rec.autos.simulators

Games like ICR2 are "optimized" for Pentiums.  Does ICR2 still recognize
the Cyrix chip as a Pentium and run the optimized code?  I think that
Need for Speed does likewise, recognizing a Pentium and running in
SVGA instead of VGA.  EF2000 comes up with a Pentium logo when it
starts up when it reads a Pentium.

I assume they get this from the BIOS; is a Cyrix a Pentium in BIOS?

Does Rick Genter have this answer for this, or anyone else?

--
Meek and obedient you follow the leader
down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel..

       Neil Yeatman, Ajax, Ontario, CANADA

Rick Genter
Technical Lead, IndyCar Racing II
Sierra On-Line, Inc.

I have a 686 166, how would I be able to tell if I'm getting the
optimixed code or not? I've always used the -h option when running the
sim, so I don't know if it would anyway. I know that Win95 ids the
chip as a 486, microsoft says thats because the os was written before
the specs on the 6x86 ( M1) were recieved.  ( the NexGen 586 comes up
as a 386 ). So far the only program i've had correctly id it is ZD
labs Winbech, Norton Utilities tells me i got a 300 MHz 486 :-).

Is there a way to trick icr into using the optimized code anyway, or
is it all internal?

The following is an update after some fiddling around with the BIOS
settings and the 440FX chip set registers.

Here are my preliminary test results:

My equipment:
Supermicro P6SNF, single P6 motherboard. Natoma (440FX) chip set which
supports concurrent PCI!

128Meg. RAM (DOS only sees 64MB)

 Matrox Millenium 4 Meg.  Matrox, not Univbe's, VESA driver.  BIOS v2.0

 Tropez Plus

The conditions for testing are:

 Note that I'm using NASCAR Racing for the Millenium version.

    Michigan -  no qualifying, start in back, on right side.  

      Opponents - Number MAX (31 for ICR2, and 38 for NASCAR Racing,
       Drawing ALL opponents forward and back, (back doesn't matter
       since I tested being able to see all opponents in front of me),
      heard 3.
     The whole test consisted of just the pace lap since that's the only
time you'll ever see all the cars drawn ahead of you which stresses the
maximum load on the computer.  

      Graphics - ALL textures on except skidmarks set to auto.  Using min
and max frame rate at the same setting, I run the entire pace lap and
adjust the min and max frame rate setting until the skid marks DON'T
flicker at ALL. This final frame rate setting is the minimum that the
computer will run. Of course it will run faster frame rates once the cars
start to spread out during the length of the race.

       Sound is 8-bit stereo. Strange that mono and stereo had the same
test results for my system.

My results:

The numbers in parenthesis( ) are from my Supermicro P55CMS motherboard
with 256kB PBS cache and 100Mhz Pentium.

With all textures ON, in preseason testing, I get 30 fps!!(18fps). with no
flicker on the skid marks!

The following results represent the max frame rate with no flickering of
the skid marks taken from the start of the pace lap to when the green flag
drops. This is where the biggest hit occurs.

Before race on the pace lap with ALL textures on:

ICR2   (P5-100Mhz)                 NASCAR
--------                                   -------------
23fps  (11fps)                           20fps

All textures ON except asphalt and grass:

28fps  (15fps)                          25fps

All textures ON except asphalt, grass, wall, grandstand, and objects

30fps  (18fps)                          30fps

The only thing new that I add to this is that using a utility written by
John Hinkley that enables PCI write posting, banked VGA Write Combining and
SVGA linear frame buffer Write Combining in the 440FX and Orion chip sets,
I get a big improvement in frame rates for NASCAR racing, no improvement
for ICR2. Anyway, with the above options enabled, I get 27 fps!!, with no
flickering of the skid marks at all. Keep in mind that this is for the
Matrox Millenium version of NASCAR racing. I'll load up the plain version
and do the same test to see if there is a difference.

Feel free to email me with any questions. By the way, I don't post this to
brag about my system. It's for those that are single and don't have
anything else to do with their money(assuming they have plenty of it) and
want to run these sims as fast as possible.

Alex Fernandez