# Upgrade to GeForce 4 MX 440

## Musashi

I currently have a TNT2 that works fine...except if I want to play the UT2003 demo  :Sad: .  I am think about upgrading to a GeForce 4 MX 440.  How good are these cards with gentoo?  What are somethings I should be aware of before purchasing this card.  What some others experiences with this card..good/bad?   

TIA 

/B

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## Craigo

Personally.. upgrading graphic card in Linux beats Microsoft at it own game... Don't get the Geforce 4 MX 440 which I believe is similar to Geforce 3Ti something. Research into this. Try at least get a Geforce 4 Ti?

(Warning.. I'm so out of the graphic card market for about 2 months so this is just off the top of my head)

Basically, just replace the TNT with the new card and it should all go smoothly if you had the nvidia modules compiled already etc.

And look... no reboot!  :Wink: 

-/Craigo/-

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## ePhitz

If you are going to shell out for a GF4MX 440, then either get a GF3 ti or a radeon 8500, both are in the same general price range and both are faster then the gf4mx.

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## dioxmat

if you want to buy a new card, and want a gf4, buy a geforce4Ti. it will be much better than the gf4mx, which doesnt really deserve the gf4 name since its slower than the gf3. the gf4ti4200 is pretty cheap, so....

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## eivinn

I do agree here:

Did buy a Geforce 4 Ti4200 three days ago. It's rock solid, changing XF86Config to use Nvidia's drivers was easy , and the performance is more than I'll need in a couple of years.

UT2003 runs absolutely great on my new beauty, a Ti4200   :Twisted Evil: 

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## AlterEgo

 *ePhitz wrote:*   

> If you are going to shell out for a GF4MX 440, then either get a GF3 ti or a radeon 8500, both are in the same general price range and both are faster then the gf4mx.

 

... and will not run the UT2003-demo    :Sad: 

Besides that, you're right.

Instead of a geforce 4 MX, you could try and get a Geforce 2 GTS very cheaply now. It's a lot better than the 4 MX

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## MacMasta

Non-hardware answer:

Nvidia is our friend.

Put the card in the system, and run "emerge nvidia-kernel nvidia-glx"

and you should be done - there may be a few things those packages have you do to finish the install, but they tell you about it.

~Mac~

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## helmers

I have a GeForce 440MX. It's a good card. The Windows  :Twisted Evil:  drivers for it are very good, with most features of the TI version. 

However, when it comes to gaming, it is MUCH slower than GeForce 4 TI, and slower than GeForce 3. The 4 series is said to have a few more hardware features in them, but this doesn't make up for the performance loss. If you get a GeForce 3 instead, you'll be better off when playing games. 

And I have problems starting X, it is slow as a dead goat. Get the same in Windows though, a 14 second delay.

Anyways, I can play the UT2003 demo in 800x600 with everything default and stay between 40-60 FPS average. I have a Athlon 1800XP, 512MB 133Mhz SDROM.   :Wink: 

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## rjm

This is a real newbie question, but do the nvidia drivers work with any graphics card which has a nvidia chip on it, whether it's made by gainward or excalibur or whoever?

Cheers

Richard.

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## progster

any card with the nvidia chipset  :Wink: 

~Progster

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## BLASTER_

im having major prolbems with that card.

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=16121

I believe it -may- by my agpbus though.. ??

(otherwise it rules)

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## Curious

 *helmers wrote:*   

> I have a GeForce 440MX. It's a good card. The Windows  drivers for it are very good, with most features of the TI version. 

 

 No pixel shaders though, iirc.  ( The Ge3Ti and 4Ti both have these )

 You won't be able to get that beautiful water in 3dMark / UT2K3 / Morrowind without them.  :Wink: 

-- Curious

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## Darth_Daver

 *ePhitz wrote:*   

> If you are going to shell out for a GF4MX 440, then either get a GF3 ti or a radeon 8500, both are in the same general price range and both are faster then the gf4mx.

 

I would recommend that you NOT get the Radeon.  I'm sure it is a fine card, especially for Windows users, but the Linux drivers are not yet well optimized yet (work is under way).  I also don't think UT 2003 will run on the Radeon yet, at least not under Linux.  If you already have the Linux Nvidia drivers emerged, it will also make for an easier upgrade.  Just power down and swap the cards.  Eveything should "auto-detect" and run fine.

You are better off getting a Ti.  The GF4 MX is watered down.  I would definitely recommend sticking with Nvidia for now to get the best performance.  Nvidia and the Radeon leapfrog each other in performance under Windows, but they are both close in performance and more than enough.  How many fps over 150 do you need?    :Smile: 

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