Cardex Genesis: Graphics cards get better and cheaper

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): My Pentium 90 MHz, which I mainly use for playing around with new hardware or software, had a Cirrus Logic GD5430 graphics accelerator card on it. Everything worked well when I was still using Windows for Workgroup. As more and more new computer stuff arrived with the Windows 95-compliant logo, however, I had no choice but to replace the faithful MS DOS and WFW duo with the new operating system. It was then that I began to have problems with the display. It flickered dreadfully.

Windows 95 actually had the driver exactly for the type of graphics accelerator chip found in the card. But, even when I chose that driver and set everything correctly, the screen would flicker badly every time I moved the cursor. It also flickered every time a program was loading. It was so harsh on my sensitive eyes, it was as if I was continuously looking at a fluorescent lamp from close range. I knew it was time to replace the graphics card. And it's also a good opportunity to remind you that changing an operating system may also mean that you have to spend money on new hardware.

Wide choice

Luckily we have plenty of choice when looking for a good Windows 95 graphics card nowadays. In Glodok Plaza, Jakarta, for example, there is no problem finding low-end graphics cards from Taiwan or the high-end ones from Diamond, ATI and Matrox. Prices range from a modest Rp 60,000 to a staggering Rp 1.85 million. The cheapest one we can get is the one made by SIS, while the most expensive is Matrox's Mistique. In case you wonder what makes the latter so expensive, let me tell you that it comes loaded with a whopping 8 MB SGRAM.

For playing with new toys, certainly I wouldn't need a graphics card with such super-duper features. Besides, it was also obvious that I couldn't afford it. I opted for an S3-based Cardex Genesis Series multimedia VGA card, which cost me Rp 150,000. Out of the box, the card came with 1 MB EDO RAM which was not really enough for a 1024 by 768 resolution at 16-bit color depth(r). Therefore I added another MB of RAM, which dented my wallet another Rp 50,000.

Installation

By the way, here's a useful tip that you might need when replacing your own graphics card with a new one. First, you should change the display type into the standard VGA mode, as the IBM VGA standard is still the common denominator.

This is how I did it: I clicked on the desktop with the right mouse button, and selected Properties from the pop-up menu. I clicked on Settings, and I clicked on the Change Display Type button. Then I clicked on the Change button in the Adapter Type section. In the dialog box that appeared, I clicked on Show all devices. This gave me two sets of lists of all available drivers in Windows 95. I chose Standard display type from the list on the left and then Standard Display Adapter (VGA) from the list on the right. Then, of course, I clicked on OK.

The reason for doing this is simple. When we boot the PC after having put the new graphics card in its socket, Windows 95 will run with no glitch because the newcomer is normally fully VGA compatible. After Windows 95 loads completely, the new card will "introduce" itself to the operating system. The latter will then ask us to install the proper driver for the new card.

Had we skipped changing the display type back to VGA, we would have wasted time while Windows 95 changed itself to VGA after some negotiation caused by the conflicts the old driver would have had with the new card.

Software drivers

To get the best performance from any graphics card -- or any device for that matter -- we need a software driver that has been optimized for that specific hardware. Unlike in the past, when these drivers came in diskettes, all the software drivers for the Cardex Genesis Series card come in a CD-ROM. Cardex calls it Multiware CD-ROM.

In it I found drivers for Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroup, Windows 95, Windows NT and OS/2. For those who work with AutoCad, 3-D Studio and others, the necessary drivers are available in the CD-ROM.

Installing the driver for Windows 95 could be made more straightforward, although it was not that complicated. The installation process also added Display Power Tools, which complemented Windows 95 Display Settings. In the accompanying picture you can see the Display Control Panel, which has a set of utilities that I can use to control my display.

We can set the Display Power Tools to automatically load at startup. This will add the so-called QuickKeys icon in the system tray on the far right end of the Task bar. On my screen, it was at the bottom of the Task bar, which I had placed vertically.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how complete the tools were. Basic display settings, such as color depth and resolution, were easy to modify. In addition, I was able to move the display up, down, left, or right, or return it to center position. Controls for power management was also included. I was able to blank the monitor screen after a preset time, for example.

Other neat features include on-the-fly color depth, resolution, and refresh rate switching. We can also have a couple of preset display settings, which can be selected through both the QuickKeys icon and the Display Control Panel.

Other goodies

To my surprise, the Multiware CD-ROM also contained Version 3.0 of Xing MPEG Player. If you read my article two weeks ago, you'll know what this software does. I installed it on the PC, and it worked much better than the Version 2.01 I wrote about in that article. Version 3.0 was able to display MPEG movie in full screen with acceptable smoothness, and changing the display size never crashed my computer.

There was also an MPEG Superman cartoon in the CD-ROM, and it was a cool one too. If you wish, there is an optional MPEG daughterboard that you can connect to this graphics card, and you'll be able to enjoy a more colorful and smoother MPEG movie on your PC.

The installation procedure also added an integrated Media Player to the system. This Media Player, which you can also see in the picture, had better control buttons arrangement than the original Windows utility. It is also very scalable; I was able to playback .AVI files at full-screen size, although the image was grainy and the color was not so good. The strange thing about it, though, was that the only way I could load it was through the QuickKeys icon.

The Genesis Series have already incorporated Microsoft DirectDraw for optimized video and multimedia playback. Its run- time libraries are installed automatically. For such a low price and a rich set of features, Cardex Genesis Series is clearly a great bargain. It produces an eye-pleasing display and comes with many useful controls. The verdict: Highly recommended.