Buying new computer-what does it take to run CPR?

vidoe card choice is very important. make sure you also get a 3dfx card, makes the world of difference in game play and graphics. there is a new 3dfx card out now that also has a 128 bit 2d card built in. its a 6 mb 2d/3d 3dfx card. a great buy!!

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> I am buying a new computer this week. As I am very much into SimRacing, > I will get CPR as soon as it arrives here. Naturally, I'd like to set > CPR as a target, I expect forthcoming games to be equally tough on > computers. > I am buying a 200MMX, with 32Mb ram, and a 4MB graphics card. Is the > Graphics card *very* important? or will the game run o.k on this > computer? > In that case, could somebody recommend any *cards* (please, noe personal > bias..) > Thanks, > Matt > -- > ------------------------------ > Matthew Birger Patrick Knutsen > (http://sofus.hiof.no/~matthebk > "Racing cars is like dancing with a chainsaw" > -Cale Yarborough > Cheek Racing Cars (http://home.sn.no/~kareknut/ > Please Remove "NoSpam" from my E-mail adress when replying! > -------------------------------

Matthew, Just wanted you to know that I have the Canopus Pure 3D 6mb 3DFX card, as well as an Intergraph Intense 3D(Rendtion Verite), P166MMX with 32mb EDO Ram, and I can tell you emphatically that you will not be able to run Microsoft's CART Precision Racing(CPR) in its current form at above 20 frames per second with any amount of detail if you buy this setup, even with a good 3DFX card like the Pure 3D. A CPR fan site called THE APEX has a benchmark page(http://www.quiknet.com/~joja/benchmarks.htm), that shows that even a PII 300mhz with 8mb 3DFX card and 64mb ram is ONLY able to run the game at 25 frames per second with full detail on(and no cars on the track). So, I find it hard to believe that wsiegler is running at 30+ with a 3DFX card. Even if I turn off ALL detail settings in CPR, I am unable to achieve close to 30fps. Besides, I did not buy a 3DFX card to then have to turn off detail settings. My P166MMX may be outdated, but my Pure 3D card has only been out about a 6 weeks, is that outdated already too? If you do get a Pure 3D card though, I can tell you that Need for Speed II SE, International Rally Championship, Motoracer, POD, Interstate 76, Whiplash, X-Car, and the upcoming F1 sim from Ubisoft, all run great at well above 30fps. These are all really arcade racers(X-car & F1 the only possible exceptions), but much more fun than CPR. If you really want a great CART sim, buy Papyrus' CART Racing(Indycar 2 re-named & repackaged). It contains the Rendition Verite version of the game. You can buy a Rendition card like the Diamond Stealth II for $99, AND run it alongside a 3DFX card. This gives you the best of both worlds, and you will be able to run Nascar 2 in Rendition mode as well. On my machine, Papyrus' CART Racing(Indycar 2) runs with full detail AND a full field of cars at a consistent 25-30fps. In Microsoft's CART Precision Racing with comparable detail settings I get below 10fps. Bottom line is, get a good 3D card, in fact get 2(Rendition and 3DFX) if you are really into Nascar 2 and Indycar 2, just don't expect to run Microsoft's CART Precision Racing at an acceptable frame rate on any machine currently available today. Don Chapman > Newsgroups: rec.autos.simulators > Subject: Re: Buying new computer-what does it take to run CPR? > Date: Saturday, November 15, 1997 8:50 PM > In order for the game to be "fun", you will need a 3DFX card. And then it > will be a blast. VERY IMPORTANT without 3DFX you would only get like > 9fps... as opposed to 30+ with

> vidoe card choice is very important. make sure you also get a 3dfx card, makes the world of difference in game play and graphics. there is a new 3dfx card out now that also has a 128 bit 2d card built in. its a 6 mb 2d/3d > 3dfx card. a great buy!! And the name is?? MarkH .

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>Matthew, >Just wanted you to know that I have the Canopus Pure 3D 6mb 3DFX card, as >well as an Intergraph Intense 3D(Rendtion Verite), P166MMX with 32mb EDO >Ram, and I can tell you emphatically that you will not be able to run >Microsoft's CART Precision Racing(CPR) in its current form at above 20 >frames per second with any amount of detail if you buy this setup, even >with a good 3DFX card like the Pure 3D. A CPR fan site called THE APEX has >a benchmark page(http://www.quiknet.com/~joja/benchmarks.htm), that shows >that even a PII 300mhz with 8mb 3DFX card and 64mb ram is ONLY able to run >the game at 25 frames per second with full detail on(and no cars on the >track).

The person who did the benchmarking for that PII 300 system *must* have a configuration problem. I have a 200MHz MMX (not a PII) with a Monster 3D card. I run with 640x480, dash on, hills and buildings on, quality set to "better", shadows on, smoke on, mirrors set to cars only, track and particles on, steering wheel off, sky off, and clipping distance set to 18. In practice mode (with no other cars), I get between 20-28 fps on all tracks, probably averaging about 25 fps. Perhaps I need to send my benchmark to The Apex. There is no way that a properly configured PII 300 MHz with a 3dfx is getting the same frame rate I am. That machine should *always* be well over 30fps. I would guess that the guy with the 166 Mhz MMX system with the 3dfx would get 16-24 fps,averaging maybe 20 fps *with my graphics settings*. With everything turned off, bump that to 24-25 fps average. By the way, as Dean said, there is a 3dfx patch in the works. Jim Getzen Unofficial CART Precision Racing HQ http://members.home.net/getzen/

I do get 30+fps even with all details turned up including full drawing in the rear view mirrors. I talked to a guy that works for Microsoft and he tells me that that is about right for my system(pentium pro 200). On a PII 266 with 3dfx, he stated that you will get almost 50fps. Your 166 is much slower, and remember, PII's are pros and mmxs mixed together. Plus the Monster 3D is very quick.

The Glide port is working and will be released in patch. Expect a minimum 25% speed increase maybe even more :-) Thanks John The APEX http://www.quiknet.com/~joja SNIP

Oops made a mistake in the previous post about the 25%, here is the correct numbers. On a P150 the Glide port of CART Precision Racing showed a minimum 33% frame rate increase. Frame rate improvements higher than 33% were observed on the P150. The part about the Glide port being released in the patch was correct also. Thanks John

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>The Glide port is working and will be released in patch. Expect a minimum >25% speed increase maybe even more :-) >Thanks >John >The APEX http://www.quiknet.com/~joja >SNIP >>By the way, as Dean said, there is a 3dfx patch in the works. >>Jim Getzen

This is great news John! Glad all the feedback seems to have produced some encouraging results. Keep us posted! Ron L. (Please remove the extra letter(s) to respond) Home of the SSC http://www3.pgh.net/~lazer/ For Nascar2 & Winston Cup Fans!

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Slower cpu's also slow down the speed of 3d cards from what I read. The jump to 200 mhz should yield good results.

What's a Glide port? Alan

> What's a Glide port? > Alan Glide is the programming language used to program in 3d for a specific brand of 3d card called 3dfx ... It's recognized as the most popular 3d solution ... Doug