Are any of these NUBUS graphics cards any good?

[MrFahrenheit]

I’m looking for a card that will be better on my Macintosh IIfx. The one in my IIfx performs worse than on-board video in the IIci, and I think I can do better!

I’ve found a seller with these cards, some are still brand new in box. Are these any good?

RasterOps Paintboard Lightning 24 bit, brand new $70 USD

SuperMac Thunder 8 $70 USD

SuperMac Thunderstorm $30 USD

Radius Accelerated 8-bit card $ USD

I’m really quite clueless on any of these and help with how they perform is appreciated.

 

[beachycove]

I think the Thunderstorm is just a DSP card, so no video out, but an interesting card for image work in a IIfx.

Can’t comment on the others, except that none are especially high end.

 

[lobust]

I have a Paintboard Lightning in my Q700 and a Thunder II GX in my Q800.

As an example, scrolling the homepage on the garden in Netscape in 16 or 24bit is quite good on both, much faster than onboard video.

Finder window redraws are faster on the TIIGX, but not massively so.

I guess both cards are hitting up against the Nubus ceiling to some extent.

In 8bit mode and below onboard is faster than either card, especially for games and such.

I have no idea how any of this looks on a II series.

AFAIK (somebody else confirm/correct me) the Thunderstorm is a DSP card not a video card?

The Thunder 8 is an older card I think? And the Radius has no acceleration in higher bit depths (or no higher bit depths at all?)

I'd choose the Paintboard Lightning out of those options. I quite like mine.

 

[lobust]

I think the Thunderstorm is just a DSP card, so no video out, but an interesting card for image work in a IIfx.

Can’t comment on the others, except that none are especially high end.

Have you seen any review or benchmark data that includes the Lightning? As best as I can remember, I haven't seen any. Initially I confused the Paintboard Lightning with the Paintboard Li which does appear in those old MacUser benchmarks, but they are not the same card. You're not doing the same?

I ask because I think the Lightning is perhaps closer to a "high end" card than not, but I'm honestly not sure...

 

[slomacuser]

I would take RasterOps Paintboard Lightning, it is 24 bit

ThunderStorm is a DSP board only for Adobe Photoshop filters and PicturePress JPEG acceleration

 

[MrFahrenheit]

The seller has two of the Radius 8 bit cards and is willing to let all of them go for $185 USD. I’m thinking of picking them up even just to try them.

 

[slomacuser]

That is a good deal, go for it

 

[LaPorta]

I have a PaintBoard Li in my IIfx. Compared with my other SupraMac 24, it scrolls much faster. It is even decent at 1024x768 via adapter to a modern Dell monitor…with millions of color! Of course it is slower than 256, but any reasonable color combo at lower res is definitely snappy. I’d recommend the paint board.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

 

[slomacuser]

Great deal, you have lot of graphic cards to use

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Great deal, you have lot of graphic cards to use

Thanks! I have a lot of Macs to put them in.

Just need to find another home for one or two cards I have, as I don’t think I’ll appreciate them as much as someone else.

 

[joshc]

Thanks! I have a lot of Macs to put them in.

Just need to find another home for one or two cards I have, as I don’t think I’ll appreciate them as much as someone else.

Which ones are you looking to sell?

 

[LaPorta]

Would you mind making an image of the PaintBoard disk? I don’t have the original?

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Would you mind making an image of the PaintBoard disk? I don’t have the original?

Will do! If you don’t see it uploaded by Christmas just bug me again. I’m away from home for work for a month in a couple of days.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Which ones are you looking to sell?

Likely the AST/286 and Thunderstorm card (in the other post). I can’t really appreciate those cards as much as someone else might. Even though I do have a sealed boxed copy of Windows/286 I could never bring myself to opening and installing it on there.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Good forum member @Phipli sent me this screenshot of a Macworld comparison of various video cards. May come in handy here if anyone wants to know how different Apple, SuperMac, E-Machines, Radius, RastorOps, Micron Xceed, and Generation Systems Nubus video cards work on the Macintosh.

Shorter (lower number) bars show better performance for the first 3 colums, and longer bards show better performance on the right-hand 2 columns.

 

[Phipli]

Oh, but I stole it from here @slomacuser uploaded it in an old discussion about PrecisionColor cards!

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Oh, but I stole it from here @slomacuser uploaded it in an old discussion about PrecisionColor cards!

Well, that's pretty funny now. Thanks @slomacuser, then!