rec.autos.simulators

I will shortly be replacing my computer, and I would be extremely
grateful for any constructive advice on what Graphics Card to
purchase.  

At present I am thinking of perhaps a 200MMX, 32megs of EDO ram, and
one of the Matrox cards.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this message.  John Shorter

Goy

Beers and cheers
Goy

According to some tests done , there is no big difference between diff.
cards , mostly important is CPU speed , videocard can change your GP2
perfomance not more than 2-3% total . So choose your card for your other
needs better .

I get slightly better performance in gp2 from my 3dblaster which is  2d/3d
over my wifes 4mb matrox millinium. I've now added a monster3d which is 3d
only & found this to be an excellent combo. There are better win95
performers but if n2 & icr2  are ya thing, the rendition cards are hard to
beat. They also run 640x480 svga dos games excellently imo.  You should
also consider a tx chipset motherboard with 128 pin sdram slots, because
that memory is 10nanoseconds as opposed to 60ns for edo.

"Don't look back, they may be gaining on you"

Phil

   Racing and flight sims are very demanding.  Over a year ago I
purchased a P6/200, with a 4 Meg Matrox Millennium.  I have been
pleased.  This machine is used for Unix S/W development, on the
weekends I give it a break and let it go racing.  

   However, even my P6 can't run most of the races at max graphics
with any mirror detail or sky detail and maintain the silky frame
rates which I now demand.  I'm specifying at about 23FPS, and the
image I'm presented with seems "Like the movies" to me.  Monaco
requires that the frame rate be turned down to about 18, which is
visibly "notchy", but I still love it.  

   Like most people, I can't afford to purchase a PC just to see how
it will run GP2.  People with P5/200MMX systems are happy, but I'm
not convinced that I would be.  

   With the arrival of the Pentium II PCs, we have a new candidate for
"Best Hardware".  I haven't read any reports on how well they run GP2.  

   GP2 doesn't support the 3D accelerators, which are reported to make
less expensive machines scream.  Someday we will have a great F1 sim
that will take advantage of these processors.  I think developers will
then start adding features and push the limits of the available
technology once again.  

   I would suggest that you get the very most processing power you can
afford.  

   I was disappointed when I first ran GP2 on my P6.  Then I installed
a utility called fastvid, which sets the P6 support chips, Orion and
Natoma, to run video much faster.  I don't know if this is still
required, but if you go with a P6, or a Pentium 2 with Natoma, give it
a try.  

                                                                 Larry

Hi Goy, the K6 seems to be a very good processor indeed. I would like to
ask you to read my response to Kim and Phil Abel in this thread and do
the same as I want them to do, please, pretty please :o)?

/Christer Andersson, been driving GP2 for almost a year :o)!

Hi Phil, the 3DBlaster sounds interesting. I have collected data from
twenty different computers running GP2. I would like you to compare your
two computers and post it hear. I want a line like the following

processor, cache size, primary memory size, memory size on the graphics
card, graphics card, processor occupancy.

Ex:
P133, 512kB, 16MB, 1MB, ET4000, 390%

The processor occupancy is obtained according to the following rules:
All graphics on (dont forget sky and texture in mirrors), 25.6 FPS, grid
position 13 in a quick race at Monaco, note the highest occupancy during
the signal just before the engines are turned on.

If you would be so kind I'll post my results to this news group. Above
you have my computer :o).

/Christer Andersson!

I have data on about 20 computer systems running GP2 and it seems as if
the Matrox Millenium is more 10% faster than most of the graphics card.
Virgis, please read my response to Kim and Phil Abel in this post and do
the same as I ask them to do, and I will post the results here. Pretty
please :o)?

/Christer Andersson, just another no helps and no aids driver :o)!

Matt, great another K6 driver :o)! Will you please do the same as I've
asked in my response to Kim and Phil Abel in this thread?

/Christer Andersson!

P6? Is that the Pentium Pro?

I have a friend that's going to match Pentium II against AMD K6 in the
test I mentioned in the response to Kim and Phil Abel in this thread. I
will post the results in this news group.

/Christer Andersson, a no helps and no aids driver :o)!

p133, 256kb, 32mb edo, 4mb, matrox mill. 340%
p166, 512kb, 48mb edo, 4mb, 3dblaster.   310%

Cheers, Phil

You`ve got it

K6 233(at225/75) 512pb, 32sdram, 4mb, mystique, 220%
(the sdram was the only way I could make this thing running at 83mhz bus
speed, no performance gain otherwise)

I`ll give you the results at 250/83 as soon as I get a fan that can keep
it cool ( some darn customer came into the shop and bought my last
hiperf. cooling fan )

Beers and cheers
Goy