rec.autos.simulators

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

Matthew A. Davi

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Matthew A. Davi » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

GPL looks like a mighty great sim that I desperately want, but I'm not
sure it'll run worth a darn on my system:

AMD-K6/233
64MB RAM
Win95/DX5
Viper V330 (Riva 128)

I know I can't run the Glide or Rendition graphics.  How good/fast is
the software rendering?  Does the OpenGL patch work well with the Riva
128?

In short, can I get playable detail levels at playable framerates on
this setup?

Thanks for info,
--
Matthew A. Davis

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

No one ever cried at a parent's grave for the big house they didn't live
in or the expensive toys they didn't get.

John Moor

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by John Moor » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

it will run ok, that  is to say almost all graphics off, minimum ai cars =
25-30 fps. i upped my system and in testing it seems that to run 30 fps with
almost all graphics on and a full field of ai cars (19) you need 350-400mhz
and a good video card. the cpu is most important for tha ai cars. an abit mb
and 300a celeron overclocked to 374 -450 is a great combination for
reasonable dollars.


> GPL looks like a mighty great sim that I desperately want, but I'm not
> sure it'll run worth a darn on my system:

> AMD-K6/233
> 64MB RAM
> Win95/DX5
> Viper V330 (Riva 128)

> I know I can't run the Glide or Rendition graphics.  How good/fast is
> the software rendering?  Does the OpenGL patch work well with the Riva
> 128?

> In short, can I get playable detail levels at playable framerates on
> this setup?

> Thanks for info,
> --
> Matthew A. Davis

> http://www.hubwest.com/userpages/azami/hideout.htm

> No one ever cried at a parent's grave for the big house they didn't live
> in or the expensive toys they didn't get.

Michael Grand

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Michael Grand » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

You'll do better with a Rendition or 3DFX card.

Mike Grandy

Powered By ECCI driving controls http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/extreme/

    GPL looks like a mighty great sim that I desperately want, but I'm not
    sure it'll run worth a darn on my system:

    AMD-K6/233
    64MB RAM
    Win95/DX5
    Viper V330 (Riva 128)

    I know I can't run the Glide or Rendition graphics.  How good/fast is
    the software rendering?  Does the OpenGL patch work well with the Riva
    128?

    In short, can I get playable detail levels at playable framerates on
    this setup?

    Thanks for info,
    --
    Matthew A. Davis

    http://www.hubwest.com/userpages/azami/hideout.htm

    No one ever cried at a parent's grave for the big house they didn't live
    in or the expensive toys they didn't get.

Graeme Nas

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Graeme Nas » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

I'm running on a P200 MMX with an 8MB Hercules Thriller and with a field
of 11 AI I'm getting 26-32fps with virtually all textures on. Of course
there are some concessions to be made but there are things other than
textures which can affect your fps..... I'll explain more if anyone
needs it although most of the info has already been posted to this NG a
few times.

Cheers!

--
Graeme Nash

You know what to do with "don't_spam_me"...
http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk/
ICQ# 11257824

"Do I know what rhetorical means?!" - Homer Simpson

Michael Grand

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Michael Grand » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

You'll do better with a Rendition or 3DFX card.

Mike Grandy

Powered By ECCI driving controls http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/extreme/

    GPL looks like a mighty great sim that I desperately want, but I'm not
    sure it'll run worth a darn on my system:

    AMD-K6/233
    64MB RAM
    Win95/DX5
    Viper V330 (Riva 128)

    I know I can't run the Glide or Rendition graphics.  How good/fast is
    the software rendering?  Does the OpenGL patch work well with the Riva
    128?

    In short, can I get playable detail levels at playable framerates on
    this setup?

    Thanks for info,
    --
    Matthew A. Davis

    http://www.hubwest.com/userpages/azami/hideout.htm

    No one ever cried at a parent's grave for the big house they didn't live
    in or the expensive toys they didn't get.

David Mast

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by David Mast » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00


The two replies I've seen give feedback that is different from my POV.
I do agree that the software driver is a non-player.  To see what it would do,
I enabled it on my 200mmx oc/225 and it gave sub-10 fps.  To get in the low
***s, I had to disable so much that it was just hideous.  Looked like a 1990
sim.  Believe me, you don't want to rely on it.

As to the OpenGL patch on a Riva128, I can't say.

I think the game runs quite acceptably on my system with Voodoo1 (Pure3D). In
a 12-car race, I do get the 10fps right at the start, but once the pack is
moving, it stays over 20 with most graphics on.

However, I must admit that the framerate readout strikes me as "optimistic".  
It'll read 25-30 when it appears slightly jerky to me.  And this game does cry
out for extremely high framerate to maintain controllability.

Bottom line, I'd tell you to pass unless you get info saying the OpenGL really
does work well on the Riva.  Sorry to say it (well, not really), yah really
should get a 3dfx :-)

Michael Grand

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Michael Grand » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

You'll do better with a Rendition or 3DFX card.

Mike Grandy

Powered By ECCI driving controls http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/extreme/

    GPL looks like a mighty great sim that I desperately want, but I'm not
    sure it'll run worth a darn on my system:

    AMD-K6/233
    64MB RAM
    Win95/DX5
    Viper V330 (Riva 128)

    I know I can't run the Glide or Rendition graphics.  How good/fast is
    the software rendering?  Does the OpenGL patch work well with the Riva
    128?

    In short, can I get playable detail levels at playable framerates on
    this setup?

    Thanks for info,
    --
    Matthew A. Davis

    http://www.hubwest.com/userpages/azami/hideout.htm

    No one ever cried at a parent's grave for the big house they didn't live
    in or the expensive toys they didn't get.

Graeme Nas

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Graeme Nas » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

I agree with you here - I used to run GP2 at 23fps and it went as smooth
as a somewhat smooth thing.
Now GPL is only truly driveable at around 32-36fps.... So one of them
has to be "wrong".

Cheers!

--
Graeme Nash

You know what to do with "don't_spam_me"...
http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk/
ICQ# 11257824

----------------
Bart    : No one listens to you when you're a kid!
Grandpa : No one listens to you when you're old!
Homer   : I'm a white male aged 18-45. Everyone listens to me!
----------------

SteveBla

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by SteveBla » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

Second that.  I'll be driving and notice the framerate suddenly going from
smooth to jerky.  I'll grab a quick peek at the FPS readout and it'll be high
20's to near max, though it had been smooth at the same displayed rates before.
 My HD light's not blinking, so it's not paging.  It's all a bit puzzling.
Leads to grief usually; by the time I get refocused, I'm generally upside down,
or about to be.
As to playability on a mid-range PC, it's probably only viable with a Thriller
or Voodoo 2 card installed, at least until the OpenGL drivers get more sorted.
A note on framerates.  Rates in the mid 20's are acceptable on simpler courses
like Monza or Spa that don't require such a delicate touch, but on tricky ones
like Zandvoort, it's a different story.  I have to dumb down the options much
more to get decent driveability there.  Still fun, though!

Steve B.

Matthew A. Davi

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Matthew A. Davi » Tue, 03 Nov 1998 04:00:00

I agree I would.

Anyone want to donate? :-)

--
Matthew A. Davis

http://www.hubwest.com/userpages/azami/hideout.htm

No one ever cried at a parent's grave for the big house they didn't live
in or the expensive toys they didn't get.

Peter Gag

GPL: viable on mid-to-low system?

by Peter Gag » Wed, 04 Nov 1998 04:00:00



> GPL looks like a mighty great sim that I desperately want, but I'm
> not sure it'll run worth a darn on my system:
> AMD-K6/233
> 64MB RAM
> Win95/DX5
> Viper V330 (Riva 128)
> I know I can't run the Glide or Rendition graphics.  How good/fast
> is
> the software rendering?  Does the OpenGL patch work well with the
> Riva 128?
> In short, can I get playable detail levels at playable framerates >

on this setup?

Hi, I have just upgraded to a new system (BX m/b & CeleronA cpu &
8Mb 2D card & 12Mb Voodoo2 3Dfx) but my *old* system is very similar
to yours:
K6 200 (clocked to 225)
64Mb SDRam & win95/dx5
ATX case & Supermicro LX m/b
4Mb Mystique & 4Mb 3Dfx card

GPL runs *great* on my old K6 set-up, I have the graphics set to few
details, only car and track in mirrors, and the detail slider about
1/3rd from the *left*, and all unnecessary textures turned *off*
(horizon, crowds, etc) and get a steady 27 - 30fps in training mode,
and around 20 - 25 in races (with slight dips in fps at race starts
or major pile ups) which is very acceptible to me, but I'm sure
others will say they can only race at 36fps and nothing less!!!!

BTW, you will see an improvement in performance if you
overclock/overbus your system to use 3 x 75 = 225 instead of the 233
you are currently using. As this uses a 3.5 x 66 = 233. If you
increase the buspeed from 66 to 75 you speed up your *whole* system.

8-)

*Peter*    8-)
(NB: remove asterisk to e-mail)


rec.autos.simulators is a usenet newsgroup formed in December, 1993. As this group was always unmoderated there may be some spam or off topic articles included. Some links do point back to racesimcentral.net as we could not validate the original address. Please report any pages that you believe warrant deletion from this archive (include the link in your email). RaceSimCentral.net is in no way responsible and does not endorse any of the content herein.