX76T256D-RH R

I can only say that compared w/my Matrox 650 and before that 550 and before
that 450 and before that the Mystique, the text on this card is blurry. Its
not even close. The only way is was even marginally acceptable was to turn
on cleartype which I have always disliked.

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

Am I imagining things here. I am not a gamer. I work primarly w/office
applications. This is disappointing.

One final thing - in MSOutlook, there is now a 1/2 second hesitation w/html
graphics are rendered. Prior to this w/my old PC, which was a very fast AMD
dual core machine, you never say any rendering - the image graphics
displayed instantaneously. This is annoying as well.

Any thoughts?

Why is Matrox shutting down their forums?

"John Smith" wrote in message . ..
I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

I just built a new PC based on the PCI-e spec running Windows Vista. I have
Vista Enterprise thru my company.

Because I wanted to run the Vista Aero color scheme, I opted for a card that
has 256 mb of memory - an excellent card from Gigabyte that uses the NVidia
7600GT engine - GIGA N 7600GT GV-NX76T256D-RH R

I can only say that compared w/my Matrox 650 and before that 550 and before
that 450 and before that the Mystique, the text on this card is blurry. Its
not even close. The only way is was even marginally acceptable was to turn
on cleartype which I have always disliked.

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

What monitor are you using, and at what resolutions/refresh rates?

Dell Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW - 1920 x 1200 - the monitor is listed as
generic PNP in windows since I doubt that Dell has a vista driver.

Running with the Matrox card under XP w/the same monitor had better text,
pristine almost and no issue w/refresh of graphics objects in emails.




wrote in message
om...
"John Smith" wrote in message
. ..
I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

I just built a new PC based on the PCI-e spec running Windows Vista. I
have
Vista Enterprise thru my company.

Because I wanted to run the Vista Aero color scheme, I opted for a card
that
has 256 mb of memory - an excellent card from Gigabyte that uses the
NVidia
7600GT engine - GIGA N 7600GT GV-NX76T256D-RH R

I can only say that compared w/my Matrox 650 and before that 550 and
before
that 450 and before that the Mystique, the text on this card is blurry.
Its
not even close. The only way is was even marginally acceptable was to
turn
on cleartype which I have always disliked.

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

What monitor are you using, and at what resolutions/refresh rates?

Make sure you're using a DVI cable (not analog) and that
your resolution is native for that monitor. Experiment with
different refresh rates and see if it makes any difference.

"John Smith" wrote in message . ..
Dell Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW - 1920 x 1200 - the monitor is listed as
generic PNP in windows since I doubt that Dell has a vista driver.

Running with the Matrox card under XP w/the same monitor had better text,
pristine almost and no issue w/refresh of graphics objects in emails.




wrote in message
om...
"John Smith" wrote in message
. ..
I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

I just built a new PC based on the PCI-e spec running Windows Vista. I
have
Vista Enterprise thru my company.

Because I wanted to run the Vista Aero color scheme, I opted for a card
that
has 256 mb of memory - an excellent card from Gigabyte that uses the
NVidia
7600GT engine - GIGA N 7600GT GV-NX76T256D-RH R

I can only say that compared w/my Matrox 650 and before that 550 and
before
that 450 and before that the Mystique, the text on this card is blurry.
Its
not even close. The only way is was even marginally acceptable was to
turn
on cleartype which I have always disliked.

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

What monitor are you using, and at what resolutions/refresh rates?

You may want to try turning cleartype off to smooth the edges, I have found the text better with it
off. I'm in XP right now but I think the steps for Vista a Right click the desktop and select
personalize. Then choose the top one on the list, look for the effects button and change the font
smoothing from cleartype to standard.
--
Dave Vair
CNE, CNA, MCP, A+, N+

"John Smith" wrote in message . ..
Dell Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW - 1920 x 1200 - the monitor is listed as generic PNP in windows since
I doubt that Dell has a vista driver.

Running with the Matrox card under XP w/the same monitor had better text, pristine almost and no
issue w/refresh of graphics objects in emails.




wrote in message om...
"John Smith" wrote in message
. ..
I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

I just built a new PC based on the PCI-e spec running Windows Vista. I have
Vista Enterprise thru my company.

Because I wanted to run the Vista Aero color scheme, I opted for a card that
has 256 mb of memory - an excellent card from Gigabyte that uses the NVidia
7600GT engine - GIGA N 7600GT GV-NX76T256D-RH R

I can only say that compared w/my Matrox 650 and before that 550 and before
that 450 and before that the Mystique, the text on this card is blurry. Its
not even close. The only way is was even marginally acceptable was to turn
on cleartype which I have always disliked.

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

What monitor are you using, and at what resolutions/refresh rates?

Since my news server doesn't show the original message (yet) so I have
to put my reply here.

* :
"John Smith" wrote in message . ..
I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

Well, "text quality" is equal in all gfx cards since the use of gfx card
fonts has stopped with the increasing use of graphical desktops like
Windows 3.0...

The only thing Matrox cards were really good has been the analog signal
quality. But today with flat panels connected vie DVI this is a
no-brainer anymore, and in all other areas Matrox just sux...

I just built a new PC based on the PCI-e spec running Windows Vista. I have
Vista Enterprise thru my company.

Because I wanted to run the Vista Aero color scheme, I opted for a card that
has 256 mb of memory - an excellent card from Gigabyte that uses the NVidia
7600GT engine - GIGA N 7600GT GV-NX76T256D-RH R

Nice card, but the analog signal quality is average at best...

I can only say that compared w/my Matrox 650 and before that 550 and before
that 450 and before that the Mystique, the text on this card is blurry. Its
not even close. The only way is was even marginally acceptable was to turn
on cleartype which I have always disliked.

You wrote you are using an Dell 2405FPW. Do don't have connected this
monitor via the VGA cable, do you? You should use the DVI connection as
connecting a 24" TFT display via VGA is just silly because it affects
image quality while DVI does not.

And of course you're running the correct resolution (1920x1200), don't
you? Because only the native resolution looks really good on a TFT
display...

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

That's BS. Matrox doesn't use Nvidia chipsets, they use their own
outdated GPUs. But analog image quality has nothing to do with the GPU...

Benjamin

In article , Benjamin Gawert
says...
Since my news server doesn't show the original message (yet) so I have
to put my reply here.

* :
"John Smith" wrote in message . ..
I have been using Matrox cards since the early 1990s. My sole reason is
their superlative text quality.

Well, "text quality" is equal in all gfx cards since the use of gfx card
fonts has stopped with the increasing use of graphical desktops like
Windows 3.0...

********.

The only thing Matrox cards were really good has been the analog signal
quality. But today with flat panels connected vie DVI this is a
no-brainer anymore, and in all other areas Matrox just sux...

Except 2D speed as they always have excelled.

--
Conor

"You're not married,you haven't got a girlfriend and you've never seen
Star Trek? Good Lord!" - Patrick Stewart

* Conor:

Well, "text quality" is equal in all gfx cards since the use of gfx card
fonts has stopped with the increasing use of graphical desktops like
Windows 3.0...

********.

What an argument. Get a clue first! Gfx card specific fonts are not used
anymore since the days of Windows 3.0...

The only thing Matrox cards were really good has been the analog signal
quality. But today with flat panels connected vie DVI this is a
no-brainer anymore, and in all other areas Matrox just sux...

Except 2D speed as they always have excelled.

What a BS. The 2D performance of all gfx cards made during the last 9
years or so is around the same. And no, even Matrox is not faster in 2D...

Benjamin

In article , Benjamin Gawert
says...
* Conor:

Well, "text quality" is equal in all gfx cards since the use of gfx card
fonts has stopped with the increasing use of graphical desktops like
Windows 3.0...

********.

What an argument. Get a clue first! Gfx card specific fonts are not used
anymore since the days of Windows 3.0...

No, really? Ever owned a Matrox card?


--
Conor

"You're not married,you haven't got a girlfriend and you've never seen
Star Trek? Good Lord!" - Patrick Stewart

John Smith wrote:

I just don't get it especially since the Matrix 650 PCIe card w/128mb is
based on the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT chipset (according to CNet).

WHAT? Do you have a link? Can't find it on CNET.

--
Lasse Jensen [fafler at g mail dot com]
Linux, the choice of a GNU generation.