rec.autos.simulators

I keep seeing all this talk of P90's with 16 mb of RAM and Super duper
video cards not being able to run NASCAR at an acceptable rate in SVGA.

I have just recently run the demo on a DX2/66 with 8 mb RAM in VGA with
no cars on the track (demo has none) and I have all textures etc on.
And I have no concerns over the speed!

Unfortunately no one can compare screen updates without seeing the
others PC running.

If I bought my own PC (I've hijacked my dads) what spec would I
honestly need to run NASCAR in SVGA?

NASCAR looks a bit ***in VGA, would SVGA be possible on a 66 mhz PC?
How about if I bought a DX2/66 then later dumped in a 100Mhz processor?

--
Steve Hood

That's cuz they can't do it.

VGA works oK - not great but ok.  On my DX2-66 I start getting choppy
when there are a lot of cars around, I can't see very far ahead if the
cars are clustered.  It doesn't help that I don't drive these very well.
It also doesn't help that I insist on turning car texture on, but otherwise
I can't tell who's who out there.  Still, even with it off, it's not that
much better.  And you want SVGA so you can see everything clearly.

From my perspective, I think you need at ELAST a 120mhz Pentium.  I say
this because I have a P90 and a P100 and we're not even close.  Probably
more like the 167MHz one that's still a year away.  My Zeos P90 runs
SVGA at Martinsville at about TWO frames per second if I turn the details
on, and you need at least 12-15 to race sensibly.  If I turn off most of
the details I can run it at round 7 FPS in SVGA.  The Gateway P100 is
not visibly different (as one would expect for a 11% differential).

Not even close.  My home machine (the one where nobody complains if I
race) is a DX2-66 and SVGA is a joke.  The only way I can run SVGA on my
486 is to turn off ALL details (ALL of them) and run by myself.  What
fun is that?

Nope.  You still have 33MHz memory bandwidth, and a 100MHz DX4 isn't
going to match up with even a 100MHz Pentium, which can't do the job either.
--

Brian Wong                              Product Marketing Engineering

I tried it on a buddy's P60 with PCI 64 bit graphics.  it worked just fine in
SVGA mode.  Granted, all the detail levels weren't on.  What everyone's
problem appears to be is that they can't run SVGA and ALL Graphics Details.
Frankly, I wouldn't think you would have a problem running SVGA with any
Pentium machine, just not all the graphic details on.  

With no other cars on the track, there isn't much demand on your processor.

Buy a Pentium motherboard with PCI bus, grab a PCI compatible video card and
graphics accelerator, I'd say 16 megs O' Ram wouldn't hurt.  Any speed
Pentium would work, but obviously a P90 will allow you to run at faster
speeds with more details on (leave them in auto mode, set your minimum frame
rate for something like 25-27 frames, and your max at 30.  Also, the number
of opponents make a difference too, memory and speed wise.

No, SVGA on a 2x-66 is DOGMEAT.  I know, that's what I run.  I have to run it
in VGA, which is *acceptable* but knowing that SVGA is available for when I
*do* get a Pentium motherboard upgrade, it'll work out for me, is very nice!

        I have seen Nascar run on a Packard Bell P60 in SVGA with
acceptable results on most tracks, with some graphics on (car
textures, objects- no textures, wall textures, skids/paint, six
cars drawn ahead, 19 opponents) with pretty good results at most
tracks.  Sears Point, Wilkesboro, and C***te are IMHO the
toughest to get a decent frame rate.  Keep in mind that P. Bell
has a reputation for producing the slowest machines on the
market- i.e. a Dell P60 is a much faster machine.

My two cents worth.  I, personally, will continue to run in VGA
on my DX2/66 until I can afford at least a P100, probably this
winter.

Jeff B.

--
        "The trouble with giving advice is that everyone wants to
repay you..."

I am running a dx4/100 and won't race in SVGA.  SVGA is smooth while
practicing with no other cars and no details but with other cars and details
on it is unacceptable (I want at least 18-20 fps for racing).

SVGA is nice to drool over.  The game is more fun when the frame rate is
smoothest possible (which means using VGA). If you want SVGA get at least
a p100.

Thank you..  finally someone agrees that bus arch.  makes a difference!

At your own risk,...  I have changed my bus speed on my DX2/66 from
33 to 40... This (if your BIOS and motherboard has the ability) makes
the bus/bios think that you have a DX2/80.. In a nut shell I am over-driving
my CPU.. Which is not recomended in most circles but CPU's (486 flavor) are
cheap so what the hay!  I origanally got 47.7 fps via 3Dbench and now get 55.5
by
over driving the CPU..  The whole magic on how to get NASCAR to run better
is to get the fps rate higher..  P100 and a awesome video card is most
certaintly the answer to getting the fps (sorry "Frames Per Second") higher..

AMD has released there DX4/120 and I hear that it is awesome..  And I bet
I can get in the range of 68-70 fps if I were to install one on my
motherboard..

Please don't flame me about overdriving my CPU!  I don't recomend it to anyone!
I am only telling you what I did to try to get the fps rate higher so that I
could play NASCAR at a SVGA acceptable rate..  Higher fps is the only mystery
that can solve the dreaded NASCAR SVGA delemma.. A well built motherboard
and a faster CPU coupled with a awesome graphics adapter is the key!

                ....doug

send all: flames > /dev/null

I do have a question though.  Many people on this group talk about
overclocking their CPU's.  Is this advisable or dangerous?  If CPU's
can safely run at twice their documented speed, why wouldn't the
manufacturers simply market it as a faster CPU?

Your input would be appreciated.  I'd like to know more about it
before I try it myself.

The most common mistake I've seen people make (usually those that aren't
familiar with computers) is that they base the performance directly from
the CPU.  If you increase your CPU's perfomance, either by upgrading with
something like a DX2 or overclocking it,  you may be disappointed to learn
that maybe your video card can't keep up, and it slows the system down.