Video Card Advice Please

Could someone please email me (preferred) describing what sort of video cards are needed for games that use hardware 3D accelleration. I'm a bit confused because most cards claim "3D", but I'm being told that not all of these "3D" cards are suitable for flight simulators, and therefore I assume not suitable for GPL, etc. Thanks in anticipation, Ross-c

[via email and newsgroup] Ross Clement wrote in message <[email hidden]>... >Could someone please email me (preferred) describing what sort of video >cards are needed for games that use hardware 3D accelleration. I'm a bit >confused because most cards claim "3D", but I'm being told that not all >of these "3D" cards are suitable for flight simulators, and therefore I >assume not suitable for GPL, etc. GPL needs either a 3Dfx card (eg Voodoo) or a Rendition card. Other 3d cards (eg Direct3D) are not supported and will not enhance the graphics beyond the "software" mode. regards Ian Hill, Cambridge, UK Email: [email hidden] http://members.xoom.com/IanHill http://ianhill.tripod.com/ http://www.crosswinds.net/~ianhill

There are two basic chipsets right now that determine your "choice" for a 3d card. In the OLD DAYS...like 6 months ago, you could keep your 2d card and add another video card into your system. But the latest 2d/3d combo cards are so fast in all respects, you don't need to worry about putting in a separate card for 3d. I'll talk about a 3rd card in a-bit, but the two main contenders are cards made with the 3dfx chipset or the Nvidia brand. 3dfx calls there cards Voodoo and you really should only be concerned with the latest offerings, the Voodoo3's. They have three price ranges, all are fast the V3 3000 is the middle ground in price and performance and runs GPL very VERY well. 3dfx cards have their own 3d language which some programmers use, it is called Glide. 3dfx also runs the Windows9x 3d called Direct X or Direct 3d(D3D) and OpenGL which is used by many games like Quake II and Halflife. Nivida calls their cards either Riva or TNT. The TNT2 Ultra is the fastest Riva card available at the moment. They should have a brand new card out soon that is even faster. The TNT's run all the same 3d modes EXCEPT Glide(there is an glide emulator, but I try and avoid anything that uses the word emulator) TNT2's can also display a higher color setting than current Voodoo cards, up to 32bit, although that will change when the next Voodoo4 hits the shelves in 2000. Tnt's do D3d very fast, openGL very fast but they have a problem with GPL which wasn't designed for OpenGl. Papyrus released a patch that allows TNT users to run GPL but in the cockpit, if you set the mirrors to a normal setting, the frame rate crashes. There are some workarounds but in "General" the Voodoo3 outperforms the TNT2's in GPL. I should add that most TNT users will stand up and shout that their cards might produce a sharper image and in some titles coded in say D3d that may be true. A-lot of that depends on personal preference. Now the extra color that the TNT's can pump out will really make a difference in the upcomming games like Quake III but for most flight sims, and racing sims, they still use 16 bit color so that really is irrelevant....down the road that may change. The 3rd chipset is based on Rendition architecture and it too runs GPL Really Really Well. BUt....it is an older design, it is limited to 8 megs of video ram at this time, and the main company that builds these cards has gone out of business(Hercules) You could probably find a used or closeout Hercules Thriller3d with 8 megs of video ram fairly cheaply and for GPL, you'd be getting a great card, but for just about anything else, you would slowly be falling behind the performance curve. Rendition was the first true 3d card to hit the gamming scene but 3dfx pretty much stole their thunder. So the recomendation is this...and here is where EVERYONE has a different oppinion. Right now...this INSTANT....3dfx Voodoo3 3000's or 3500's are your best choice for Sim gaming. As more titles take advantage of 32 bit color, and the latest greatest Nvidia card makes it's way into the mainstream, that may change. But for GPL, Nascar Racing3, Falcon4.0, you'll have greater flexibility with a 3dfx based card. If you prefer other types of gaming you may see better results with the Nvidia TNT2's or the newer card, but for the here and now, 3dfx is a solid compatible choice. Right after you read this a 1000 guys will post my choice is full of *&#$ so be warned, Everyone has an oppinion :) dave henrie here endeth the lesson Ian Hill wrote:

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> > [via email and newsgroup] > > Ross Clement wrote in message <[email hidden]>... > >Could someone please email me (preferred) describing what sort of video > >cards are needed for games that use hardware 3D accelleration. I'm a bit > >confused because most cards claim "3D", but I'm being told that not all > >of these "3D" cards are suitable for flight simulators, and therefore I > >assume not suitable for GPL, etc. > > GPL needs either a 3Dfx card (eg Voodoo) or a Rendition card. Other 3d cards > (eg Direct3D) are not supported and will not enhance the graphics beyond the > "software" mode. > > regards > Ian Hill, Cambridge, UK Email: [email hidden] > http://members.xoom.com/IanHill http://ianhill.tripod.com/ > http://www.crosswinds.net/~ianhill

No No Dave you said it all nothing to add, straight to the point... well maybe one thing if the guy has a nice rig a Cheap V3 2000 would also do the job... -- Oliver Nikolic DP-MAX Computers http://www.dp-max.co.yu/ BeoRocket Racing Team (retired) http://www.beorocket.co.yu/ Dave Henrie <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > There are two basic chipsets right now that determine your "choice" > for a 3d card. In the OLD DAYS...like 6 months ago, you could keep your > 2d card and add another video card into your system. But the latest > 2d/3d combo cards are so fast in all respects, you don't need to worry > about putting in a separate card for 3d. > I'll talk about a 3rd card in a-bit, but the two main contenders are > cards made with the 3dfx chipset or the Nvidia brand. 3dfx calls there > cards Voodoo and you really should only be concerned with the latest > offerings, the Voodoo3's. They have three price ranges, all are fast > the V3 3000 is the middle ground in price and performance and runs GPL > very VERY well. 3dfx cards have their own 3d language which some > programmers use, it is called Glide. 3dfx also runs the Windows9x 3d > called Direct X or Direct 3d(D3D) and OpenGL which is used by many > games like Quake II and Halflife. > Nivida calls their cards either Riva or TNT. The TNT2 Ultra is the > fastest Riva card available at the moment. They should have a brand new > card out soon that is even faster. The TNT's run all the same 3d modes > EXCEPT Glide(there is an glide emulator, but I try and avoid anything > that uses the word emulator) TNT2's can also display a higher color > setting than current Voodoo cards, up to 32bit, although that will > change when the next Voodoo4 hits the shelves in 2000. Tnt's do D3d > very fast, openGL very fast but they have a problem with GPL which > wasn't designed for OpenGl. Papyrus released a patch that allows TNT > users to run GPL but in the cockpit, if you set the mirrors to a normal > setting, the frame rate crashes. There are some workarounds but in > "General" the Voodoo3 outperforms the TNT2's in GPL. I should add that > most TNT users will stand up and shout that their cards might produce a > sharper image and in some titles coded in say D3d that may be true. > A-lot of that depends on personal preference. > Now the extra color that the TNT's can pump out will really make a > difference in the upcomming games like Quake III but for most flight > sims, and racing sims, they still use 16 bit color so that really is > irrelevant....down the road that may change. > The 3rd chipset is based on Rendition architecture and it too runs GPL > Really Really Well. BUt....it is an older design, it is limited to 8 > megs of video ram at this time, and the main company that builds these > cards has gone out of business(Hercules) You could probably find a used > or closeout Hercules Thriller3d with 8 megs of video ram fairly cheaply > and for GPL, you'd be getting a great card, but for just about anything > else, you would slowly be falling behind the performance curve. > Rendition was the first true 3d card to hit the gamming scene but 3dfx > pretty much stole their thunder. > So the recomendation is this...and here is where EVERYONE has a > different oppinion. Right now...this INSTANT....3dfx Voodoo3 3000's or > 3500's are your best choice for Sim gaming. As more titles take > advantage of 32 bit color, and the latest greatest Nvidia card makes > it's way into the mainstream, that may change. But for GPL, Nascar > Racing3, Falcon4.0, you'll have greater flexibility with a 3dfx based > card. If you prefer other types of gaming you may see better results > with the Nvidia TNT2's or the newer card, but for the here and now, 3dfx > is a solid compatible choice. > Right after you read this a 1000 guys will post my choice is full of > *&#$ so be warned, Everyone has an oppinion :) > dave henrie > here endeth the lesson > > Ian Hill wrote: > > > > [via email and newsgroup] > > > > Ross Clement wrote in message <[email hidden]>... > > >Could someone please email me (preferred) describing what sort of video > > >cards are needed for games that use hardware 3D accelleration. I'm a bit > > >confused because most cards claim "3D", but I'm being told that not all > > >of these "3D" cards are suitable for flight simulators, and therefore I > > >assume not suitable for GPL, etc. > > > > GPL needs either a 3Dfx card (eg Voodoo) or a Rendition card. Other 3d cards > > (eg Direct3D) are not supported and will not enhance the graphics beyond the > > "software" mode. > > > > regards > > Ian Hill, Cambridge, UK Email: [email hidden] > > http://members.xoom.com/IanHill http://ianhill.tripod.com/ > > http://www.crosswinds.net/~ianhill

Thanks for mentioning the thriller. Since GPL is about the only thing I drive I am a bit biased. If I were to get a new card right now it would be the v3 3000. John Moore