rec.autos.simulators

>The anti-aliasing option off looks a zillion times better!!!  But I thought
>everyone was down on the 3dfx because it didn't have this option????

>Marc.

>> I have a PII 333 + Thriller 3D 8Mb+ Voodoo2. In my system the Thiller3D
>gives
>> me about 50% better frame rate over the Voodoo2. That is in all but
>1024x768
>> where they are about the same. The picture quality is about the same on
>both
>> cards for me so it just comes down to the framerate. Maybe the
>"anti-aliasing"
>> is "bluring out" your picture. Switch it off and see what happns (this
>option
>> alone goves me about 3 fps extra on my system)

>> 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.

> > What do you like better about the look of the Rendition?  The graininess
> > bothers me, as does the lack of clarity in billboards and the like until
you
> > are right on top of them, the telephone pole wires that look like logs
at
> > Spa and so on and so on.  The 3dfx graphics just seem much more refined
and
> > detailed.

> > 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.