http://www.warp2search.net/forums/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:06:51 +0100 MyBB http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=10219 Sat, 17 May 2008 23:28:30 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=10219 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=8270 Fri, 25 Aug 2006 08:49:03 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=8270 I'll be visiting Frankfurt for less than a month. I was thinking of purchasing a mid-range card whilst there. Since warp2search has a german base, I was wondering whether some of the guys here could help me suggest whats the best mode of purchase and what to purchase. Is online preferable or should I check out a local computer shop (please cite). Also whats the best bang for the buck card in the 7600gt range and what brand will that be?

Addendum - It should be an AGP card. Maybe I'll have to go for a 7800gs if its reasonably priced. Is it? My specs are Asus K8n A64 2800+ with 512 mb. Currently on a Geforce4 ti4600. If the card's not reasonably priced I could settle for a PCI-E card in the 7600gt range and get a mobo/cpu upgrade ...

Please suggest ...
Thanks!]]> I'll be visiting Frankfurt for less than a month. I was thinking of purchasing a mid-range card whilst there. Since warp2search has a german base, I was wondering whether some of the guys here could help me suggest whats the best mode of purchase and what to purchase. Is online preferable or should I check out a local computer shop (please cite). Also whats the best bang for the buck card in the 7600gt range and what brand will that be?

Addendum - It should be an AGP card. Maybe I'll have to go for a 7800gs if its reasonably priced. Is it? My specs are Asus K8n A64 2800+ with 512 mb. Currently on a Geforce4 ti4600. If the card's not reasonably priced I could settle for a PCI-E card in the 7600gt range and get a mobo/cpu upgrade ...

Please suggest ...
Thanks!]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=6456 Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:15:20 +0100 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=6456
Dell Dimension 8200 (850 chipset - 400FSB)
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
768MB SAMSUNG RDRAM (PC800)
60GB HDD
Geforce3 Ti200 64MB (AGP)
Dell 1905FP (8ms version)

What is the best Nvidia card that will fit this configuration, for a reasonable price?

I was thinking 6600GT, but the 256MB 6200 looks ok.


Mark.]]>
Dell Dimension 8200 (850 chipset - 400FSB)
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
768MB SAMSUNG RDRAM (PC800)
60GB HDD
Geforce3 Ti200 64MB (AGP)
Dell 1905FP (8ms version)

What is the best Nvidia card that will fit this configuration, for a reasonable price?

I was thinking 6600GT, but the 256MB 6200 looks ok.


Mark.]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4612 Fri, 06 Jan 2006 02:34:33 +0100 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4612
can you guys tell me if its worth it to get this card, and lemme know if you need any other information.]]>
can you guys tell me if its worth it to get this card, and lemme know if you need any other information.]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4289 Wed, 12 Oct 2005 22:32:27 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4289






Thx too, NVnews.net !]]>






Thx too, NVnews.net !]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4128 Mon, 27 Jun 2005 14:53:47 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4128
I've been looking very hard for new drivers but very hard to come by.
Anyone know where I can get the latest drivers please?]]>
I've been looking very hard for new drivers but very hard to come by.
Anyone know where I can get the latest drivers please?]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4121 Wed, 22 Jun 2005 12:25:37 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4121
6800 or 7800?


Mark.]]>
6800 or 7800?


Mark.]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4000 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 22:47:43 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=4000
2 x Thermaltake 120mm fans.

1 x Sticky tape

1 x plastic base thing I found around the house.

GPU Temps BEFORE:
Idle
GPU-1 - 75c
GPU-2 - 69c
--------------
Load
GPU-1 - 85c
GPU-2 - 78c

GPU Temps After:
Idle
GPU-1 - 70c
GPU-2 - 66c
--------------
Load
GPU-1 - 79c
GPU-2 - 74c
--------------
Walla !!



]]>
2 x Thermaltake 120mm fans.

1 x Sticky tape

1 x plastic base thing I found around the house.

GPU Temps BEFORE:
Idle
GPU-1 - 75c
GPU-2 - 69c
--------------
Load
GPU-1 - 85c
GPU-2 - 78c

GPU Temps After:
Idle
GPU-1 - 70c
GPU-2 - 66c
--------------
Load
GPU-1 - 79c
GPU-2 - 74c
--------------
Walla !!



]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3957 Sun, 06 Mar 2005 01:20:49 +0100 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3957 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3917 Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:44:34 +0100 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3917
Need your help with this one guys.

My specs are below. The card's been running fine for 6 months (I replaced the 64MB Geforce 3 Ti 200 it had originally). SUddenyl, when I try to put in the 5.1 catalysts, all goes mad.

I get glitchiness in boot-up, and occasional freeze-ups followed by the monitor shutting down (and the machine).

I've tried reformatting/reinstalling XP. I've tried remving the drivers in normal mode and reinstalling. Same in safe mode. I've reverted back to the Catalyst 3.8's that came with the card, no difference.

It's says it's a driver problem, but WHAT CAN IT BE CONFLICTING WITH, THERE'S NO OTHER DRIVER THERE!!!!!!!!!!!

The only other options are:

1. PSU isn't powerful enough.
2. Monitor.

I'm leaning against PSU at the mo, and might get a 410w. But given my system, would that require extra cooling? I hope not.

Help!


Mark.


Dell Dimension 8200
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
768 MB RAM
128MB Radeon 9800 Pro (Peak)
60GB HDD (7,200rpm)]]>
Need your help with this one guys.

My specs are below. The card's been running fine for 6 months (I replaced the 64MB Geforce 3 Ti 200 it had originally). SUddenyl, when I try to put in the 5.1 catalysts, all goes mad.

I get glitchiness in boot-up, and occasional freeze-ups followed by the monitor shutting down (and the machine).

I've tried reformatting/reinstalling XP. I've tried remving the drivers in normal mode and reinstalling. Same in safe mode. I've reverted back to the Catalyst 3.8's that came with the card, no difference.

It's says it's a driver problem, but WHAT CAN IT BE CONFLICTING WITH, THERE'S NO OTHER DRIVER THERE!!!!!!!!!!!

The only other options are:

1. PSU isn't powerful enough.
2. Monitor.

I'm leaning against PSU at the mo, and might get a 410w. But given my system, would that require extra cooling? I hope not.

Help!


Mark.


Dell Dimension 8200
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
768 MB RAM
128MB Radeon 9800 Pro (Peak)
60GB HDD (7,200rpm)]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3769 Thu, 07 Oct 2004 17:18:16 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3769
Guess you heard the news about enabling additional pipelines in a GF 6800 standard using RivaTuner ....

Well , I have done this ..... gained about an extra 1000 pts in 3dmark 03 , ...in Far Cry , I have set everything to Maxed out ...albeit only at 1024 by 768 and its running sooo sooo much sweeter than before!

No artifacts, no issues at all ...and for some reason its enabled me to overclock the memory speed core up further without artifacts ... you go figure!

Its an XFX 6800 Gamers Edition with 128MB and its daaaaamn fine! :-)

Hope to bring u some screenshots of my findings soon!]]>
Guess you heard the news about enabling additional pipelines in a GF 6800 standard using RivaTuner ....

Well , I have done this ..... gained about an extra 1000 pts in 3dmark 03 , ...in Far Cry , I have set everything to Maxed out ...albeit only at 1024 by 768 and its running sooo sooo much sweeter than before!

No artifacts, no issues at all ...and for some reason its enabled me to overclock the memory speed core up further without artifacts ... you go figure!

Its an XFX 6800 Gamers Edition with 128MB and its daaaaamn fine! :-)

Hope to bring u some screenshots of my findings soon!]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3751 Wed, 29 Sep 2004 14:12:18 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3751
Only a scene of an attack in a spaceship with doom 3 style graphics and seems to be the result of a total lack of imagination , only the first part with huge spaceships is cool but too small .

For the benchmark part , there is one interesting scene with a mongolfiere and a monster on a lake wich is more original , but this benchmark edition as a whole seems to be made out of enthousiasm by the developpers , don't expect it to be fancy or a very good tech demo to show to your friends 8)


Score with an XP 2600+ , Radeon 9800pro , Latest 4.9 Omega drivers , Nforce2U , 2*512PC3200 , Radeon 9800pro nothing overclocked : 2407 .

3DMARK 2005 is a 295MB download and takes 590MB install of HD space .]]>
Only a scene of an attack in a spaceship with doom 3 style graphics and seems to be the result of a total lack of imagination , only the first part with huge spaceships is cool but too small .

For the benchmark part , there is one interesting scene with a mongolfiere and a monster on a lake wich is more original , but this benchmark edition as a whole seems to be made out of enthousiasm by the developpers , don't expect it to be fancy or a very good tech demo to show to your friends 8)


Score with an XP 2600+ , Radeon 9800pro , Latest 4.9 Omega drivers , Nforce2U , 2*512PC3200 , Radeon 9800pro nothing overclocked : 2407 .

3DMARK 2005 is a 295MB download and takes 590MB install of HD space .]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3732 Thu, 16 Sep 2004 14:25:59 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3732
i have seen a new review between Volari V3 from Chaintech and a GeForce FX 5200 nU. The Geforce smack down the Volari V3! The GeForce card ist 2 or 3 times faster than the Volari V3. I never have seen a so bad performance of an 3D GPU likes the Volari V3! :D

here is the link to the review:
http://www.volari.de/TestCenter/2004/Vol...lariV3.php

greets
Forceman]]>
i have seen a new review between Volari V3 from Chaintech and a GeForce FX 5200 nU. The Geforce smack down the Volari V3! The GeForce card ist 2 or 3 times faster than the Volari V3. I never have seen a so bad performance of an 3D GPU likes the Volari V3! :D

here is the link to the review:
http://www.volari.de/TestCenter/2004/Vol...lariV3.php

greets
Forceman]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3673 Sun, 22 Aug 2004 23:09:11 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3673
Gonna be taking out my Geforce 3 Ti200 (64MB) and putting in an Radeon 9800 Pro (128MB).

Is it just a case of stick the new card in, and get the newest Catalyst? Or do I have to uninstall the old card and drivers first?

Thanks,


Mark.]]>
Gonna be taking out my Geforce 3 Ti200 (64MB) and putting in an Radeon 9800 Pro (128MB).

Is it just a case of stick the new card in, and get the newest Catalyst? Or do I have to uninstall the old card and drivers first?

Thanks,


Mark.]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3672 Sun, 22 Aug 2004 01:54:29 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3672 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3634 Sun, 25 Jul 2004 18:56:58 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3634
Right, I wanna do one more simple upgrade on my machine before it's gonna take more complex work (or a replacement).

I just beefed my RAM from 256MB up to 768MB. I wanna play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 well, as well as my films at top rate. It's gotta be the graphics card.

So we have ATI vs Nvidia. I'm also not rolling in cash. Wanna spend around £100.

Wot u reckon?


Mark.


Dell Dimension 8200
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
768MB RDRAM
64 MB Geforce 3 Ti200
60GB HDD (7200rpm)
P991 19" Trinitron Monitor]]>
Right, I wanna do one more simple upgrade on my machine before it's gonna take more complex work (or a replacement).

I just beefed my RAM from 256MB up to 768MB. I wanna play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 well, as well as my films at top rate. It's gotta be the graphics card.

So we have ATI vs Nvidia. I'm also not rolling in cash. Wanna spend around £100.

Wot u reckon?


Mark.


Dell Dimension 8200
Intel P4 1.9Ghz
768MB RDRAM
64 MB Geforce 3 Ti200
60GB HDD (7200rpm)
P991 19" Trinitron Monitor]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3598 Sun, 18 Jul 2004 04:08:43 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3598 PN 064p1nv89 (i believe) its a little hard to make out.....]]> PN 064p1nv89 (i believe) its a little hard to make out.....]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3329 Fri, 14 May 2004 20:35:24 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3329
Let's assume for the purposes of discussion that the complete new lines of graphics cards from both ATi and NVidia are already on the store shelves.

I think it's pretty obvious that with the latest offerings from NVidia and ATi, we're all faced with yet another major upgrade expense ($$$), should we choose to make the plunge. Roughly a year after purchasing my 9800 Pro, I'm already contemplating shelling out another BIG chunk of money just to be able to keep up with the technology, but I'm not sure at this point if I'm going to make that leap or not. Why?

Well, for me it's not really an issue of performance. I've volt-modded my 9800 Pro, I'm cooling it with a TEC water block and it's performance is very good as is. I have both the alpha version of Doom III and the leaked version of Half Life 2 and both games play acceptably on my system. No, I can't enable all the bells and whistles and still get good frame rates but I can play and enjoy those games without bringing my system to it's knees.

On other games like Halo, Far Cry and UT2K4 (latest cream of the crop) I can crank up the goodies and everything looks and play extremely well. Not having or played any subsequent versions of HL2 or Doom III, I can only assume that the developers working on those games WILL allow for acceptable game play that DOESN'T require everyone to shell out $500 just to get in on the action, so to speak. And I think that's what it all really boils down to.

When HL2 and Doom III are released, I'd be very surprised if they're not playable on much lesser capable hardware than the newest offerings from ATi and NVidia. I remember reading in one interview with a Doom III developer that they'd been testing the game on a GF4 TI-4600 and that it worked well. So, what does that tell you? It tells me that my current system configuration should be WAY more than enough to play the next generation of games on.

I'm not a loyal fan or customer of either ATi or NVidia (I've owned products from both companies) and I could really care less about the entire debate over "optimized drivers" or any other arguments as to which is better or worse. All I DO care about is graphics performance and what I will gain by purchasing one product over the other. What I see in front of me on the screen is infinitely more important (to me) than what ANY reviewer happens to think. The bottom line is that the money comes out of MY pocket and no one else's.

So, having already seen and played 2 of the next generation crop of games that are about to hit the streets (Doom III and HL2), do I think it's necessary to upgrade my hardware again? Nope. At least not this year. I'd REALLY like to get at least 2 years out of my hardware and 3 years would be ideal (before upgrading). If my 9800 Pro craps out before the end of that 2-year cycle, I WILL be faced with another large purchase though and at this point, I have no idea which way I'll go.

From what I've seen of the reviews so far, the new ATi hardware looks pretty good but the 6800 from NVidia looks just as good (from strictly a performance standpoint). As far as a 1-slot verses 2-slot form factor, I could care less. I think the TEC water block on my 9800 Pro takes up close to 3 slots. Same with power supply requirements (don't care). I've volt-modded my Enermax 650 and have extremely stable +5 and +12 volt rails. Power is NOT an issue for me and I suspect that anyone even considering one of these next-generation video cards is in the same boat. However, with the 100+ watt power consumption for the new NVidia card, it is conceivable that you might see a slight increase in your electric bill. That COULD be a consideration for some people.

So, if form factor, power requirements and cost is NOT a consideration, what is? Driver maturity? I think it's fairly safe to say that these days BOTH companies (ATi & NVidia) are reasonably good at fixing and optimizing their drivers and that it's happening at a MUCH faster pace than in the past. In any case, let's forget about drivers for now and just assume that the cards will function properly (eventually).

What other considerations are there? Well, if you're not water cooling your rig, noise could be an issue. ATi has always made very quiet cards and NVidia has mostly made fairly noisy ones. So, I can see where that could be an issue for people. Noise is why I got into water cooling in the first place but since it would carry over to a new video card anyway, it's not an issue for me. For some though, it could be.

What else is there? Brand loyalty? Not for me. Never has been, never will be. For some though, I suspect it could be or already is. Not being able to relate to that aspect of ownership, I can't really comment on it other than to say that there are zealots on both sides of the camp (whether their "claims" are reasonable or not).

So, if performance is a wash between these products (which I think it basically is at this point), if cost is not an issue (and if it's not, I'm happy for you because for most of us, it is), if the power requirements or consumption (your electric bill) aren't a factor, if driver issues will eventually get ironed out, if noise isn't really that important to you and if, like me, you could care less about brand loyalty, what else is there to consider? What would YOUR final determination on which card to buy be based on? Or, if any of the above factors ARE important to you, here's your chance to voice your opinions and fill us all in on the gory details of WHY you would choose one brand over the other.

Let it rip!

Later.]]>
Let's assume for the purposes of discussion that the complete new lines of graphics cards from both ATi and NVidia are already on the store shelves.

I think it's pretty obvious that with the latest offerings from NVidia and ATi, we're all faced with yet another major upgrade expense ($$$), should we choose to make the plunge. Roughly a year after purchasing my 9800 Pro, I'm already contemplating shelling out another BIG chunk of money just to be able to keep up with the technology, but I'm not sure at this point if I'm going to make that leap or not. Why?

Well, for me it's not really an issue of performance. I've volt-modded my 9800 Pro, I'm cooling it with a TEC water block and it's performance is very good as is. I have both the alpha version of Doom III and the leaked version of Half Life 2 and both games play acceptably on my system. No, I can't enable all the bells and whistles and still get good frame rates but I can play and enjoy those games without bringing my system to it's knees.

On other games like Halo, Far Cry and UT2K4 (latest cream of the crop) I can crank up the goodies and everything looks and play extremely well. Not having or played any subsequent versions of HL2 or Doom III, I can only assume that the developers working on those games WILL allow for acceptable game play that DOESN'T require everyone to shell out $500 just to get in on the action, so to speak. And I think that's what it all really boils down to.

When HL2 and Doom III are released, I'd be very surprised if they're not playable on much lesser capable hardware than the newest offerings from ATi and NVidia. I remember reading in one interview with a Doom III developer that they'd been testing the game on a GF4 TI-4600 and that it worked well. So, what does that tell you? It tells me that my current system configuration should be WAY more than enough to play the next generation of games on.

I'm not a loyal fan or customer of either ATi or NVidia (I've owned products from both companies) and I could really care less about the entire debate over "optimized drivers" or any other arguments as to which is better or worse. All I DO care about is graphics performance and what I will gain by purchasing one product over the other. What I see in front of me on the screen is infinitely more important (to me) than what ANY reviewer happens to think. The bottom line is that the money comes out of MY pocket and no one else's.

So, having already seen and played 2 of the next generation crop of games that are about to hit the streets (Doom III and HL2), do I think it's necessary to upgrade my hardware again? Nope. At least not this year. I'd REALLY like to get at least 2 years out of my hardware and 3 years would be ideal (before upgrading). If my 9800 Pro craps out before the end of that 2-year cycle, I WILL be faced with another large purchase though and at this point, I have no idea which way I'll go.

From what I've seen of the reviews so far, the new ATi hardware looks pretty good but the 6800 from NVidia looks just as good (from strictly a performance standpoint). As far as a 1-slot verses 2-slot form factor, I could care less. I think the TEC water block on my 9800 Pro takes up close to 3 slots. Same with power supply requirements (don't care). I've volt-modded my Enermax 650 and have extremely stable +5 and +12 volt rails. Power is NOT an issue for me and I suspect that anyone even considering one of these next-generation video cards is in the same boat. However, with the 100+ watt power consumption for the new NVidia card, it is conceivable that you might see a slight increase in your electric bill. That COULD be a consideration for some people.

So, if form factor, power requirements and cost is NOT a consideration, what is? Driver maturity? I think it's fairly safe to say that these days BOTH companies (ATi & NVidia) are reasonably good at fixing and optimizing their drivers and that it's happening at a MUCH faster pace than in the past. In any case, let's forget about drivers for now and just assume that the cards will function properly (eventually).

What other considerations are there? Well, if you're not water cooling your rig, noise could be an issue. ATi has always made very quiet cards and NVidia has mostly made fairly noisy ones. So, I can see where that could be an issue for people. Noise is why I got into water cooling in the first place but since it would carry over to a new video card anyway, it's not an issue for me. For some though, it could be.

What else is there? Brand loyalty? Not for me. Never has been, never will be. For some though, I suspect it could be or already is. Not being able to relate to that aspect of ownership, I can't really comment on it other than to say that there are zealots on both sides of the camp (whether their "claims" are reasonable or not).

So, if performance is a wash between these products (which I think it basically is at this point), if cost is not an issue (and if it's not, I'm happy for you because for most of us, it is), if the power requirements or consumption (your electric bill) aren't a factor, if driver issues will eventually get ironed out, if noise isn't really that important to you and if, like me, you could care less about brand loyalty, what else is there to consider? What would YOUR final determination on which card to buy be based on? Or, if any of the above factors ARE important to you, here's your chance to voice your opinions and fill us all in on the gory details of WHY you would choose one brand over the other.

Let it rip!

Later.]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3205 Thu, 29 Apr 2004 15:50:37 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3205
Quote:I’m sure you’ve read reports around the web about Nvidia allegedly cheATing with their yet to be released 60.72 build drivers. These drivers were sent out to journalists evaluating the new GeForce 6800 Ultra and the NV4x architecture. Just two short weeks after the first reviews were posted one website published a lengthy article discussing image quality and how some frames rendered by the new GeForce showed differences from the same frames rendered on ATi hardware. So is this the proverbial smoking gun we’re looking at, is Nvidia indeed making shortcuts to boost the performance of their new architecture or is something else going on here?

I think the jury is still out on what is the proper way to render frames; both companies have a different approach to calculating textures, doing anti-aliasing and all the other 3D calculations. Thus it comes as no surprise that Nvidia indeed renders scenes differently than ATi does, but where do you draw the line between a cheat, an optimization, a shortcut or an architectural difference? Both companies have used shortcuts before that some consider cheats and others a good way to boost performance. If a shortcut is only visible after enlarging portions of a screenshot to 4x its size, who really cares, as it is not visible during normal gameplay, and it does improve the performance.

It’s a matter of what shortcuts you use where, and both ATi and Nvidia have plenty of shortcuts built into their architecture. In essence for both companies to render the frame exactly the same, the same architectures would eventually be needed. However what makes graphics accelerators interesting, and gives us something to write about, is the way in which each company uses their own technology to deviate from this path to increase performance whilst producing the same result. Both ATi and Nvidia use proprietary technology to increase performance and efficiency which basically are shortcuts that all produce the same end result; the frame rendered.

Using an architecture specific feature to up the performance is a shortcut, so is rendering only the pixels that are visible in the frame. If these shortcuts don’t decrease image quality, or only by a margin that is imperceptible, it surely is a legitimate shortcut, since it is producing the same end result. Following that train of thought, I always like to compare these discussions about image quality to MP3 compression. Millions of people use MP3s and don't hear the difference between the MP3 and the original CD. However if you look at it from a sound quality point of view there's a big difference, with the MP3 simply leaving out details you don't really hear at all. I have a similar approach to rendering quality, why render every pixel fully, if by using shortcuts to render just those that matter gives you better performance and identical image quality unless you scrutinize the screenshots with a microscope.

Sander Sassen

]]>
Quote:I’m sure you’ve read reports around the web about Nvidia allegedly cheATing with their yet to be released 60.72 build drivers. These drivers were sent out to journalists evaluating the new GeForce 6800 Ultra and the NV4x architecture. Just two short weeks after the first reviews were posted one website published a lengthy article discussing image quality and how some frames rendered by the new GeForce showed differences from the same frames rendered on ATi hardware. So is this the proverbial smoking gun we’re looking at, is Nvidia indeed making shortcuts to boost the performance of their new architecture or is something else going on here?

I think the jury is still out on what is the proper way to render frames; both companies have a different approach to calculating textures, doing anti-aliasing and all the other 3D calculations. Thus it comes as no surprise that Nvidia indeed renders scenes differently than ATi does, but where do you draw the line between a cheat, an optimization, a shortcut or an architectural difference? Both companies have used shortcuts before that some consider cheats and others a good way to boost performance. If a shortcut is only visible after enlarging portions of a screenshot to 4x its size, who really cares, as it is not visible during normal gameplay, and it does improve the performance.

It’s a matter of what shortcuts you use where, and both ATi and Nvidia have plenty of shortcuts built into their architecture. In essence for both companies to render the frame exactly the same, the same architectures would eventually be needed. However what makes graphics accelerators interesting, and gives us something to write about, is the way in which each company uses their own technology to deviate from this path to increase performance whilst producing the same result. Both ATi and Nvidia use proprietary technology to increase performance and efficiency which basically are shortcuts that all produce the same end result; the frame rendered.

Using an architecture specific feature to up the performance is a shortcut, so is rendering only the pixels that are visible in the frame. If these shortcuts don’t decrease image quality, or only by a margin that is imperceptible, it surely is a legitimate shortcut, since it is producing the same end result. Following that train of thought, I always like to compare these discussions about image quality to MP3 compression. Millions of people use MP3s and don't hear the difference between the MP3 and the original CD. However if you look at it from a sound quality point of view there's a big difference, with the MP3 simply leaving out details you don't really hear at all. I have a similar approach to rendering quality, why render every pixel fully, if by using shortcuts to render just those that matter gives you better performance and identical image quality unless you scrutinize the screenshots with a microscope.

Sander Sassen

]]> http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3168 Sat, 17 Apr 2004 21:15:36 +0200 http://www.warp2search.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=3168

Quote:Adrian's Rojak Pot have thrown up Rev 3.0 of their GPU Comparison Guide with the addition of Nvidia's GeForce 6800 Ultra and GeForce 6800 GPUs, PowerVR and Intel sections and Matrox sections to the guide as well as correction of several mistakes in the ATI section! it's well worth checking out.

These days, there are so many graphics card models that it has become quite impossible to keep up with the different configurations. Therefore, Max_87 decided to compile a guide of the various GPU configurations in the market, including many classics. We hope it will prove to be a useful reference. We will keep this guide updated regularly so do check back for the latest updates!


Here is the Guide

The Guide Includes:

ATI
Radeon 7000 PCI
Radeon 7000 AGP
Radeon 7200
Radeon 7500LE
Radeon 7500
AIW Radeon 7500
Radeon 8500
AIW Radeon 8500
Radeon 8500 LE
Radeon 9000
Radeon 9000 Pro
AIW Radeon 9000 Pro
Radeon 9100
Radeon 9200 SE
Radeon 9200
AIW Radeon 9200
Radeon 9200 Pro
Radeon 9500
Radeon 9500 Pro
Radeon 9600 SE
Radeon 9600
Radeon 9600 Pro
AIW Radeon 9600 Pro
Radeon 9600XT
AIW Radeon 9600XT
Radeon 9700
Radeon 9700 Pro
AIW Radeon 9700 Pro
Radeon 9800 SE 128-bit
Radeon 9800 SE 256-bit
Radeon 9800
Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB
AIW Radeon 9800 Pro
Radeon 9800XT

NVidia
GeForce SDR
GeForce DDR
GeForce2 MX
GeForce2 MX200
GeForce2 MX400
GeForce2 GTS
GeForce2 Pro
GeForce2 Ultra
GeForce2 Ti
GeForce3 Ti
GeForce3 Ti200
GeForce3 Ti500
GeForce4 MX420
GeForce4 MX440 SE
GeForce4 MX440
GeForce4 MX440-8X
GeForce4 MX460
GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB
GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB
GeForce4 Ti4200-8X
GeForce4 Ti4400
GeForce4 Ti4600
GeForce4 Ti4800 SE
GeForce4 Ti4800
GeForce FX 5200 SE/XT
GeForce FX 5200
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
GeForce FX 5600 SE/XT
GeForce FX 5600
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra (Rev.1)
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra (Rev.2)
GeForce FX 5700
GeForce FX 5700 Ultra
GeForce FX 5800
GeForce FX 5800 Ultra
GeForce FX 5900 SE/XT
GeForce FX 5900
GeForce FX 5900 Ultra
GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
GeForce 6800
GeForce 6800 Ultra

XGI
Volari V3
Volari V5
Volari V5 Ultra
Volari V8
Volari V8 Ultra
Volari Duo V5 Ultra
Volari Duo V8 Ultra

S3
Savage 2000
Savage XP
DeltaChrome S4
DeltaChrome S8
DeltaChrome S8 Nitro
DeltaChrome F1

SIS
SiS 315
Xabre 80
Xabre 200
Xabre 400
Xabre 600

Matrox
Matrox G100
Matrox G200
Matrox G200 Rev. 3
Matrox G400
Matrox G400 Max
Matrox G450
Matrox G550
Matrox Parhelia-LX
Matrox Parhelia-512 256 MB Retail
Matrox Parhelia-512 128 MB OEM
Matrox Parhelia-512 128 MB Retail

PowerVR
PCX1
PCX2
Neon 250
Kyro
Kyro II
Kyro II SE

INTEL
Intel Extreme Graphics
Intel Extreme Graphics 2]]>

Quote:Adrian's Rojak Pot have thrown up Rev 3.0 of their GPU Comparison Guide with the addition of Nvidia's GeForce 6800 Ultra and GeForce 6800 GPUs, PowerVR and Intel sections and Matrox sections to the guide as well as correction of several mistakes in the ATI section! it's well worth checking out.

These days, there are so many graphics card models that it has become quite impossible to keep up with the different configurations. Therefore, Max_87 decided to compile a guide of the various GPU configurations in the market, including many classics. We hope it will prove to be a useful reference. We will keep this guide updated regularly so do check back for the latest updates!


Here is the Guide

The Guide Includes:

ATI
Radeon 7000 PCI
Radeon 7000 AGP
Radeon 7200
Radeon 7500LE
Radeon 7500
AIW Radeon 7500
Radeon 8500
AIW Radeon 8500
Radeon 8500 LE
Radeon 9000
Radeon 9000 Pro
AIW Radeon 9000 Pro
Radeon 9100
Radeon 9200 SE
Radeon 9200
AIW Radeon 9200
Radeon 9200 Pro
Radeon 9500
Radeon 9500 Pro
Radeon 9600 SE
Radeon 9600
Radeon 9600 Pro
AIW Radeon 9600 Pro
Radeon 9600XT
AIW Radeon 9600XT
Radeon 9700
Radeon 9700 Pro
AIW Radeon 9700 Pro
Radeon 9800 SE 128-bit
Radeon 9800 SE 256-bit
Radeon 9800
Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB
AIW Radeon 9800 Pro
Radeon 9800XT

NVidia
GeForce SDR
GeForce DDR
GeForce2 MX
GeForce2 MX200
GeForce2 MX400
GeForce2 GTS
GeForce2 Pro
GeForce2 Ultra
GeForce2 Ti
GeForce3 Ti
GeForce3 Ti200
GeForce3 Ti500
GeForce4 MX420
GeForce4 MX440 SE
GeForce4 MX440
GeForce4 MX440-8X
GeForce4 MX460
GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB
GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB
GeForce4 Ti4200-8X
GeForce4 Ti4400
GeForce4 Ti4600
GeForce4 Ti4800 SE
GeForce4 Ti4800
GeForce FX 5200 SE/XT
GeForce FX 5200
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
GeForce FX 5600 SE/XT
GeForce FX 5600
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra (Rev.1)
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra (Rev.2)
GeForce FX 5700
GeForce FX 5700 Ultra
GeForce FX 5800
GeForce FX 5800 Ultra
GeForce FX 5900 SE/XT
GeForce FX 5900
GeForce FX 5900 Ultra
GeForce FX 5950 Ultra
GeForce 6800
GeForce 6800 Ultra

XGI
Volari V3
Volari V5
Volari V5 Ultra
Volari V8
Volari V8 Ultra
Volari Duo V5 Ultra
Volari Duo V8 Ultra

S3
Savage 2000
Savage XP
DeltaChrome S4
DeltaChrome S8
DeltaChrome S8 Nitro
DeltaChrome F1

SIS
SiS 315
Xabre 80
Xabre 200
Xabre 400
Xabre 600

Matrox
Matrox G100
Matrox G200
Matrox G200 Rev. 3
Matrox G400
Matrox G400 Max
Matrox G450
Matrox G550
Matrox Parhelia-LX
Matrox Parhelia-512 256 MB Retail
Matrox Parhelia-512 128 MB OEM
Matrox Parhelia-512 128 MB Retail

PowerVR
PCX1
PCX2
Neon 250
Kyro
Kyro II
Kyro II SE

INTEL
Intel Extreme Graphics
Intel Extreme Graphics 2]]>