Max eye-candy requirements | Forums

[Beirut]

My AMD64-3000/512/9800 is starting to show its age a bit. I am looking at a new PCI-E video card (GF7800 or ATI1800), new PCI-E MB, another 512 RAM but still keeping the CPU for now.

I'm wondering if I'll get to turn this thing up all the way even if I plonk down $800 on upgrades.

If I'm running a AMD64-3000/Nvdia7800/Gig RAM, can I fly with Water 3 and "Smoke 2" with more than 1 planes in the air or will it still be a slideshow nearly a thousand dollars later.

Just what specs do we need to max the eye candy and have decent size scraps going on?

Thanks.

[-HH-Quazi]

It'll be close m8. With the cpu being the only hold up if you aren't able to run at the settings you mentioned. A review I read not long ago showed the AMD 64 3200+ being the least cpu power to get "nearly" all the 7800GTX has to offer, with just a very slight bottleneck. Not sure how much more a an AMD 64 3000+ would slow the card down.

[Beirut]

Thanks for the reply.

I guess it's a bit discouraging when you sink in hundreds and hundreds of dollars (again and again)and you hit a brick wall in terms of performance.

I've become of the opinion that until I have a FX-57/2x7800SLI/2GigRAM I'll never get good framerates with all settings at max.

And I just don't have $2500 to blow on video game upgrades right now I'm sad to say.

[-HH-Quazi]

Not true m8. The review I mentioned also said that there was no difference in performance of the 7800GTX from using the 3500+ to the FX-57, that the card gave all it had.

I have found this to be true myself. I upgraded from a 3500+ to a FX-53 with no improvement in my X850XT PE. A friend upgraded from a FX-53 to a FX-57 and his X850XT PE gave no better performance. For both of us, as far as playing this sim, we feel we would have been better off saving our $$$ and staying with our original cpu(s). The review I mentioned tested the 7800GTX exclusively and found the same to be true for it, as we had for our X850XT PE's.

As long as a cpu allows a card to give all it has, it doesn't matter how fast the cpu is. If the 3500+ allows the 7800GTX to perform to its' fullest, then the FX-57 won't better the card any.

So go grab you a 3700+ with its' 1Mb L2Cache and 2.2GHz speed for $233 retail boxed and enjoy the rest of your investment. You can save $30 and even go with a 3500+ for $203 retail boxed. I just figured the 1Mb L2Cache would be better for you as far as gaming goes.

Here's the review I mentioned here and in several other threads over the last day or two: http://firingsquad.com/hardware/athl...0_gtx_scaling/

If you have time, it is an interesting read. If not, just jump to the "Conclusion" on the last page.

[Hawgdog]

I guess it's a bit discouraging when you sink in hundreds and hundreds of dollars (again and again)and you hit a brick wall in terms of performance.

wow, welcome to our world

[Beirut]

HH-Quazi,

Great link to the Tomshardware.com article. That should be required reading.

Interesting that there is so little difference at times between the 6800 and the 7800.

Right now the 7800 is on sale for $399. Most of the 6800 cards are still $600+. If I can arrange it, I'm going to get one before the sale ends. I'd hate to miss it.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=...524&logon=&langid=EN

[-HH-Quazi]

Originally posted by Beirut:
HH-Quazi,

Great link to the Tomshardware.com article. That should be required reading.

Interesting that there is so little difference at times between the 6800 and the 7800.

Right now the 7800 is on sale for $399. Most of the 6800 cards are still $600+. If I can arrange it, I'm going to get one before the sale ends. I'd hate to miss it.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=...524&logon=&langid=EN

That is a link to a Firingsquad review m8. You'll never see me post a TomsHardware review as I find their reviews quite biased when it comes to cpu and video card reviews.

Anyway, I thought that the review I posted a link to may relieve you a bit in thinking you need to purchase a FX-57 just to get all the 7800 has to offer.

BTW, that is an awesome price on that 7800GT m8!

[voyager_663rd]

I must be missing something here. I'm no guru but with:

xp2400+
9800pro
2x512 mb

I'm running 1024x768 in perfect and getting 40-41 fps.

What am I missing? It seems to me all he might need to do to his current setup is add another stick and he'd be happy.

[-HH-Quazi]

His initial post wasn't anything to do with the playability of the sim with his current setup so I paid no attention to how much memory he is currently running. He was asking how a 7800 would perform with his current cpu and he also mentions a gig of memory in this setup for a 7800. Here is his main question:

"If I'm running a AMD64-3000/Nvdia7800/Gig RAM, can I fly with Water 3 and "Smoke 2" with more than 1 planes in the air or will it still be a slideshow nearly a thousand dollars later."

So I answered as best I could.

If his initial post had been complaining about playability, and listing his current setup as he did, I would have mentioned a GB of memory would be helpful.

[JSG72]

Have to agree with -HH-Quazzi.
Having bought what would be you "IDEAL" system Beirut. And paying UK prices IE $=â£s
I would certainly endorse the fact that spending so much on an FX-57 to run this SIM is indeed not an Ultimate requirement.
IQ is dependant on the graphics card/s.
But tying this in with playability is governed(Correct me if I am wrong) by the CPU.
I have been experimenting for the past couple of months to obtain an Ultimate compromise.
Depends how you like your missions.
Low with full max water/Land detail and you'll still get better FPS but stutter on Max settings.
High with nice clouds is not a problem with super FPS
Don't even think the New Heralded Dell/Nvidea Quad system could improve on this.
Due to Drivers and dlls available.
Have posted Pics elsewhere in this Forum showing Pics and FPS IQ is pretty good IMHO. Unfortuanately Cannot screenshot Stutter!.