rec.autos.simulators

>I have a P2-450 and a 12MB V2 card, so I wasn't as concerned about frame
>rates as just having the option to get better graphics while maintaining
>very high frame rates....and if they edged up a bit, that would be great
>too.

>Found a Thriller 3D (8MB AGP) in the "almost" bargain bin today and snapped
>it up...I figured even if GPL wasn't any great improvement, Nascar Racing
>1999 would be and maybe I could even dig out ICR2, too!

>What an utter disappointment.  The graphics look and speed is absolutely
>inferior in the Rendition mode as compared to the 3dfx modes on both GPL and
>NR1999.  The Rendition at 1024 almost approaches 3dfx at 800 in GPL, but it
>is still grainy in the foreground and blurry in the distance in comparison.
>Of course, since I have the gamma settings adjusted properly on my V2, there
>is no difference whatsoever in the colour intensity or saturation.  So much
>for that debate.

>I really thought I would get extravagant and buy myself a little luxury for
>GPL and NR1999....what a mistake.  The frame rate drops dramatically in GPL
>when you push the Thriller to 1024...and the frame rates at 800 as compared
>to 800 on my Voodoo 2 are probably 5% higher at the most.

>Could I be missing something here?  I downloaded and installed the latest
>drivers from the Herc. site (June 1998)....is there something else I need to
>do?

>All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
>older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
>Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

>Marc.

> I've had the opposite experience. I've always run a Thriller with GPL on my
> system, even back to when it was a PII 233. The frame rate and appearance
> has always been very good, and now that I have a 450 the frame rate is very
> good.

> I got a 16MB Banshee card, partly because  I had heard it had a bit better
> frame rate with the fast CPU's. Once I got through all the issues of running
> GPL on the Banshee, I was disappointed with the image quality and frame
> rate. I only run 800 with the Thriller. The frame rate does fall off with a
> full field at higher resolutions. I found I had to run the Banshee at 1024
> to come close to the Rendition card, and even then it wasn't as good and was
> slower than my Thriller with a full field.

> The Thriller does have limitations with other software, so I'm not sure I'd
> recommend it unless you can get it quite cheap and/or have a slower
> processor. But I personally like the appearance of GPL much better with the
> Hercules card. Not sure why we have had such different experiences.

> Kevin Caldwell
> Calgary, Canada

> > OK, recognising that the Hercules Thriller 3D (Rendition) card seems to
> work
> > magic for GPL on slower systems, I have paid attention to the endless
> > discussions of the past about which looks better--3dfx/Voodoo or Rendition
> > for Papy's sims.
> > All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
> > older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
> > Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

> > Marc.

> Also, not meaning to be picky but 5% inrease aver about 30fps is anly
about
> 31-32 fps .... is that what you mean. Personaly, in 800x600 when I switch
> evrything on (no ani-aliasing though) and sit at the back of the grip with
> Voodoo2, I get about 20fps and it "can" drop down to about 14 fps at the
1st
> corner. With the Thriller under the same circumstances I get 30-32 fos at
the
> back of the grid and it "can" drop down to 25 fps at the 1st corner. That
is a
> huge difference for.

> The only thing I can think of is that something is slowing down your
system
> (like the MBS ...but it should run at 100 on a PII 450). Thiller 3D loves
fast
> MBS. Or it could be that my PC is conidered a "slow machine" these days
:-)

> BTW, did you install the Thiller 3D bios? - that could be it. If you don't
> have it then your frame rate would be down by about 50% - which fits with
your
> figures. Download it from Hercules site or send me an e-mail and I'll mail
it
> to you (it's only about 150K)

> Hope this helps,
> Regards,
> David Mocnay

> >OK, recognising that the Hercules Thriller 3D (Rendition) card seems to
work
> >magic for GPL on slower systems, I have paid attention to the endless
> >discussions of the past about which looks better--3dfx/Voodoo or
Rendition
> >for Papy's sims.

> >I have a P2-450 and a 12MB V2 card, so I wasn't as concerned about frame
> >rates as just having the option to get better graphics while maintaining
> >very high frame rates....and if they edged up a bit, that would be great
> >too.

> >Found a Thriller 3D (8MB AGP) in the "almost" bargain bin today and
snapped
> >it up...I figured even if GPL wasn't any great improvement, Nascar Racing
> >1999 would be and maybe I could even dig out ICR2, too!

> >What an utter disappointment.  The graphics look and speed is absolutely
> >inferior in the Rendition mode as compared to the 3dfx modes on both GPL
and
> >NR1999.  The Rendition at 1024 almost approaches 3dfx at 800 in GPL, but
it
> >is still grainy in the foreground and blurry in the distance in
comparison.
> >Of course, since I have the gamma settings adjusted properly on my V2,
there
> >is no difference whatsoever in the colour intensity or saturation.  So
much
> >for that debate.

> >I really thought I would get extravagant and buy myself a little luxury
for
> >GPL and NR1999....what a mistake.  The frame rate drops dramatically in
GPL
> >when you push the Thriller to 1024...and the frame rates at 800 as
compared
> >to 800 on my Voodoo 2 are probably 5% higher at the most.

> >Could I be missing something here?  I downloaded and installed the latest
> >drivers from the Herc. site (June 1998)....is there something else I need
to
> >do?

> >All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
> >older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
> >Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

> >Marc.

> I've had the opposite experience. I've always run a Thriller with GPL on
my
> system, even back to when it was a PII 233. The frame rate and appearance
> has always been very good, and now that I have a 450 the frame rate is
very
> good.

> I got a 16MB Banshee card, partly because  I had heard it had a bit better
> frame rate with the fast CPU's. Once I got through all the issues of
running
> GPL on the Banshee, I was disappointed with the image quality and frame
> rate. I only run 800 with the Thriller. The frame rate does fall off with
a
> full field at higher resolutions. I found I had to run the Banshee at 1024
> to come close to the Rendition card, and even then it wasn't as good and
was
> slower than my Thriller with a full field.

> The Thriller does have limitations with other software, so I'm not sure
I'd
> recommend it unless you can get it quite cheap and/or have a slower
> processor. But I personally like the appearance of GPL much better with
the
> Hercules card. Not sure why we have had such different experiences.

> Kevin Caldwell
> Calgary, Canada

> > OK, recognising that the Hercules Thriller 3D (Rendition) card seems to
> work
> > magic for GPL on slower systems, I have paid attention to the endless
> > discussions of the past about which looks better--3dfx/Voodoo or
Rendition
> > for Papy's sims.
> > All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
> > older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
> > Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

> > Marc.

> > Marc,

> > I've had the opposite experience. I've always run a Thriller with GPL on
my
> > system, even back to when it was a PII 233. The frame rate and
appearance
> > has always been very good, and now that I have a 450 the frame rate is
very
> > good.

> > I got a 16MB Banshee card, partly because  I had heard it had a bit
better
> > frame rate with the fast CPU's. Once I got through all the issues of
running
> > GPL on the Banshee, I was disappointed with the image quality and frame
> > rate. I only run 800 with the Thriller. The frame rate does fall off
with a
> > full field at higher resolutions. I found I had to run the Banshee at
1024
> > to come close to the Rendition card, and even then it wasn't as good and
was
> > slower than my Thriller with a full field.

> > The Thriller does have limitations with other software, so I'm not sure
I'd
> > recommend it unless you can get it quite cheap and/or have a slower
> > processor. But I personally like the appearance of GPL much better with
the
> > Hercules card. Not sure why we have had such different experiences.

> > Kevin Caldwell
> > Calgary, Canada

> > > OK, recognising that the Hercules Thriller 3D (Rendition) card seems
to
> > work
> > > magic for GPL on slower systems, I have paid attention to the endless
> > > discussions of the past about which looks better--3dfx/Voodoo or
Rendition
> > > for Papy's sims.
> > > All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
> > > older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
> > > Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

> > > Marc.

> Computers will never equal humans until they make mistakes and
> blame them on other computers.

> Also, not meaning to be picky but 5% inrease aver about 30fps is anly
about
> 31-32 fps .... is that what you mean. Personaly, in 800x600 when I switch
> evrything on (no ani-aliasing though) and sit at the back of the grip with
> Voodoo2, I get about 20fps and it "can" drop down to about 14 fps at the
1st
> corner. With the Thriller under the same circumstances I get 30-32 fos at
the
> back of the grid and it "can" drop down to 25 fps at the 1st corner. That
is a
> huge difference for.

> The only thing I can think of is that something is slowing down your
system
> (like the MBS ...but it should run at 100 on a PII 450). Thiller 3D loves
fast
> MBS. Or it could be that my PC is conidered a "slow machine" these days
:-)

> BTW, did you install the Thiller 3D bios? - that could be it. If you don't
> have it then your frame rate would be down by about 50% - which fits with
your
> figures. Download it from Hercules site or send me an e-mail and I'll mail
it
> to you (it's only about 150K)

> Hope this helps,
> Regards,
> David Mocnay

> >OK, recognising that the Hercules Thriller 3D (Rendition) card seems to
work
> >magic for GPL on slower systems, I have paid attention to the endless
> >discussions of the past about which looks better--3dfx/Voodoo or
Rendition
> >for Papy's sims.

> >I have a P2-450 and a 12MB V2 card, so I wasn't as concerned about frame
> >rates as just having the option to get better graphics while maintaining
> >very high frame rates....and if they edged up a bit, that would be great
> >too.

> >Found a Thriller 3D (8MB AGP) in the "almost" bargain bin today and
snapped
> >it up...I figured even if GPL wasn't any great improvement, Nascar Racing
> >1999 would be and maybe I could even dig out ICR2, too!

> >What an utter disappointment.  The graphics look and speed is absolutely
> >inferior in the Rendition mode as compared to the 3dfx modes on both GPL
and
> >NR1999.  The Rendition at 1024 almost approaches 3dfx at 800 in GPL, but
it
> >is still grainy in the foreground and blurry in the distance in
comparison.
> >Of course, since I have the gamma settings adjusted properly on my V2,
there
> >is no difference whatsoever in the colour intensity or saturation.  So
much
> >for that debate.

> >I really thought I would get extravagant and buy myself a little luxury
for
> >GPL and NR1999....what a mistake.  The frame rate drops dramatically in
GPL
> >when you push the Thriller to 1024...and the frame rates at 800 as
compared
> >to 800 on my Voodoo 2 are probably 5% higher at the most.

> >Could I be missing something here?  I downloaded and installed the latest
> >drivers from the Herc. site (June 1998)....is there something else I need
to
> >do?

> >All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
> >older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
> >Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

> >Marc.

> With anti-aliasing on (thank goodness people told me to turn it off), the
> Rendition graphics are downright embarrassing.

> Marc.

> > Marc,

> > I've had the opposite experience. I've always run a Thriller with GPL on
> my
> > system, even back to when it was a PII 233. The frame rate and appearance
> > has always been very good, and now that I have a 450 the frame rate is
> very
> > good.

> > I got a 16MB Banshee card, partly because  I had heard it had a bit better
> > frame rate with the fast CPU's. Once I got through all the issues of
> running
> > GPL on the Banshee, I was disappointed with the image quality and frame
> > rate. I only run 800 with the Thriller. The frame rate does fall off with
> a
> > full field at higher resolutions. I found I had to run the Banshee at 1024
> > to come close to the Rendition card, and even then it wasn't as good and
> was
> > slower than my Thriller with a full field.

> > The Thriller does have limitations with other software, so I'm not sure
> I'd
> > recommend it unless you can get it quite cheap and/or have a slower
> > processor. But I personally like the appearance of GPL much better with
> the
> > Hercules card. Not sure why we have had such different experiences.

> > Kevin Caldwell
> > Calgary, Canada

> > > OK, recognising that the Hercules Thriller 3D (Rendition) card seems to
> > work
> > > magic for GPL on slower systems, I have paid attention to the endless
> > > discussions of the past about which looks better--3dfx/Voodoo or
> Rendition
> > > for Papy's sims.
> > > All I can say is that if not, do not buy a Thriller unless you have an
> > > older/slower system that will benefit from the frame rate increase.
> > > Aesthetically, it's a big step down from Voodoo.

> > > Marc.

>Although didn't many people *** that the 3dfx cards couldn't do this??

>> Turn off anti-aliasing