rec.autos.simulators

Hello,

I have just got a new PIII 450 system from my emplyer, and used the whole
yesterday evening to install all my racing sims (GPL, Mgprs2, Toca2, SCGT, CPR)

SCGT does still have jerky graphics with my MSFF wheel. I can't believe it.
The funny thing is that when i turn FF off, not only do i get much better
framerate, as discussed here a lot earlier, but it also seems like the car
is handling much better. This of course might me a result of the better frame-
rate.

Guess I have to race without FF, the FF effects in SCGT aren't that great
anyway. I just love to feel the kerbs shake my wheel.

I currently have a Vodoo2 card, but I am looking very hard at the
Voodoo3 2000 PCI card (My silly Compaq Presario doesn't have a AGP port).
How much improvement is there with such card ?

--
Olav K. Malmin
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That is weird. I don't see any difference with my Logitech FF USB
wheel... FF, no FF it is all the same on my P2-450 as far as I can
tell.

--

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cisko [AT] ix [DOT] netcom [DOT] com

Recall my recent ramblings about the number of CPU cycles it takes for
GPL to send its force commands to some of the different wheels.  The
Thrustmaster Force GT was worst, taking about 3.5 million CPU cycles
(on a PII 400), the MSFF wheel was next, taking anywhere from 0.5..2.0M
cycles (generally around 1.5M), and the Logitech wheel in serial mode
took about 0.05M cycles.

Randy

Wouldn't know about FF, I've tried it in the shops, but for me it doesn't
warrant throwing away a TM F1 - besides, more to go wrong.

As for the card...  Try to find out if it's your processor that's the
bottleneck - these modern 3D cards can throw around an -awful- lot of scenery
If you do buy another gfx card, buy something that will suit what you play.
I play papy sims mostly, so I always had rendition cards - my new pc will
have a V3 3000 for the same reason (Glide in GPL and N3 - and SCGT come to
think of it - and is Viper Glide? dunno). Search for banchmarking sites - I'm
sure you'll find plenty places comparing V2 to V3 2000.  How about a second
V2 and SLI mode?  V2s are getting mighty cheap now.

No help, I know, but food for thought maybe...

Mark
Reading, UK

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Thanks for the info, I forgot to mention that I have a PIII 450, so i guess
it's not the prosessor.

I have thought about a second V2, but the main problem is that there distance
betweed the default monitor output (ATI Rage LT Pro) and the extension card
slots are to large for the standard pass-thru cable. So i had to get a longer
one, and after strolling around about every computer shop in town i finaly got
one, but it has poor quality, and as a result of that I get that mirror effect
or whatever it is called in Windows.

--
Olav K. Malmin
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FF does use additional CPU power but the % it uses is minimised with PII 450's
and the like. Also the FF drivers have a big influence on this as well as the
efficiency of the port that is feeding the FF information to the wheel/joystick.
The Logitech drivers are very efficient and the use of the serial of USB port
instead of a joystick port also helps. I have seen FF slow frame rates visibly
with slower CPU and/or bad drivers. On your PII 450 with the Logitech you are
lucky not to see the difference.