NVIDIA GeForce2 Pro

Conclusion

Weighing in with a price of around $330, the GeForce2 Pro chip is targeted to fit the void recently created with the falling price of the GeForce2 GTS and the high price of the relatively new GeForce2 Ultra. As we have seen in the past, most recently with the GeForce2 Ultra, many times increased performance does not justify a high price. Does the GeForce2 Pro share this trait with its faster (albeit more expensive) brother?

Examining only performance, the answer seems to be yes. With a price running about $100 to $150 more than a 32MB GeForce2 GTS and only about $40 more than a 64MB GeForce2 GTS, the GeForce2 Pro picks up what the GeForce2 GTS left behind a few months ago. Picking up the higher end of the video card market while still remaining accessible to many in the video card market, the GeForce2 Pro is not a budget card like the GeForce2 MX, nor is it excessively expensive like the GeForce2 Ultra. For many high end gamers, the GeForce2 Pro will not only fit the bill but also provide performance very similar to a GeForce2 Ultra. In fact, as we saw in the overclocking section, our sample GeForce2 Pro card, the Guillemot 3D Prophet II GTS Pro was able to reach Ultra speed when overclocked.

The GeForce2 Pro also provides more longevity than both the 32MB and 64MB versions of GeForce2 GTS. Right now the increase in performance equates to being able to play games at higher resolutions, but in the year to come it may mean the difference between being able to play a cutting-edge game or not. For many, this peace of mind will surely justify the increase in price.

The problem is that we can not rely only on performance numbers for a recommendation of a high-end card. As was the case in the GeForce2 Ultra, we must also take into account what is coming up in the GeForce2 Pro's price range. The GeForce2 Pro is entering the market late in the GeForce2 line. With rumors of NVIDIA's next chip, the NV20, arriving as early as the beginning of next year and providing performance significantly grater than that of the GeForce2 Ultra, one can not help but wonder if now is the best time to spend $300 or more on a video card. It looks like that $300 will buy you much more in just a few short months here, so for many the best option is to stick with the current card for just a bit longer and wait to spend that holiday money until early next year.

If the GeForce2 Pro was launched along side the GeForce2 Ultra, a full 2 months ago, our recommendation would have likely been different. The extra time and lack of information regarding the NV20 in August would have likely led us to suggest the GeForce2 Pro as the high-end gamer's card of choice. However, the past two months provided us with enough information to withhold or recommendation of the GeForce2 Pro. Sure, the card is powerful and priced within reasonable bounds, but the OEM only designs (with exception to the Guillemot card we examined here) and the fact that the NV20 is on the way means that most die hard gamers would be better off waiting for a more powerful card at the same price.