For GPL - CPU or Video Card?

Part 1 Well I'm starting to really get into GPL now, and I love all the eye candy. Right now I'm running a AMD T-bird 1.4 with a Geforce 2 GTS 64 meg video card. I hold 36 with a few cars on screen, but at the starts it drops to mid 20 range. Would a new chip or a better video card be a better upgrade? With a BIOS flash I can run up to a AMD 1800 XP CPU or I should I go for a ATI8500 or GF3 Ti500? With 3dmark2001 a video card gives the higher benchmark, but the GF2 gets dinged because of the lack of DX 8 features so I'm not sure if its a true apples to apples comparison. Part 2 If a video card is the way to go which one is the way to go, ATI 8500 or GF3 Ti500? I talked to a guy I know and he made the change from a GF2 to a GF3 and he told me that the GF3 wasn't a real image quality upgrade over the GF2. He did say that the added horse power of the GF3 did allow him to run a higher level of FSAA so he did get some image quality upgrade, but not a lot. I had a ATI Rage Maxx Fury Pro card in the past and I thought that card had a better image than the GF2 with out FSAA so I'm kinda leaning toward the ATI at the moment. MadDAWG

I have the same problem with my PIII 800/GTS, although probably a bit more severe that what you've experienced. Try dropping the detail slider to 1/2. Quality isn't significantly impacted, but framerate improves dramatically. If you must buy something, the GeForce 3 is a better choice than the ATI Radeon. Solid driver support is the main selling point, they're both pretty close speedwise. Image quality is also nearly identical if you enable anisotropic filtering on the GeForce. David I "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Part 1 > Well I'm starting to really get into GPL now, and I love all the eyecandy. > Right now I'm running a AMD T-bird 1.4 with a Geforce 2 GTS 64 meg video > card. I hold 36 with a few cars on screen, but at the starts it drops tomid > 20 range. Would a new chip or a better video card be a better upgrade?With

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> a BIOS flash I can run up to a AMD 1800 XP CPU or I should I go for a > ATI8500 or GF3 Ti500? With 3dmark2001 a video card gives the higher > benchmark, but the GF2 gets dinged because of the lack of DX 8 features so > I'm not sure if its a true apples to apples comparison. > > Part 2 > If a video card is the way to go which one is the way to go, ATI 8500 or

GF3 > Ti500? I talked to a guy I know and he made the change from a GF2 to a GF3 > and he told me that the GF3 wasn't a real image quality upgrade over the > GF2. He did say that the added horse power of the GF3 did allow him to runa > higher level of FSAA so he did get some image quality upgrade, but not a > lot. I had a ATI Rage Maxx Fury Pro card in the past and I thought thatcard > had a better image than the GF2 with out FSAA so I'm kinda leaning toward > the ATI at the moment. > > MadDAWG > >

thanks for the tip I'll try that until I make up my mind where to spend my money. After getting out of real racing keeping a computer up to date seems cheap. :) shoot the CPU is cheaper than 1 tire ! MadDAWG.

Maddawg, are you sure there's not a problem somewhere on your system? I was running GPL with 16 bit skins, Darkgreens enormous asphalt mip 3D wheels etc at a steady 36FPS on my old 1.33 T'Bird and Geforce DDR. You have the latest M'board drivers installed? www.SimBin.com For all your setups! "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > thanks for the tip I'll try that until I make up my mind where to spend my > money. After getting out of real racing keeping a computer up to dateseems > cheap. :) shoot the CPU is cheaper than 1 tire ! > > > MadDAWG. > >

Yeah I do but AMD hasn't updated them in a while. I don't think its anything major but I like all the eye candy in the game as well as video card settings like FSAA and Aniscopic filtering. Like a I said before its pretty much only at the start and when I'm in a huge pack of cars, like the start. For example when i drive thru the pits it will drop to around 25-27. I'm running track updates, the jf carset with the max setting for the wheels. There is no doubt that I could turn down a few things here and there and cure any littlle hicups I'm getting. I'm just trying to go for the ultimate is all. I personly think GPL with the addons out there is the best looking game. I think alot of games go overboard on lighting effects. N4 is a good example of that. Sorry but no stock car looks like it has a fresh coat of wax after running a race. I think the biggest thing right now is a hate jaggies. The really bug me, and since I have a max res of 1280x1024 on my monitor I need to run 2x FSAA to help cut back on them. I'd love to run 4xFSAA but the GF2 just can't keep up with that. MadDAWG

The FSAA explains it. If you move to a GeForce 3 you'll see a huge improvement in the FSAA in terms of framerate. Know what you mean about the eye candy - I recently upgraded my Monitor to get 1600X1200 at a good refresh and it looks sweet! www.SimBin.com For all your Setups! "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Yeah I do but AMD hasn't updated them in a while. I don't think itsanything > major but I like all the eye candy in the game as well as video card > settings like FSAA and Aniscopic filtering. Like a I said before itspretty > much only at the start and when I'm in a huge pack of cars, like thestart. > For example when i drive thru the pits it will drop to around 25-27. I'm > running track updates, the jf carset with the max setting for the wheels. > There is no doubt that I could turn down a few things here and there and > cure any littlle hicups I'm getting. I'm just trying to go for theultimate

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> is all. I personly think GPL with the addons out there is the best looking > game. I think alot of games go overboard on lighting effects. N4 is a good > example of that. Sorry but no stock car looks like it has a fresh coat of > wax after running a race. I think the biggest thing right now is a hate > jaggies. The really bug me, and since I have a max res of 1280x1024 on my > monitor I need to run 2x FSAA to help cut back on them. I'd love to run > 4xFSAA but the GF2 just can't keep up with that. > > MadDAWG > >

"Ian Bell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:j5PP7.1296$[email hidden]... > The FSAA explains it. If you move to a GeForce 3 you'll see a huge > improvement in the FSAA in terms of framerate. Know what you mean aboutthe > eye candy - I recently upgraded my Monitor to get 1600X1200 at a good > refresh and it looks sweet! > > www.SimBin.com > For all your Setups!Have to agree with Ian, I'm using a GeForce 3 on an XP 1500+ at 1600x1200 with no FSAA. Full detail on everything gets 36 fps everywhere with maybe a drop to 32-34 at the start at Monaco from the back of the field. Graphics look better IMHO at this resolution than at 1024x748 with 4FSAA (which would get similar framerates). Maybe MadDAWG should spend the money on a better (bigger?) monitor and run at a higher resolution? Just my 2C worth ;-) Phillip...

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>Have to agree with Ian, I'm using a GeForce 3 on an XP 1500+ at 1600x1200 >with no FSAA. Full detail on everything gets 36 fps everywhere with maybe a >drop to 32-34 at the start at Monaco from the back of the field. Graphics >look better IMHO at this resolution than at 1024x748 with 4FSAA (which would >get similar framerates). Maybe MadDAWG should spend the money on a better >(bigger?) monitor and run at a higher resolution? > Just my 2C worth ;-) > Phillip...

Agreed here as well. A GF2 GTS and 1.4ghz tbird is a good combo, and should fly along in GPL. FSAA is only really meant to be used for lower resolutions, from 640x480 to 1024x768. Once you get above 1280x1024 it is not necessary (and kills the framerate anyway) Setting the detail slider midway is the best trick too. If it was me, I'd go a bigger monitor too, nothing like running on a 19" or 21" monitor. Plus, they last longer :D Rafe Mc

Sorry guys my setup won't allow for a bigger monitor. MadDAWG

Have a XP1600 with a GF2 64 DDR smooth as silk, almost no fps-drop at Monaco with 19 AI and 3D-wheels on all cars. detail slider can be reduced to 1/3rd w/o any real loss on the graphics. IMO your system should run GPL like a champ JensSchumi On Thu, 6 Dec 2001 07:38:23 -0500, "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>Part 1 >Well I'm starting to really get into GPL now, and I love all the eye candy. >Right now I'm running a AMD T-bird 1.4 with a Geforce 2 GTS 64 meg video >card. I hold 36 with a few cars on screen, but at the starts it drops to mid >20 range. Would a new chip or a better video card be a better upgrade? With >a BIOS flash I can run up to a AMD 1800 XP CPU or I should I go for a >ATI8500 or GF3 Ti500? With 3dmark2001 a video card gives the higher >benchmark, but the GF2 gets dinged because of the lack of DX 8 features so >I'm not sure if its a true apples to apples comparison.

<snip> --------------------------------------------- LWFF Ball Bearing conversion at: http://jensschumi.tripod.com/ GPLRank: -14.82 Monsters of GPL: sub 95

16 bit skins? musthavewherecandownload JensSchumi On Thu, 6 Dec 2001 15:26:56 -0000, "Ian Bell" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>Maddawg, are you sure there's not a problem somewhere on your system? >I was running GPL with 16 bit skins, Darkgreens enormous asphalt mip 3D >wheels etc at a steady 36FPS on my old 1.33 T'Bird and Geforce DDR. >You have the latest M'board drivers installed? > > >www.SimBin.com >For all your setups! > >"MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >news:[email hidden]... >> thanks for the tip I'll try that until I make up my mind where to spend my >> money. After getting out of real racing keeping a computer up to date >seems >> cheap. :) shoot the CPU is cheaper than 1 tire ! >> >> >> MadDAWG. >> >> >

--------------------------------------------- LWFF Ball Bearing conversion at: http://jensschumi.tripod.com/ GPLRank: -14.82 Monsters of GPL: sub 95

Bummer. Try using anisotropic filtering without any FSAA at 1280 or 1600 and see how it goes. You should get a better picture and better frame rate I'd say. Rafe Mc On Fri, 7 Dec 2001 05:56:50 -0500, "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote: >Sorry guys my setup won't allow for a bigger monitor. > >MadDAWG >

In article <[email hidden]>, "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> writes: >Sorry guys my setup won't allow for a bigger monitor. My setup will, but my wallet won't... :( Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Rafe McAuliffe) writes: >If it was me, I'd go a bigger monitor too, nothing like running on a >19" or 21" monitor. Plus, they last longer :D > Have you guys noticed an increase in speed since getting a larger monitor? I'm trying to determine if the display size really helps you drive better. Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

"EldredP" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> In article <[email hidden]>, > [email hidden] (Rafe McAuliffe) writes: > > >If it was me, I'd go a bigger monitor too, nothing like running on a > >19" or 21" monitor. Plus, they last longer :D > > > > Have you guys noticed an increase in speed since getting a larger monitor?

I'm > trying to determine if the display size really helps you drive better. > > Eldred > -- I went from a 17" to a 19", made a big differance in the appearance, but didn't help my slow butt any. Don Burnette

Ask any female Eldred, size DOES matter! -- Biz "Don't touch that please, your primitive intellect wouldn't understand alloys and compositions and,......things with molecular structures,....and the....." - Ash EldredP <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > In article <[email hidden]>, > [email hidden] (Rafe McAuliffe) writes: > > >If it was me, I'd go a bigger monitor too, nothing like running on a > >19" or 21" monitor. Plus, they last longer :D > > > > Have you guys noticed an increase in speed since getting a larger monitor? I'm > trying to determine if the display size really helps you drive better. > > Eldred > -- > Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 > Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett > GPLRank - under construction... > > Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you > with experience... > Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.

"Biz" > Ask any female Eldred, size DOES matter! > > -- > Biz Female Eldreds? Would they be called Eldrina's???? (of course size matters...that's why I stop at all Donut shops and make multiple passes through all deli lines...if size matters in certain places I figure It should matter in all places correct?) dave henrie

In article <5MPQ7.150227$[email hidden]>, "Biz" <[email hidden]> writes: >Ask any female Eldred, size DOES matter! > There HAD to be *one* joker in the deck...<g> Eldred -- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. R.I.P. 1951-2001 Homepage - http://www.umich.edu/~epickett GPLRank - under construction... Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you with experience... Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.