CADENCE (USA) 12/98
CADENCE (USA) 12/98
"With the plethora of moderately-priced 3D graphics cards available, and especially those based on the PERMEDIA 2 chipset from 3Dlabs, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish one card from another, either by performance or features. But ELSA's version stands out on many counts. ELSA is one of the few vendors that is still writing its own dedicated AutoCAD display driver-one that offers improved performance and a well-designed interface. The GLoria Synergy is also among the fastest PERMEDIA 2-based cards. On top of that, it is unique among its direct competitors in offering video input and output as a standard feature."
Editor's Choice
NewMedia (USA) 12/98
"The biggest surprise in our tests was ELSA's GLoria Synergy ($149, AGP or PCI), which - thanks in large part to today's faster system speeds - bettered the best cards from last year's tests. [...] ELSA's driver expertise puts it a step ahead of Diamond's FireGL 1000 Pro."
"[...] ELSA's control panel offers virtual desktop resolutions that allow you to scroll beyond the visible area to increase usable desktop space. The Synergy offers video in and out [...] you can simultaneously output to both a VGA and video monitor."
"The ELSA control panel can support as many as six monitors with six Synergy cards."
Rating: Awesome
Pro/E Magazine (USA) 9/98
"Of all cards priced at the low end, the Synergy demonstrated the best performance, especially in shaded mode."
"For those who are looking for the best performance for Pro/ENGINEER at a mainstream price point, the ELSA Synergy is the obvious choice."
AutoCAD Magazin 6/98
Im Test von 12 CAD-Workstations im AutoCAD-Magazin gingen die beiden Empfehlungen der Redaktion an die mit der GLoria Synergy ausgestatteten Modelle Waibel Rheinblitz 2001 und Syncron Highend U2W SCSI (einzige Zweischirm-Lösung im Test). 8 der 12 getesteten Systeme waren mit ELSA-Karten ausgerüstet.
Empfehlung der Redaktion
CADENCE (USA) 12/98
Test der PC-Workstation Hewlett-Packard Kayak XA-s mit der ELSA GLoria Synergy:
"HP's Kayak 400MHz workstation line was designed for high reliability, high performance and for use in a corporate network. While there are both more- and less-expensive models in the Kayak lineup, HP designed the XA-s as the 'best value' model, and it offers great performance for AutoCAD users without an outrageous price tag. It offers great expandability, and includes no fewer than four fans (three of them have temperature sensors and are managed by the system's diagnostic software) to insure proper cooling. Other key features include HP's TopTools and DiagTools management software, an ELSA GLoria Synergy+ AGP graphics card and support for either one or two Pentium II processors. The mid-tower case includes a unique feature called MaxiLife - an LCD panel that reports basic system health and aids in diagnosing a system that won't boot."
Editor's Choice
CADALYST (USA) 12/98
Best of 98: CADALYST's Guide to Top AutoCAD Products
"ELSA based its ELSA GLoria Synergy graphics card on 3Dlabs' PERMEDIA 2 chip set. It's 2D/3D benchmark score placed it in the cluster of five cards tied for second place in the March review and the highest score in the September review. The card's two utilities set it apart. ELSAview 3D supports OpenGL hardware-assisted rendering in a stand-alone package that runs concurrently with AutoCAD. POWERdraft is the only accelerated 2D Release 13 and 14 driver that compares favorably against Vibrant Graphics Soft Engine, which costs more than the GLoria Synergy card and the two utilities combined. The Synergy offers vertical refresh rates between 74Hz and 300Hz which is higher than the current monitors can handle, but its ready to roll when they do. If you're looking for high performance from 2D AutoCAD work, an excellent warranty, and a great price, this is the card for you."
4.5 Star Rating
CADENCE (USA) 10/98
Vergleichstest von fünf 400-MHz-Pentium II-Workstations:
Compaq Professional Workstation AP 400
"The AP 400 was one of the two workstations that came with an ELSA graphics card (the OEM version of the GLoria
Synergy). One significant advantage of this is that ELSA supplies enhanced AutoCAD drivers for R13 and R14
that are faster (by about 25 percent) than the built-in drivers. ELSA's AutoCAD drivers include a zoom/pan interface
that uses a slider to control zooming and a virtual joystick to control panning. The ELSA card also did very well in
our AccelView 3D test, performing almost identically to the HP system, which took second place by an insignificant
margin."
Hewlett-Packard Kayak XA-s
"For our July review of Pentium II workstations, Hewlett-Packard submitted a Vectra with a graphics card that
didn't do well in our 3D tests. This time, the company chose to submit a Kayak system - their workstation family of
systems - with an ELSA GLoria Synergy graphics card. Although more expensive than the Vectra line, this
system performed consistently near the top of the five systems reviewed."
"For a system offering the most in each of these categories at a competitive price, the HP and Compaq are the best choice among these systems as the price/performance standouts."
CADALYST (USA) 9/98
"The one card that stands out (in raw performance), ELSA GLoria Synergy, does so because of its proprietary accelerated driver for AutoCAD."
"The GLoria Synergy from ELSA is the fastest card in this roundup, has the best warranty, and has a
great price."
"The ELSA GLoria Synergy achieved the highest performance scores in both our Release 13 and 14 tests.
It also comes with the best warranty - six years - of all the cards we tested. And its price makes it the best
value among the cards reviewed here."
"A utility pack called WINman Suite provides tools that let you easily set the resolution, timing,
Direct3D features, and video filters."
"Note that the ELSA GLoria Synergy offers vertical refresh rates (74 Hz - 300 Hz) that are higher than
any other graphics cards in this roundup."
"If you're looking for high performance for 2D AutoCAD work, an excellent warranty, and a great price, this
is the card for you."
R14 Performance: A+
Price: A+
Warranty: A+
Pros: Stellar performance; excellent support for Autocad/LT/3D Studio MAX; excellent warranty and price.
Cons: None significant.
Five-Star Rating, Highly Recommended
3D LIVE 5/98
Bericht über Mehrschirm-Lösungen unter Windows NT 4.0:
"Bei der Synergy handelt es sich um ein kostengünstiges, professionelles Allround-Board mit ausgeglichen
guten 2D- und 3D-Eigenschaften. Die GLoria Synergy eignet sich damit auch für 3D-Applikationen wie 3D Studio
MAX, 3D Studio VIZ, AutoCAD, Austodesk Mechanical Desktop (AMD), MicroStation, Solid Works, Open Inventor, Pro/JR.,
Pro/Engineer, AVS/EXpress, EDS und Internet-VRML-Viewing."
"Vom Handling her bietet die Lösung von ELSA mit Abstand den meisten Komfort und geht über die Leistungsfähigkeit
von Windows 98 deutlich hinaus. Dafür sorgen zwei zusätzliche Buttons, die für die automatische Maximierung einer
Anwendung sorgen, sei es auf einem Einzelmonitor oder auf die gesamte verfügbare Monitorfläche. Darüber hinaus lassen
sich Hot Keys frei definieren, Applikationen können bestimmten Monitoren zugewiesen, die Bildschirme in verschiedenen
Auflösungen, horizontal sowie vertikal, beliebig angeordnet werden. Auflösung und Bildwiederholfrequenz lassen sich
für jeden Monitor individuell einstellen."
CADENCE (USA) 5/98
Vergleichstest von neun 2D/3D-Beschleunigern:
"The ELSA Gloria Synergy is one of the most versatile cards in this review."
"It allows you to install two cards in one system and achieve a dual-monitor configuration. The two cards
can be identical (either PCI or AGP) or you can have one of each."
"The card is bundled with two specialized AutoCAD drivers [...]"
"With 3D performance 23 percent faster than the average of the group, it represents an excellent value
for those who not only work in 2D but also do a significant amount of solid modeling and rendering."
CADENCE Verdict:
Very good overall performer
Pros: Third in 2D and second in 3D;
includes an AutoCAD 3D display utility;
video input/output.
Cons: None
Gesamturteil: 5 von 5 Punkten (Test ohne Testsieger)
CADALYST (USA) 3/98
"Its maximum hardware-assisted 3D rendering mode is 1280 x 1024 with 32,768 colors at an eye-pleasing
vertical refresh rate of 100 Hz."
"The GLoria Synergy's 2D/3D performance was good."
"As for old-fashioned 2D performance with 256 colors, the GLoria Synergy turned in the top Release 13
score using vendor-supplied drivers. Its Release 14 2D score was less than 1% off the pace of the fastest card."
"ELSA's driver automates the task of configuring its card for top AutoCAD performance."
"The card's two utilities set it apart. ELSAview 3D supports OpenGL hardware-assisted rendering in a
stand-alone package that runs concurrently with AutoCAD. POWERdraft is the only accelerated 2D Release 13 driver
that compares favorably against Vibrant Graphics Soft Engine, which costs $395 - more than the GLoria Synergy
card and its two utilities. Highly recommended."
Pros:
Good performance, includes ELSAview and POWERdraft
Cons: None significant
Five-Star Rating, Highly Recommended
BYTE (USA) 3/98
Technology: Very good
Implementation: Very good
Performance: Very good
Features: Good
Usability: Outstanding
Overall rating: Very good
CADENCE (USA) 12/97
"Given the constant change in the graphics-card market, the ELSA GLoria Synergy graphics card stands out
in this year's marketplace due to its performance, value and driver software."
"Supporting up to 1920 x 1200 pixels in HiColor mode at 73 Hz and 1280 x 1024 at
130 Hz, the hardware on this graphics board exceeds most expectations."
"A good bonus reason to give ELSA's Synergy the nod is the value delivered by its bundled set of drivers.
You'll find drivers and utilities for the popular operating systems as well as drivers for 3D Studio MAX, 3D Studio VIZ
and the impressive POWERdraft/POWERview CAD display drivers."
Editors' Choice Award
PC Graphics & Video (USA) 12/97
"The ELSA GLoria Synergy from ELSA [...] sports excellent 2D and 3D capabilities on a single board, something that was virtually unheard of during the first half of 1997. What sets this board apart from the sub-$500 pack is the company's very robust ELSA drivers for OpenGL, HEIDI and Direct3D."
Top 50 Product 1997,
Editor's Choice
CADdesk (USA) 11/12 1997
"Over the past three years, ELSA has managed to carve an international niche in the CAD market through its
GLoria range of OpenGL accelerators. The combination of solid electronics with excellent CAD drivers, means that
in just a short space of time, ELSA has become a force to be reckoned with. The company's new entry-level solution, the
GLoria Synergy continues that tradition, in addition to offering the best bang per buck in the CAD market
today."
"In the graphics card market, raw processing power isn't enough, you need well written drivers too and from
previous experience, this is another area in which ELSA excels. The new POWERview 3D provides all users of
GLoria graphics boards with a special ELSA application for real-time rendering of 3D objects. POWERview 3D
features a wide range of functions."
"The ELSA Synergy is the culmination of a whole movement towards 3D and a pointer to the fact that the CAD
market is displaying a strong move towards 3D and OpenGL.
I am very impressed with the performance of the PERMEDIA 2 based card and while the memory is limited to only
8 MB, the potential benefits are enormous. Drivers are so important these days, and for me, ELSA is the only
graphics card company that's really putting in the effort to create CAD application-specific drivers in the market
today. POWERview offers some unique features and uses the operating system's strength to the maximum
(multi-threading, multi-processor). All in all excellent stuff. In the Autocad/Mechanical Desktop market, if you are
into 3D then look no further. This card offers one hell of a bang for your buck."
CADALYST (USA) 11/97
"The accelerated drivers make a world of difference. ELSA's POWERdraft driver in particular offers
exceptional performance [...]"
"Of course I couldn't resist testing each card with Soft Engine [Anm: eine kommerzielle Software zur
CAD-Beschleunigung]. [...] A quick glance at the Soft Engine numbers shows why everyone should have a copy -
excluding those of you with ELSA cards."
"ELSA has developed a following in the CAD community for its fast and dependable graphics cards. Its latest entry,
the GLoria Synergy, nabbed top honors this year for Release 13 performance - thanks in large part to the latest
version of ELSA's POWERdraft accelerated driver for AutoCAD."
"Note that we know of no monitors that currently handle such a high vertical refresh rate."
"Installation of both the graphics card and its software was simple and trouble-free."
"As mentioned earlier, the ELSA GLoria Synergy is the top performer with Release 13. The card's C96-2D
graphics index scores were 6.81 using Release 13 and POWERdraft and 3.32 using Release 14. It's 3D capabilities
are an added bonus."
Five-Star Rating,
Highly Recommended
PC Magazine (Taiwan) 11/97
Empfehlung der Redaktion
CAD-Magazine (Niederlande) 11/97
"Multifunctionele en krachtige alleskunner"
"De ELSA GLoria Synergy bevat snelheid en flexibiliteit gecombineerd met en redelijke prijs."
"De Duitse fabrikant van grafische kaarten, ELSA, heeft op het gebied van krachtige kaarten voor het ingewikkelde
3D-werk een bijzonder goede naam opgebouwd."
"Voor de AutoCAD 13 en LT gebruikers bevat de CD de min of meer bekende ELSA POWERdraft display list driver,
waardoor het werken op een aangename manier wordt verbeterd. Het 3D werk in de AutoCAD 13 en 14 omgeving wordt
vergemakkelijkt met behulp van de ELSA POWERview software. Ook gebruikers van Autodesk Mechanical Desktop zullen
het gebruik van deze 3D software kunnen waarderen. Daarnaast kunnen degenen die werken met Autodesk producten als 3D
Studio MAX en 3D Studio VIZ gebruikmaken van de speciale Heidi driver. Bij gebruik van deze laatste twee software
paketten kan men tevens genieten van de kracht van de geïntegreerde GLINT Delta processor."
"De ELSA GLoria Synergy is een grafische kaart die eigenlijk alle moderne mogelijkheiden ondersteunt. De
kaart is daarom ook goed te gebruiken in alle omstandigheden."
"Al met al een bijzonder goede kaart die bij gemiddeld gebruik tot algehele tevredenheid zal stemmen en z'n prijs
meer dan waard is."
AutoCAD Magazin 6/97
"[...] schafft die Synergy die Auflösung von 1.280 x 1.024 Bildpunkten mit einer maximalen
Bildwiederholfrequenz von sehr guten 130 Hz und ermöglicht eine maximale Auflösung von 1.920 x 1.200
Bildpunkten."
"Im Unterschied zur Fire 1000 Pro besitzt die Synergy einen Video-Ein/Ausgang für Multimedia-Anwendungen.
Als einziger Hersteller legt ELSA sogar das entsprechende Video-Out-Adapterkabel bei. Besonderen Wert legt man bei ELSA
auf die Treiber. Ähnlich wie bei der Diamond-Karte wird das Untermenü 'Einstellungen Anzeige' modifiziert,
zusätzlich bietet ELSA dem Anwender optimierte Applikationseinstellungen für eine Reihe von Anwendungen wie
zum Beispiel AutoCAD oder MicroStation unter Windows NT 4.0 an."
"Aufgrund der guten Gesamt-Performance und den gleichmäßig guten Ergebnissen in allen anderen
Testkategorien erhält die ELSA Synergy die Empfehlung der Redaktion."
Gesamtwertung: 74 von 100 Punkten (bestes Ergebnis im Test von acht CAD-Karten)
Empfehlung der Redaktion