Gigabyte GA-MG400 Matrox G400 AGP

Conclusion

If you currently have a Gigabyte motherboard that supports the VGA BIOS on Motherboard feature required by the MG400 and are looking for a new video card with performance in the TNT2 range, then the MG400 is definitely for you. The one recommendation we will make that stands across the board is that if you are going to be purchasing the MG400, go for the 32MB version which should perform identically to the 32MB Millennium G400 used in our tests. As our benchmarks consistently show, the 16MB of the base MG400 just doesn't cut it at most resolutions especially if you are running in 32-bit color. The extra $30 is worth the performance gain you get out of it.

Compared to the regular G400s from Matrox, the MG400 is a steal. At $120 for a 32MB card, the MG400 comes in a full $60 cheaper than a 32MB Millennium G400. The only thing that $60 buys you is DualHead support with the Millennium G400, if you don't really care about DualHead support then the MG400 is a pretty good deal. Unfortunately if you don't already have a supported Gigabyte motherboard, then the deal loses some of its appeal because you now have to purchase a new motherboard for your new video card. If you were going to upgrade your motherboard regardless, this may be an added incentive to go with a Gigabyte board, but then it does severely limit your motherboard choices.

In the end, the MG400 is an added benefit granted to Gigabyte motherboard owners and if you happen to own one of those motherboards then the MG400 isn't a bad deal at all. If you don't happen to own a supported Gigabyte motherboard, and aren't in the market for a new Gigabyte motherboard, then the MG400 is stripped of its attractive cover and becomes nothing more than a video card without a BIOS.