rec.autos.simulators

Video card FAQ?

XRaceTr

Video card FAQ?

by XRaceTr » Wed, 05 Nov 1997 04:00:00

Sorry for the intrusion, but all the talk about the new CART sim has
got me wondering about video cards - anywhere I can get an FAQ of
all the different stuff out there... I'm pretty ignorant on most every
aspect of the 3D cards, so even a pointer to the most basic info
would be great...

If anyone wants to field some questions, here's some things I've
been wondering about:

3dfx - does this refer to hardware (specific cards) or software (specific
games/versions of games)? I mean, do you buy a card to support your
favorite 3dfx sims, or do you hope your favorite game supports your 3dfx
card? (Sorry if that's not clear... I'm not even sure what I'm asking!)
DirectX - same as Direct 3D? All Microsoft? DirectX3? DirectX5?
Glide - no clue on this one, just heard the term today!
Open GL - again, pretty clueless on that
"Rendition ready" - any card, or just specific cards? Outdated? Still
supported?

Is hardware acceleration a universal thing or can you just use it on
some cards? like 3D cards only?

What are the different "flavors" of 3D hardware and supporting software?
(Or - at least - how many are there?)

Can you buy a card that supports everything? Or, when you decide on
a card, does that give you great performance on some sims, while
leaving you screwed for other sims?

Which card will give me the best performance for MS CART?
How about for Papy's sims? (ICR2/CART2, N2)
GP2?
Flight sims?

Sorry to expose my ignorance to you all, but people here seem to
know quite a bit about this stuff...

Thanks in advance for any help/pointers...

- Mike.

====================================================
 Mike Holthouse - Indianapolis, IN
 I'm sick of spam!! To e-mail me, remove the "x"...
====================================================

Jeff Sharp

Video card FAQ?

by Jeff Sharp » Thu, 06 Nov 1997 04:00:00

Check out Tom's Hardware guide for info on video cards.

http://www.tomshardware.com/video.html

It won't tell you which card is best for which specific game but it will
answer a lot of your questions.

Jeff



snip

XRaceTr

Video card FAQ?

by XRaceTr » Fri, 07 Nov 1997 04:00:00

Ok, I've found some info on the video cards and drivers, but
one thing escapes me, and I suppose this is my bottom
line question(s):

Is there 1 single card that will give me great performance on
DirectX games (such as CART PR) AND rendition games (such
as ICR2)? If so, what *is* that card?

If there is no one card to beat all cards for *all* types of 3D
games, what's a good compromise? What should I look for
when I go to buy a new card?

Thanks in advance for your opinions...

- Mike.

====================================================
 Mike Holthouse - Indianapolis, IN
 I'm sick of spam!! To e-mail me, remove the "x"...
====================================================

Mike

Video card FAQ?

by Mike » Fri, 14 Nov 1997 04:00:00


> Ok, I've found some info on the video cards and drivers, but
> one thing escapes me, and I suppose this is my bottom
> line question(s):

> Is there 1 single card that will give me great performance on
> DirectX games (such as CART PR) AND rendition games (such
> as ICR2)? If so, what *is* that card?

> If there is no one card to beat all cards for *all* types of 3D
> games, what's a good compromise? What should I look for
> when I go to buy a new card?

> Thanks in advance for your opinions...

> - Mike.

> ====================================================
>  Mike Holthouse - Indianapolis, IN
>  I'm sick of spam!! To e-mail me, remove the "x"...
> ====================================================

Mike,
        Yes, there is a one card solution, but... As far as I know it's not out
yet. The new Hercules Thriller 3d uses the Verite 2200 chipset. It is as
much faster than the 2100 as the 2100 is faster than the original Verite
1000. In the November Boot magazine they had one of the developer cards
are were drooling on their keyboards. In the article they did not name
the card, only the chip but it was obvious to me they were playing with
the new Hercules. Direct3D performance is unbelievable, as the card can
render the Direct3D 12 attribute pixel in a single cycle. This 128 bit
screamer can address up to 16 megs of video memory. Oh, and did I forget
to mention Composite and S-video TV out? I plan to buy one as soon as
they become available. They may talk about it on their website at
http://www.bootnet.com
        The Other place to check out is the Hercules site, go to-
http://www.hercules.com/presale/release/thrill3d.htm and drool a little
bit for yourself <ggg.>
        All the best, Mike Davis
--
Michael S. Davis
Creative Media-Works
Computer/Audio/Video Convergance
http://www.creativemedia-works.com
"From Creative Minds spring Creative Solutions."

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