rec.autos.simulators

by **GTX_SlotCa** » Wed, 16 Jan 2002 12:20:41

Has anyone tried Nascar Heat with the Radeon 8500 (retail). I'm trying one
out, but I can't match my V5500 frame rates. I'm on Win98 and the fastest
driver I've found it the one that came with the card, 7191 (I think). With
the 5500 at 1280, high detailed cars, Effects at 0 and everything else
maxxed, I'm getting 45fps. With the 8500 I'm getting 41, and that's without
high detailed cars (which won't turn on, even using the .cfg). In other
games I get better frame rates with the 8500.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

by **LeeLiz** » Wed, 16 Jan 2002 14:35:00

My 8500 gets around the same as my Geforce DDR (around 35-40). I hope it's
something that can be fixed in the ini file.

by **GTX_SlotCa** » Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:44:21

I tried turning on the 'use radeon compression' (or something like that) in
NH's .cfg file, but it didn't help. I did get the high detail cars once,
with one driver, but couldn't do it again.

video card, but now I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it. Some older
games I like to play, like Monster Truck Madness 2, are only 640x480, but
they look great (not just good) at 4xFSAA (with up to 200 fps) with the
5500, but 6xAA on the 8500 does nothing for the game.
N4 runs real good with the 8500 in OpenGL. F1 2001 is great with it, but
both run good on the 5500, and most of my others run better on the 5500.
Some new titles wouldn't even run on the 8500.
I feel like a deflated tire. If the Ti500 is only marginally faster than the
8500, I don't think that's going to satisfy me either, plus I didn't want to
spend $300. I suppose I could try the newly released Ti200 w/128MB for
around $180. Probably a small increase in frame rates, but it shouldn't bog
down so much.
I'm sure the 8500 will work good for me at work, which is why I bought it in
the first place. It's dual monitor support and fast OpenGL are just what I
need for my CAD program.
So, is there anyone running a GF3 and NH? Do you get high detailed cars?

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

> My 8500 gets around the same as my Geforce DDR (around 35-40). I hope it's
> something that can be fixed in the ini file.

> > Has anyone tried Nascar Heat with the Radeon 8500 (retail). I'm trying
one
> > out, but I can't match my V5500 frame rates. I'm on Win98 and the
fastest
> > driver I've found it the one that came with the card, 7191 (I think).
With
> > the 5500 at 1280, high detailed cars, Effects at 0 and everything else
> > maxxed, I'm getting 45fps. With the 8500 I'm getting 41, and that's
> without
> > high detailed cars (which won't turn on, even using the .cfg). In other
> > games I get better frame rates with the 8500.

> > --
> > Slot

> > Tweaks & Reviews
> > www.slottweak.com

by **MadDAW** » Thu, 17 Jan 2002 02:46:11

NH sets the "allowed" options based on fill rates and cpu power, basicly
those three values you see on the side of the graphic details screen. Every
setting in your graphic card driver impacts these values. Something like
6xfsaa will have a very large impact on this. I would bet if you turn down
some of these things you will get what your looking for. I run a GF3 on a
1.4 tbird and with HD cars at 1280 res I get around 48-50 fps on the
benchmark with FSAA off, but even 2x brings it down into the 35-38 range.

MadDAWG

by **Raymond, ACT LAB** » Thu, 17 Jan 2002 03:37:45

Hello Gary,

I "upgraded" from the V5 5500 to the 8500 as well. If you are using
FSAA a lot on older games, then there is no reason to switch.
Personally, I play a lot of "newer" games too like Max Payne, Return
to Castle Wolfenstein, Medal of Honor, Giants, and Serious Sam. For
these games, I get WAY better frame rates with the 8500.

However, for Glide based games or some racing titles, the 5500's FSAA
can't be beat. Diablo 2, for instance, runs WAY better with the 5500,
but that is an indication of the API optimizations and not the
respective cards' speeds.

IMHO, the 5500 and 4x FSAA looks better than Radeon's 2x AA at
1280x960.

Raymond
ACT LABS
www.act-labs.com

by **GTX_SlotCa** » Thu, 17 Jan 2002 09:26:33

I haven't really upgraded, I'm just thinking about it. I bought the 8500
for work, actually. Dual monitor support and good OpenGL speed is just what
I need for my CAD. I've been hoping to upgrade at home, so I thought I'd
give this a try. I had my hopes up pretty high, but I don't know if this is
the one for me.
Obviously, I'm setting the card to get the most performance out of it in NH,
unless there's something hidden I don't know about. It's great on F1 2001,
though.
Maybe I should look into the new 128MB Ti200, if I can find it again. At
$180, it's priced right.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

> Hello Gary,

> I "upgraded" from the V5 5500 to the 8500 as well. If you are using
> FSAA a lot on older games, then there is no reason to switch.
> Personally, I play a lot of "newer" games too like Max Payne, Return
> to Castle Wolfenstein, Medal of Honor, Giants, and Serious Sam. For
> these games, I get WAY better frame rates with the 8500.

> However, for Glide based games or some racing titles, the 5500's FSAA
> can't be beat. Diablo 2, for instance, runs WAY better with the 5500,
> but that is an indication of the API optimizations and not the
> respective cards' speeds.

> IMHO, the 5500 and 4x FSAA looks better than Radeon's 2x AA at
> 1280x960.

> Raymond
> ACT LABS
> www.act-labs.com

> >Has anyone tried Nascar Heat with the Radeon 8500 (retail). I'm trying
one
> >out, but I can't match my V5500 frame rates. I'm on Win98 and the fastest
> >driver I've found it the one that came with the card, 7191 (I think).
With
> >the 5500 at 1280, high detailed cars, Effects at 0 and everything else
> >maxxed, I'm getting 45fps. With the 8500 I'm getting 41, and that's
without
> >high detailed cars (which won't turn on, even using the .cfg). In other
> >games I get better frame rates with the 8500.

by **MadDAW** » Thu, 17 Jan 2002 20:15:18

As much as I like ATI's image quality they just can't seem to get the
performance out of the hardware they should. I would go for the Ti myself.

MadDAWG

by **GTX_SlotCa** » Fri, 18 Jan 2002 00:04:15

You're probably right, Maddawg.
BTW, for high detailed cars, there is more to it than the speed of the
polygon rate, fill rate and computer speed. I saw a screenshot on a NH forum
showing

computer speed 651mhz (great)
fill rate 159 Mpix/sec (ok)
polygon rate 1515 KTris/sec (ok)

and the 'High detailed cars' box is checked.

All my numbers are much, much higher (awesome, awesome, and good) and my
'high detailed cars' box doesn't appear. Maybe my 8500 is bad, but it's F1
2001 performance is good, so I don't know.

I thought I had the latest bios in my Abit BE6-2, but I didn't. I flashed in
the latest and the polygon rate dropped to 'bottleneck' and frame rates went
down into the 20's (when I could get it to run at all). Obviously, I flashed
it back to my old bios.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

by **Dave Henri** » Fri, 18 Jan 2002 01:00:18

That's odd. I get that box with my V5. What are your desktop color
settings? Match your desktop to the resolution you are running in Heat, or
if that doesn't work, try lowering the screen res a notch or two.
dave henrie

> You're probably right, Maddawg.
> BTW, for high detailed cars, there is more to it than the speed of the
> polygon rate, fill rate and computer speed. I saw a screenshot on a NH
forum
> showing

> computer speed 651mhz (great)
> fill rate 159 Mpix/sec (ok)
> polygon rate 1515 KTris/sec (ok)

> and the 'High detailed cars' box is checked.

> All my numbers are much, much higher (awesome, awesome, and good) and my
> 'high detailed cars' box doesn't appear. Maybe my 8500 is bad, but it's
F1
> 2001 performance is good, so I don't know.

> I thought I had the latest bios in my Abit BE6-2, but I didn't. I flashed
in
> the latest and the polygon rate dropped to 'bottleneck' and frame rates
went
> down into the 20's (when I could get it to run at all). Obviously, I
flashed
> it back to my old bios.

> --
> Slot

> Tweaks & Reviews
> www.slottweak.com

> > As much as I like ATI's image quality they just can't seem to get the
> > performance out of the hardware they should. I would go for the Ti
myself.

> > MadDAWG

by **GTX_SlotCa** » Fri, 18 Jan 2002 01:36:19

Dave, that's the point. I get the box with my V5500 too. But the 8500 is
supposed to be a lot faster (and it is in some games). I've tried
different desktop settings. Running the benchmark at lower resolutions
produces no gain in frame rates, but turning all 3 sliders to 0 does make a
difference.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

> That's odd. I get that box with my V5. What are your desktop color
> settings? Match your desktop to the resolution you are running in Heat,
or
> if that doesn't work, try lowering the screen res a notch or two.
> dave henrie

> > You're probably right, Maddawg.
> > BTW, for high detailed cars, there is more to it than the speed of the
> > polygon rate, fill rate and computer speed. I saw a screenshot on a NH
> forum
> > showing

> > computer speed 651mhz (great)
> > fill rate 159 Mpix/sec (ok)
> > polygon rate 1515 KTris/sec (ok)

> > and the 'High detailed cars' box is checked.

> > All my numbers are much, much higher (awesome, awesome, and good) and
my
> > 'high detailed cars' box doesn't appear. Maybe my 8500 is bad, but it's
> F1
> > 2001 performance is good, so I don't know.

> > I thought I had the latest bios in my Abit BE6-2, but I didn't. I
flashed
> in
> > the latest and the polygon rate dropped to 'bottleneck' and frame rates
> went
> > down into the 20's (when I could get it to run at all). Obviously, I
> flashed
> > it back to my old bios.

> > --
> > Slot

> > Tweaks & Reviews
> > www.slottweak.com

> > > As much as I like ATI's image quality they just can't seem to get the
> > > performance out of the hardware they should. I would go for the Ti
> myself.

> > > MadDAWG

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