Cardex Genesis: Graphics cards get better and cheaper

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.