| Model | AGPV3800 Ultra Deluxe |
AGPV3800 TVR Deluxe |
AGPV3800 TVR |
AGPV3800 Basic |
| Chip | nVidia Ultra TNT2 | nVidia TNT2 | nVidia TNT2 | nVidia TNT2 |
| Memory Capacity | 32MB SGRAM | 32MB SGRAM | 32MB SGRAM | 32MB SGRAM |
| AGP | 4X/2X | 4X/2X | 4X/2X | 4X/2X |
| Feature Highlights | ||||
| Video-In | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| TV-Out | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| LCD Panel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VR Circuit | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| VR3D Glasses | Standard VR-100G | Standard VR-100G | Standard VR-100G | Standard VR-100 |
| Engine Clock (Default) | 150MHz | 125MHz | 125MHz | 125MHz |
| Memory Clock (Default) | 183MHz | 150MHz | 150MHz | 150MHz |
Accessories
| VR-100G | Only for AGP-V3800 Deluxe & AGP-V3800 TVR |
| VR-100 | VR Circuit + 3D Glasses + 2 Cables; available for AGP-V3800 (basic) and AGP-V3400TNT series |
| TV-BOX | TV Tuner Box + Remote Control; available for AGP-V3800 Deluxe, AGP-V3800 TVR, and AGP-V3400TNT with TV-Out Feature |
| ASUS DVD (Software) |
Available for AGP-V3800 series and AGP-V3400TNT series |
The Card
| After reviewing a number of TNT2 cards, AnandTech is at the point where seeing a TNT2 card should generate the same response seeing the 50th BX board did upon entering the lab, "oh, another TNT2" This was not the case with the ASUS V3800 TVR that entered as the board looked nothing like the past few TNT2 cards AnandTech reviewed, if a single word was used to describe the manner in which the V3800 differed from the competition, it would have to be "busy." |
Thats essentially what the PCB of the V3800 is, busy, looking at the board itself there isnt a square centimeter of space that isnt populated with a trace, a voltage regulator, a capacitor, a resistor, or some critical component. Why is the card so "busy"? Well, the V3800 sets itself apart from the cloning tendencies of the competition by including virtually every feature you could imagine possibly having into . the V3800 TVR
| The V3800 TVR, as the name implies, does have TV-out support courtesy of the Chrontel 7003B-V chip. The quality of the Chrontels output is slightly superior to that of the Brooktree 869 that most reference design TNT2s use. |
|
| The Chrontel chip has been used by ASUS as well as Canopus in the past and does make for excellent TV output. To build on the feature set, ASUS included composite (RCA) as well as S-Video output connectors for the sake of convenience. The TV-out mode is set via a jumper on the board (JP1) that allows the user to select either NTSC or PAL TV-out depending on their video standard. Going along with the TV-out theme is a unique feature on the V3800 board, the presence of a S-Video input for video capturing. Once seemingly a feature only Canopus would ever bring to the eyes of the gamer, ASUS decided to capitalize on a market that exists but isnt really addressed by most graphics vendors. In a world where the lowest price usually takes the gold, its nice to know that ASUS strives to achieve a balance between quality/features and an affordable price. | |
 |
The S-Video input of the card isnt a competitor to Matroxs Marvel G200, nor is it intended to be a professional video editing solution, however if you happen to have a video camera around, the V3800 makes a great interface board for your very own web cam. Its a great feature for making AVIs out of some clips from home videos, etc After recently attempting to edit together a NTSC VHS quality 30 minute film on the Marvel G200, dont expect the V3800 to be able to tackle tasks such as that (however the major limitation will end up being processing power and HDD space), but it is definitely a nice and very useful feature ASUS decided to include. On the back panel of the card there is what looks to be a 1/8" stereo connector port for headphones, however upon closer inspection the label VR Out provides a small indication for its purpose. The VR Out port is for ASUS own set of stereoscopic VR3D glasses. As far as AnandTechs stance on 3D glasses goes, we feel that it is a niche market and there are some users that simply get a kick out of them, while others would rather play on a 21" monitor. Depending on the type of user you are this feature may be a definite plus or a waste of money, keep this in mind though, you wont be "the man" if you come to a LAN party with a pair of 3D glasses on your face. Youd be better off playing outside with your plastic light saber ;) For single player scenarios, where there is not much interaction with the physical bodies around you, 3D glasses can add to your gaming experience, however there is a large population of gamers out there that will find 3D glasses to be the most annoying things ever invented. You decide. |
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
0 Comments
View All Comments