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Video Cards
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Video Cards // Archive: Tech Forum
Post by bill // Feb 19, 2006, 6:03am
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bill
Total Posts: 114
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I'm thinking about getting a new video card. The one I have has been greate for all the other programs I run but it doesn't have the DX9 support. Any suggestions? |
Post by Alien // Feb 19, 2006, 6:14am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Depends on your budget:
modest - ATI Radeon X1600 [probably my next card] [whether you get pro or XT version & how much memory it has depends on how modest your budget is]
not at all modest - Radeon X1900XT [what I'd have if I had the money spare] |
Post by bill // Feb 19, 2006, 11:57am
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bill
Total Posts: 114
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Thanks Alien. What do you base these recommendations on? Are there any recent specific reviews and comparisions? Or do you just like the nifty graphics on the boxes? :D |
Post by Asem // Feb 19, 2006, 12:28pm
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Asem
Total Posts: 255
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You could always go to google and put this card vs this card. I had just done it for the ati x1900 xtx vs nvidia 7800 gtx and the ati 1900 xtx won which makes it(so far) the best video card out there. I can't really afford that though so I'm going to try and go for a ati x850agp or x1600agp(the only one I saw in the series to be able to use agp). You should also check out pricewatch (http://www.pricewatch.com) really good for looking for video cards or ebay. |
Post by rotcorp // Feb 19, 2006, 4:16pm
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rotcorp
Total Posts: 73
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Not being particularly hardware savvy, I have to ask if anyone knows of a PCI card that will run the TS 7 player (my aging ATI 128 does not). Something by ATI would be nice, but I'm not sure if any of the recent cards use pci. In fact, clearly, i barely even know what I'm talking about. :confused:
And no, it's not me putting my hands into the computer to install this card if it exists. I value my computer enough to know when it's time to put a professional to work.
:p |
Post by SiRender // Feb 19, 2006, 5:33pm
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SiRender
Total Posts: 38
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I'm using the ATI Radeo 9800 from more than a couple years ago and the player seems to looks nice, but then how can you really tell what features are being silently downgraded? |
Post by Alien // Feb 19, 2006, 6:06pm
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Thanks Alien. What do you base these recommendations on? Are there any recent specific reviews and comparisions? Or do you just like the nifty graphics on the boxes? :D
A few reviews, though I don't recall specific links/sites off the top of my head. There's a link a bit further down in this post for some raw stats.
I'm going to try and go for a ati x850agp or x1600agp(the only one I saw in the series to be able to use agp).
There's a number of things to take into consideration when comparing those 2 cards. The x850 was top of the range of the previous gen of cards, whereas the x1600 is piggy in the middle of the current gen.
x850 is a DirectX9.0 card, whereas the x1600 is a DirectX9.0c card [IIRC, tS7 requires 9.0c for all the bells & whistles in the player].
From what I can tell, the x850 has more grunt, but the x1600 has the newer features.
This (http://www.rojakpot.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=0) is where I got my facts & figures from.
Not being particularly hardware savvy, I have to ask if anyone knows of a PCI card that will run the TS 7 player (my aging ATI 128 does not). Something by ATI would be nice, but I'm not sure if any of the recent cards use pci. In fact, clearly, i barely even know what I'm talking about. :confused:
And no, it's not me putting my hands into the computer to install this card if it exists. I value my computer enough to know when it's time to put a professional to work.
:p
Yikes! how old is your machine? :confused: Even my parents 6+yr old machine which was recently retired/replaced came with an AGP TNT1!
If PCI is your only choice, then you've pretty much only got 2 choices, as far as I can tell - Nvidia 5200 [ew! :) - I prefer ATI as well], or a Radeon 9250. Both are, AFAIK, only DX 9.0 cards, not 9.0c. So it should work in the player [my 9600 Pro is only DX9.0], but you may miss out on....er ... something. :) Someone else'll have to tell you what features 9.0c adds in the player, as I don't know, sorry.
Oh, & SiRender - the 9800 is a DX9.0 card as well, so whatever it is it doesn't do, you & I are in the same boat. :) |
Post by Steinie // Feb 20, 2006, 2:45am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Since you have PCI wouldn't it make sense to update his computer rather then the graphics card at this point? Without a monitor, printer etc. your looking at less then $500.00. You'll get speed improvement, AGP, larger hd, more memory etc. just make sure it handles 9.0c and has dedicated memory for graphics that is meeting requirements.
You can get on a treadmill when it comes to video cards. Just open your wallet and flush.
I have a ATI Radeon 9600 Pro like Alien and I really like it. Sometimes the screen refresh is funky but is solid other then that. I had my eye on the 9800 originally but my kids got to eat too!
Just another idea. |
Post by hemulin // Feb 20, 2006, 6:48am
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hemulin
Total Posts: 1058
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Bill, PCI graphics cards are dying out :( , the PCI bus is too slow to handle anything decent, there are some new PCI graphics cards out there, however they won't perform nearly as well as their AGP or PCI-E equivalents; if your motherboard does not support AGP, you really need a new motherboard. Or as Steinie said, you're probably better off updating your whole computer while your at it. :) |
Post by bill // Feb 20, 2006, 8:24am
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bill
Total Posts: 114
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Thanks for the info, guys. My computer is about a year old and has AGP. Just the video card does not support DX9c so I'm not able to see the full textures in TS Player mode. My card is more than adequate for all my other 3D applications which are based on OpenGL. I suppose that these cards that have been recommended also support OpenGL? If not then I'll have to stay with my current card. |
Post by Steinie // Feb 20, 2006, 8:39am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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I just noticed how your original question was changed later on, sorry about that. The card I use supports both. |
Post by Alien // Feb 20, 2006, 8:59am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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I suppose that these cards that have been recommended also support OpenGL? If not then I'll have to stay with my current card.
Shouldn't be a prob at all. :)
Complete feature set also supported in OpenGL® via extensions
Radeon X1600’s 90-nanometer process technology and ultra-threaded architecture combine power and efficiency to optimized support for Shader Model 3.0 and deliver new high dynamic range visual effects, enhanced realism with adaptive anti-aliasing and lightening fast performance in OpenGL and DirectX® 9 games. |
Post by hemulin // Feb 20, 2006, 9:34am
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hemulin
Total Posts: 1058
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I presume from your previous post that you want a cheap graphics card that will do the job, as you said your current one is fine for everything other than truespace. You can pick up a decent graphics card now for around £50/~$85, the Radeon 9600 and above all support DX9 and Pixel shader 2.0. Though I don't advise getting any of the "SE" version as they are not very good and they are useless for overclocking. :D |
Post by splinters // Feb 20, 2006, 9:38am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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I use a Radeon 9800 Pro. Moves fast and smooth in player but only has Level 3 AA and no shadow filtering if that helps. |
Post by stoker // Feb 21, 2006, 12:19am
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stoker
Total Posts: 506
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I am using a NVIDIA Geforce PCX5300, not the most expensive of cards on the market but does the job.:D |
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