Conclusion
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NVIDIA's Ti 4600 has set the current benchmark for graphics cards today. Matrox's Parhelia and ATI's R300 look impressive on paper but are not available in the retail channel yet. The question that has always faced the vast majority of consumers is to quote an American aphorism "getting the best bang for the buck". Most people would most probably sacrifice absolute performance for a significantly cheaper product, that is why mid-range PCs far outsell the top-of-the-range PC from vendors. This is where the Geforce4 Ti 4200 fills the void somewhat. Not all can afford or justify an outlay of £300+ on a premium graphics card. The Ti 4200 is reckoned to do well, it offers a large percentage of the Ti 4600's performance for comfortably less than £200. Our review card, the MSI G4Ti4200, is our first retail example of a Ti 4200. With it being something of an unknown in the performance stakes, complicated by it having only 64MB of on-board RAM, I was extremely pleased by its overall performance. It overclocked like a champion, reaching 320MHz core and 608MHz memory with excellent stability. The overclocked core speed was most pleasing as it rivaled that of overclocked Ti 4600s. I had previously thought that having half the Ti 4600's RAM would handicap it to a greater extent than it did. Our benchmarks are up-to-date and showed that the MSI, when overclocked, could match a standard Ti 4600 in all but the Comanche benchmarks. I'm sure that as games become more complicated, the 128MB of RAM will show a discernable advantage, that is not really the case now, though. After making a few inquiries, I have gleaned that this particular card will most likely ship with an online price of £175 - £180. Considering that we get a full retail pack with a 10-CD compilation of software, games and demos, coupled with VIVO functionality (something lacking in 2 of the 3 Ti 4600s I've reviewed), it seems like a creditable buy, especially if absolute performance is not your main concern. I like this card, it's small in size but packs a potent performance punch at a very reasonable price. I'd take this card over a Geforce4 MX460, a card that isn't that much cheaper, every day of the week. If your budget on a graphics card is the wrong side of £200, and you're looking for Geforce4 Ti power with decent value-adding features, the MSI GF4Ti4200 really should be at the top of the shopping list. I feel that card exhibits all the pre-requisites required for an editor's award. With that in mind, I have no hesitation in awarding one. Recommended.
Highs
Lows
Overall rating, 9/10.
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