need opinions - Page 2

feldon34 · 01-02-2002, 01:42 AM

The limiting factor of a GeForce 2 or GeForce 3 is the monitor's inability to display more frames per second than 80 or 100.

Spyder · 01-02-2002, 10:35 AM

*shrug* I could post a bunch of URLs to show you otherwise, but I don't want to argue with a know-it-all..

cheers

feldon34 · 01-02-2002, 01:16 PM

Spyder,

I don't want to be seen as a know-it-all here.

This is the first time I've seen anyone submit that the speed of the Aquarium or most games is largely dependant on the CPU and that going from a 533 MHz CPU to a 1000 MHz CPU will make any significant improvement with the same video card.

If you've got empirical evidence that going from one CPU to another with the same video card and OS produces significantly better performance in the Aquarium or other 3D applications, I think the forum would appreciate your posting it.

Now, there are games that require a lot of CPU power to generate all the geometry before it's handed off to the video card, but we're talking specifically about the Aquarium and some of the more common games like Quake 3 which, to my knowledge, don't need much CPU power.

I know Jim has assured us before that the Aquarium generates many thousands of frames per second more than even the fastest video card could ever generate and that a 300 MHz Pentium II will generate more frames per second than a GeForce 2 could possibly display. (correct me if I'm wrong, Jim)

If I'm going to be branded a know-it-all, I'd like to actually know what I'm talking about.

Socrates · 01-02-2002, 06:25 PM

Originally posted by feldon23
Spyder,

If you've got empirical evidence that going from one CPU to another with the same video card and OS produces significantly better performance in the Aquarium or other 3D applications, I think the forum would appreciate your posting it.

Please see my earlier post re empirical data.

I don't want to seem disrespectful because you do alot of great things for us all, but I have to agree with Spyder that there is enough system overhead with the aquarium at 7 fish that overall system speed does matter. The aquarium will run on lesser systems with smooth-enough frame rates, but on the variety of machines I've put it on, it only will match fps to the refresh rate on a handful of newer systems.

I am thinking it PROBABLY IS NOT the actual CPU speed, however, so much as it is the AGP mode and Front Side bus that make the big difference. I doubt any PII 300 motherboard has 4X AGP and 133 or 266 Mhz bus speeds. In other words, its more likely to be the motherboard/platform than the CPU itself.

PS, name calling never helps prove a point.

Ick · 01-05-2002, 02:19 AM

I solved my frame rate problem by turning off FSAA. Now I get 120 fps at 1024x768 and 85 at 1600x1200. The Voodoo3 on the office computer doesn't have FSAA, so that was it's advantage.

formerlysane · 01-06-2002, 09:06 PM

i did a fresh install of win98se (from winme), used the stock elsa gf2mx drivers and dx8...

i've finally managed to get my frame rates up to 111.45-112.75 fps (max) from 75-80 on my old system.

01-02-2002, 01:42 AM	#21
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,947	The limiting factor of a GeForce 2 or GeForce 3 is the monitor's inability to display more frames per second than 80 or 100. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

01-02-2002, 01:16 PM	#23
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,947	Spyder, I don't want to be seen as a know-it-all here. This is the first time I've seen anyone submit that the speed of the Aquarium or most games is largely dependant on the CPU and that going from a 533 MHz CPU to a 1000 MHz CPU will make any significant improvement with the same video card. If you've got empirical evidence that going from one CPU to another with the same video card and OS produces significantly better performance in the Aquarium or other 3D applications, I think the forum would appreciate your posting it. Now, there are games that require a lot of CPU power to generate all the geometry before it's handed off to the video card, but we're talking specifically about the Aquarium and some of the more common games like Quake 3 which, to my knowledge, don't need much CPU power. I know Jim has assured us before that the Aquarium generates many thousands of frames per second more than even the fastest video card could ever generate and that a 300 MHz Pentium II will generate more frames per second than a GeForce 2 could possibly display. (correct me if I'm wrong, Jim) If I'm going to be branded a know-it-all, I'd like to actually know what I'm talking about. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

01-02-2002, 06:25 PM	#24
Socrates Sage Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: West Hills, CA Posts: 1,529	Originally posted by feldon23 Spyder, If you've got empirical evidence that going from one CPU to another with the same video card and OS produces significantly better performance in the Aquarium or other 3D applications, I think the forum would appreciate your posting it. Please see my earlier post re empirical data. I don't want to seem disrespectful because you do alot of great things for us all, but I have to agree with Spyder that there is enough system overhead with the aquarium at 7 fish that overall system speed does matter. The aquarium will run on lesser systems with smooth-enough frame rates, but on the variety of machines I've put it on, it only will match fps to the refresh rate on a handful of newer systems. I am thinking it PROBABLY IS NOT the actual CPU speed, however, so much as it is the AGP mode and Front Side bus that make the big difference. I doubt any PII 300 motherboard has 4X AGP and 133 or 266 Mhz bus speeds. In other words, its more likely to be the motherboard/platform than the CPU itself. PS, name calling never helps prove a point. Bat rays? We don't need no stinking bat rays!

01-05-2002, 02:19 AM	#25
Ick Registered Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 9	I solved my frame rate problem by turning off FSAA. Now I get 120 fps at 1024x768 and 85 at 1600x1200. The Voodoo3 on the office computer doesn't have FSAA, so that was it's advantage. TiVo good.

01-06-2002, 09:06 PM	#26
formerlysane Registered Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Philippines Posts: 7	success! i did a fresh install of win98se (from winme), used the stock elsa gf2mx drivers and dx8... i've finally managed to get my frame rates up to 111.45-112.75 fps (max) from 75-80 on my old system.

01-02-2002, 10:35 AM	#22
Spyder Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 36	shrug I could post a bunch of URLs to show you otherwise, but I don't want to argue with a know-it-all.. cheers