GPL Decision

Well after reading sveral posts on GPL/computer performance issues it is quite clear to me that I must wait to purchase the sim until I can beef up my computer hardware. I currently have a 200mmx, 96mb EDO, a 4meg Thriller 3D, and a TSW2 and that doesn't sound like it will cut it. It seems like its time to join the P2 ranks. Of course, that means a few months to save up the initiation fee. Oh well, by that time the bugs will be known, workarounds for some identified, decent setups and plenty of GPL webs sites to find them at, and hopefully a little less dollars spent on the sim when I do finally buy it. Ron Striketime on TEN

Not true Ron, I have a 200MMX now with an old 3DFX card and only 48 megs of Ram. 10 cars on the track with all detail except in mirrors, (i only have cars and track in mirrors), at about 10-14 fps. I believe that after I upgrade my ram to 64 and get a new Blaster 3DFX the frame rate will should be well into the 20's. -- Kevin Anderson ICQ # 6769389 Oscar OLF Div. 3 >Well after reading sveral posts on GPL/computer performance issues it is >quite clear to me that I must wait to purchase the sim until I can beef >up my computer hardware. I currently have a 200mmx, 96mb EDO, a 4meg >Thriller 3D, and a TSW2 and that doesn't sound like it will cut it. >It seems like its time to join the P2 ranks. Of course, that means a >few months to save up the initiation fee. Oh well, by that time the >bugs will be known, workarounds for some identified, decent setups and >plenty of GPL webs sites to find them at, and hopefully a little less >dollars spent on the sim when I do finally buy it. >Ron >Striketime on TEN

On my system at home (P200MMX with an 8MB thriller 3D) with 10 AI, cars and track in the mirror, and the detail slider in the middle I get above 25fps in normal race conditions. Only at the start or in VERY heavy traffic does the fps dips into the mid ***s. It may not be spectacular, but it's certainly quite playable on bottom end systems such as mine. At work on my PII-300 it's a totally different story, as I've never had a problem at max detail with a full field of 19 AI drivers. - Eric view?

on my ppro 200 (no mmx) 128MB RAM voodoo 1 i get 20-36 FPS at 640x480; full field, very few graphics details turned off. when all 19 cars arein view gets drops in to the 9-10 range but i can live with that. Joe Conklin For Central PA Online Gamers: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/network/5312/ For Grand Prix Legends: http://members.xoom.com/gplegends/ remove spam to reply

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>On my system at home (P200MMX with an 8MB thriller 3D) with 10 AI, cars >and track in the mirror, and the detail slider in the middle I get above >25fps in normal race conditions. Only at the start or in VERY heavy >traffic does the fps dips into the mid ***s. It may not be >spectacular, but it's certainly quite playable on bottom end systems >such as mine. At work on my PII-300 it's a totally different story, as >I've never had a problem at max detail with a full field of 19 AI >drivers. >- Eric >>What happens when you are racing and there are more than 2 or 3 cars in >view?

That's right, Ron, you are not having fun. Now you know. rob. >> at about 10-14 fps. >That is WAY to low for serious sim racing. 20 fps is the ABSOLUTE >minimum, though 25+ is really needed. >Joe

> at about 10-14 fps. That is WAY to low for serious sim racing. 20 fps is the ABSOLUTE minimum, though 25+ is really needed. Joe

That's enough. I have K6-200, Screaming 3D (Rendition V1000), 32 MB SDRAM and Kyalami... I'm going to wait until Nascar 3 before I upgrade (hopefully to K6/3d-500)... -- Dream High, Aim High, Fly High--U.S. Air Force -- *****The WINGMAN*****

Bad news! This is the Papyrus' answer to my question: << Good afternoon, Both Nascar99 and Nascar3 are still in development but there are no plans to include the 3D-Now! instruction set. The 3D-Now! technology did not arrive in time to be included with Grand Prix Legends. There are no plans to develop 3D-Now! patches.. Thanks for contacting Sierra. Michael -----Original Message----- Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 1998 1:53 PM To: Hardware Subject: N99 and N3 Messrs. Sierra/Papyrus, Will "Nascar99" and "Nascar3" support 3D-Now! instructions? I' am a fan of your simulations (N1, N2, ICR and ICR2) and I wonder why GPL doesn't. Are You planning the release of 3D-Now! patches ? Thank You and Best regards Stefano Serni (Italy) >> What do you think??? Wingman ha scritto nel messaggio ... says... >>Well after reading sveral posts on GPL/computer performance issues it is >>quite clear to me that I must wait to purchase the sim until I can beef >>up my computer hardware. I currently have a 200mmx, 96mb EDO, a 4meg >>Thriller 3D, and a TSW2 and that doesn't sound like it will cut it. >That's enough. I have K6-200, Screaming 3D (Rendition V1000), 32 MB SDRAM and >Kyalami... >I'm going to wait until Nascar 3 before I upgrade (hopefully to K6/3d-500)... >-- >Dream High, Aim High, Fly High--U.S. Air Force >-- >*****The WINGMAN*****

Even though Papy won't support the 3d-Now extensions, it doesn't mean GPL won't run well on a K6. See my post "GPL Performance on K6-225" for my initial impressions of how GPL runs on my current system. It's quite playable. A faster chip of any architecture will only improve on that. In fact, I will get to test it this weekend, as I received in the mail today my new motherboard and K6-2 300MHz :-)

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> Bad news! > This is the Papyrus' answer to my question: > << Good afternoon, > Both Nascar99 and Nascar3 are still in development but there are > no plans to include the 3D-Now! instruction set. The 3D-Now! technology did > not arrive in time to be included with Grand Prix Legends. There are no > plans to develop 3D-Now! patches.. > Thanks for contacting Sierra. > Michael > -----Original Message----- > Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 1998 1:53 PM > To: Hardware > Subject: N99 and N3 > Messrs. Sierra/Papyrus, > Will "Nascar99" and "Nascar3" support 3D-Now! instructions? > I' am a fan of your simulations (N1, N2, ICR and ICR2) and I wonder why GPL > doesn't. Are You planning the release of 3D-Now! patches ? > Thank You and Best regards > Stefano Serni (Italy) >> > What do you think??? > Wingman ha scritto nel messaggio ... > says... > >>Well after reading sveral posts on GPL/computer performance issues it is > >>quite clear to me that I must wait to purchase the sim until I can beef > >>up my computer hardware. I currently have a 200mmx, 96mb EDO, a 4meg > >>Thriller 3D, and a TSW2 and that doesn't sound like it will cut it. > >That's enough. I have K6-200, Screaming 3D (Rendition V1000), 32 MB SDRAM > and > >Kyalami... > >I'm going to wait until Nascar 3 before I upgrade (hopefully to > K6/3d-500)... > >-- > >Dream High, Aim High, Fly High--U.S. Air Force > >-- > >*****The WINGMAN*****

Michael, Please post your opinion of the performance of the K6 300 with GPL when you get a chance. I'm considering upgrading my 233 to a 333 and would like to know whether it is worthwhile. Thanks in advance. ANash

>on my ppro 200 (no mmx) 128MB RAM voodoo 1 i get 20-36 FPS at 640x480; full >field, very few graphics details turned off. when all 19 cars arein view >gets drops in to the 9-10 range but i can live with that. At Last! Some stats from a PPro200. Other than your 128Mb of memory (vs my 64Mb) you have the effective same system as I do. I only have the demo at the moment (sniff). Would it be possible to list which options you turned off? Did you find it pumping out too few fps with them on? I guess "when all 19 cars are in view" you mean when you're running last! That'll be me for quite some time I suspect... Stuart -- Stuart Booth Somewhere in Buckinghamshire, England, UK Note: My email address is in disguise! Remove trailing Z

Bad decsion....very bad decsion....you have chosen unwisely. Even just hotlapping in this sim is a religous experience. For an example drift thru the Curva Grande....in a Ferrari with the sound turned up. Try and tell me thats not the most excellent feeling you have ever had in a sim.... PAPA DOC Pierre PAPA DOC Legrand Pink Flamingo Pilot... http://home.earthlink.net/~plegrand/PINKFLAMINGO.htm

>> at about 10-14 fps. >That is WAY to low for serious sim racing. 20 fps is the ABSOLUTE >minimum, though 25+ is really needed. >Joe Great, I'm only getting about 10-13 on a P300 that I borrowed from work. My OWN system, a P166, only does about 7 with EVERYTHING turned off... :( Eldred ________ Eldred Pickett e-mail address altered to deter spammers - remove the '*' to reply Put your message in a modem - and throw it into the ***-sea...

Can You say VOODOO!FX

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> >> at about 10-14 fps. > >That is WAY to low for serious sim racing. 20 fps is the ABSOLUTE > >minimum, though 25+ is really needed. > >Joe > Great, I'm only getting about 10-13 on a P300 that I borrowed from work. My > OWN system, a P166, only does about 7 with EVERYTHING turned off... :( > Eldred > ________ > Eldred Pickett > e-mail address altered to deter spammers - remove the '*' to reply > Put your message in a modem - and throw it into the ***-sea...