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c0burn posted:We don't need a graph to tell us Vista is garbage
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# ? Apr 23, 2011 21:14 |
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# ? Jun 10, 2024 12:48 |
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It wasn't though. Driver support at launch was loving terrible.
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# ? Apr 23, 2011 21:16 |
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Node posted:What exactly did they do? I'm guessing it has to do with Gothic being made by some other lovely developer, and why Risen wasn't called Gothic. Messed with it (Gothic 3) during the entire development, and forced them to release earlier then planned. Afterwards they gave the franchise to other terrible developers.
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# ? Apr 23, 2011 21:24 |
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Maxwell Adams posted:I bought this and played a bunch of it last night. I dunno that to me sounds like a pretty drat versatile game. Yeah it sucks your helicopter got bugged out, but the fact that you could build another one with a hook and then go retrieve your original one sounds pretty awesome. Think I'll nab this one when it hits the inevitable sale.
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# ? Apr 23, 2011 22:56 |
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Away all Goats posted:We don't need a graph to tell us Vista is garbage
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# ? Apr 23, 2011 23:06 |
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Hey, let's talk about DirectX 11 multithreaded rendering benchmarks. DirectX 11 has something called multithreaded rendering. It takes the processing task of rendering video (which has, until now, run on a single hardware thread) and spreads it out across an arbitrary number of threads. This can lead to huge framerate boosts on systems with multicore processors. nVidia just added support for the multithreaded rendering in their latest driver release. This is good news for developers who have been waiting for years to implement this feature. Unreal Engine 3 will support multithreaded rendering, as will the Frostbite 2 engine in Battlefield 3. Crytek is probably adding support to Cryengine 3 when their DX11 patch comes out, but they haven't officially announced it. Here is the list of things necessary to make multithreaded rendering work: a game engine designed specifically to use the feature support at the driver level Windows Vista/Windows 7 a powerful DX11 graphics card a multicore processor Right now there is only one game that supports multithreaded rendering: Civilization 5. The latest drivers from nVidia have support for multithreading, while version 260 does not. I benchmarked the old drivers against the new to see how much of a performance boost I got. My system has a GeForce GTX 465, a Phenom 2 X4 965, and several ramgigs. Forceware 260: code:
code:
So, you can see the problem. These results are junk. There's no way this one feature actually gives a +100% performance boost. Civ 5 is a little busted as a benchmarking tool because it relies so heavily on multithreading. If you try to multithread but the drivers don't support it, the framerate will probably just drop. Also, Civ 5 relies heavily on the CPU, so freeing up the bottleneck there brings the framerate way up. Let's try a different benchmark: 3dMark 11. This is another of the rare apps available right now that actually use multithreaded rendering. Forceware 260: code:
code:
My search for a good DX11 multithreading benchmark led me to the DirectX SDK. Microsoft included many example programs that show off each of the API's features. One app in particular just demonstrates the performance gains you can get with multithreaded rendering. This makes the test very simple. The framerate is printed right there on the screen, and you can toggle multithreaded rendering modes with a single click. On my system, the framerate goes from ~45 to ~60 with multithreading enabled. That's a healthy 33% boost right there. I've repackaged this app so everyone can try it out. This way you don't have to download the whole 580 meg SDK from Microsoft. Just look in the 'bin' folder, the 32-bit and 64-bit versions are both included. I'd like people to post their system specs and what kind of boost they see when they enable multithreading. Maxwell Adams fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Apr 23, 2011 |
# ? Apr 23, 2011 23:22 |
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Happy_Misanthrope posted:The point was to refute the claim that "Of course, ATI is just as bad" compared to Nvidia. With respect to Vista, MS disagrees. Well, yeah, I pointed that out specifically in my post! Early Vista was one of Nvidia's low points, just like the 9000 series was a low point for ATI's driver team. People still remember how bad the 9000 series was, but Nvidia's issues were wrapped up in "VI$TA SUCKS!" and mostly forgotten. More recently, AMD had real problems with "grey screen of death" bugs for quite a long time after the 5800-series launch. Both AMD and Nvidia consumer drivers have sucked, suck, and will continue to suck; there's no getting around it. Just buy whatever card offers better performance for the price, and keep your fingers crossed that you won't run into too many driver problems.
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# ? Apr 23, 2011 23:26 |
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Away all Goats posted:We don't need a graph to tell us Vista is garbage so vista is now responsible for the lovely drivers hardware companies write
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 01:59 |
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Happy_Misanthrope posted:The point was to refute the claim that "Of course, ATI is just as bad" compared to Nvidia. With respect to Vista, MS disagrees. The difference is not as striking when you consider that there are more nvidia cards out there than ATI cards. I don't know what the stats were like when that chart was made but these days it's about 60 vs 30 percent according to Steam surveys.
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 10:52 |
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Maxwell Adams posted:
Ok on a i7 980x(4.1Ghz) with Gtx 580 Sli (stock) and 12gig Ram got the following results using latest 270 Forceware drivers. Immediate: 110 fps St def/scene: 120fps Mt def/scene: 202fps St def/chunk: 85fps Mt def/chunk: 160fps Obviously these are averages, there were some drops and spikes but the above FPS seem to be the average stable point.
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 11:03 |
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Manac0r posted:Ok on a i7 980x(4.1Ghz) with Gtx 580 Sli (stock) and 12gig Ram got the following results using latest 270 Forceware drivers. Okay, that is sick nasty. Does that model of i7 have hyperthreading? Maxwell Adams fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Apr 24, 2011 |
# ? Apr 24, 2011 18:07 |
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Pretty sure all the i7s have hyperthreading.
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 18:10 |
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Athlon II X3 435 2.9GHz CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a GeForce 460. Immediate: 39 ST/DEF Scene: 26 MT/DEF Scene: 38 ST/DEF Chunk: 30 MT/DEF Chunk: 32 Not as impressive as my processor is far weaker, but I still got a decent boost on MT/DEF Scene. Namnesor fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Apr 24, 2011 |
# ? Apr 24, 2011 18:17 |
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Yep. All i7s have HT but not all i5s have it. i5-750 (no HT) @ 3.6ghz, 470 SLI (test only runs on a single card anyway), 8GB of ram with the latest forceware: Immediate: 95 ST scene: 60fps MT scene: 113fps ST chunk: 70fps MT chunk: 68fps (huh?) Upon running it again my ST chunk went up to 72fps and MT chunk went to 70fps.
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 18:28 |
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Coughing Hobo posted:Athlon II X3 435 2.9GHz CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a GeForce 460. Didn't your framerate drop by 1 there?
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 18:43 |
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Bulletstorm on sale for 50% off today at D2D. http://www.direct2drive.com/10279/product/Buy-Bulletstorm-Download Add the code BUNNY to get it for an additional 25% off the sale price for $22.49 total.
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 19:20 |
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Vanderloo posted:Bulletstorm on sale for 50% off today at D2D. http://www.direct2drive.com/10279/product/Buy-Bulletstorm-Download EA Store is doing it 50% off as well. As well as Crysis 2. (At least in the UK)
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 22:03 |
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ok if you goto https://www.savygamer.co.uk you can find a site for 10 pound off the EA store, with the sale its a bonus. Yeah i7 has hyperthreading, when publishers start using DX11 properly this machine will pay for itself, thanks to my in laws yo!
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# ? Apr 24, 2011 22:36 |
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Vanderloo posted:Bulletstorm on sale for 50% off today at D2D. http://www.direct2drive.com/10279/product/Buy-Bulletstorm-Download
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 03:06 |
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You Am I posted:drat, US and Canada only Where are you? Try the EA Store.
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 03:13 |
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Maxwell Adams posted:Didn't your framerate drop by 1 there? I meant from ST/DEF Scene, but from Immediate, yeah. I should mention, I couldn't get the x64 one to work, I had to use x86.
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 03:17 |
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On the MT/DEF Chunk selection my framerate went down on my E8400. Is it because I only have a dual-core CPU? Framerate went up about 5-10FPS in the other ones but I'll be upgrading to an i5-2500K next week.
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 04:59 |
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spasticColon posted:On the MT/DEF Chunk selection my framerate went down on my E8400. Is it because I only have a dual-core CPU? Framerate went up about 5-10FPS in the other ones but I'll be upgrading to an i5-2500K next week. I just tried fiddling with the processor affinity on my system to restrict the app to 2 or 3 cores. On 2 cores, the framerate would drop with multithreading. On 3 cores, it only went up slightly.
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 05:10 |
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I experimented with hooking my gaming PC up to my HDTV this weekend and was pretty pleased with the results. I have a Radeon 5870 that outputs video & audio over HDMI, and a wired Xbox 360 controller, so hooking things up was painless and the experience is just like playing on my Xbox 360 except the graphics and framerate are much better. Grid view in Steam is pretty good for launching games from across the room. I've only been playing cross-platform games with gamepad support so far (Bulletstorm, AC: Brotherhood, Dead Space 2, Metro 2033) and those games obviously have no issues being played from the couch on a TV. This setup seems like it'll be great for games that are very similar to the console versions, but not as good for PC exclusives or PC versions of games like BioShock 2, Mass Effect and Dragon Age where there is no gamepad support and the interface is more tailored for viewing on a monitor and not an HDTV. I don't have a wireless kb/mouse but even if I did I'm not sure how well those games would work out. Anyone else tried giving up their desk & monitor in favor of moving their gaming PC to the HDTV and have any experiences to report? Parker Lewis fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Apr 25, 2011 |
# ? Apr 25, 2011 13:03 |
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I tried gaming from my couch with a mouse and keyboard and decided that there is no comfortable way to do this, especially without looking like a total sperglord.
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 13:13 |
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The Flying Milton posted:I tried gaming from my couch with a mouse and keyboard and decided that there is no comfortable way to do this, especially without looking like a total sperglord. Yeah, that's about what I figured. I don't particularly want to put $ into a wireless kb/mouse, either. It looks like I'd basically need to give up playing any games that don't have 360 controller support. I guess I need to decide if the experience of playing games from my couch on the TV is that much better than it was playing on my 23" 1080p monitor at my desk. And since I already have a 360 hooked up to the same TV, I could just be playing all those multi-platform games on my console and live with the slightly worse graphics.
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 13:30 |
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Parker Lewis posted:Yeah, that's about what I figured. I don't particularly want to put $ into a wireless kb/mouse, either. It looks like I'd basically need to give up playing any games that don't have 360 controller support. Move your desk somewhere closer to your TV and get a really long HDMI cable?
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 13:41 |
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SURPRISE RELEASES THIS PAST WEEK Like the name suggests, a standalone version of DOW2: Retribution: The Last Stand. An expandalone to an expandalone. How novel. The digital release of a 2006 Myst-style horror-adventure. Several posters in the Steam thread spoke very highly of it. New game from Ice-pick Lodge (the Pathologic/The Void guys). Apparently involves dropping the Statue of Liberty on Oompa Loompas. Digital GoG release of the two classic space strategy titles. Adventure game that looks to be in the style of Machinarium. The digital GoG release of this Wild West strategy title. Like Commandos for the two or three people who think Commandos isn't brutally difficult enough. Yup, an honest-to-god flight sim. Hope you're prepared to shell out sixty bucks though. New casual strategy title from Strategy First. Expansion for the military-sim-shooter that a lot of goons like for some reason. DLC for a racing game released in 2007. Excited? RELEASING THIS WEEK The sequel to Maxis' creature sim is... an action-RPG. Don't ask me. This adventure game, originally on iPhone, was picked up by Telltale after they found out just how hilariously good it is. Now it's coming to PC. Don't miss it. DEMOS, DOWNLOADS, MODS, & FREEBIES ERRRO 2: OUTER SPACE - Minimalist-looking puzzle-platformer that claims over 100 levels. RPG-X COMPLETE EDITION - An online Star Trek universe role-playing tool that used to be a Star Trek Elite Force mod, but is now standalone. THE WITCHER - "And a Curse, and Love, and Betrayal" Mod, a fan-made expansion boasting 10-12 hours of gameplay, new music, and tons of side-quests. TWO WORLDS II CASTLE DEFENSE (Tactical RPG) - Demo MINECRAFT (World-building sim) - Demo
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 16:34 |
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Parker Lewis posted:Anyone else tried giving up their desk & monitor in favor of moving their gaming PC to the HDTV and have any experiences to report?
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 17:04 |
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I had my computer (q8400, 4890) hooked up to my TV for about a year, it was great. Without a wireless keyboard and mouse, though, it's a bit of a waste. I did it in part because I got a cheap Blu-ray drive, which was great. Also, HD porn. But yeah, you do look like a sperglord hunched over your coffee table
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# ? Apr 25, 2011 17:28 |
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Devil Wears Wings posted:
I'm really tempted on this but I haven't played a flight sim in forever, and don't even have a basic joystick. The Warthog is just such a cool aircraft.
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 01:29 |
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The DSC games (Black Shark and Warhog) are pretty detailed. Takes a long time to do everything right, but it's pretty rewarding gaining tangible flying skill and not just some STR+ INT+ stats on a screen. There's like over 20 steps to start the aircraft. Everything is a process: selecting weapons loadout, firing rockets/bombs/bullets, navigating the GPS unit, using the lasers/targeting sensors. It makes for excellent realism but is a little slow and you better be able to remember A LOT of keyboard bindings else you're going to be flying in circles while you line up your targets correctly. With that said, some things are not all that polished; like enemy ground-vehicle detail, infantry animation, some of the explosions are not very pretty. (These are pretty minor in the scope of the game though) If you like sperging out over a game; learning how everything works and trying different tactics to finish mission, it's an excellent game. darkhand fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Apr 26, 2011 |
# ? Apr 26, 2011 03:06 |
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Note: Apparently ARMA 2: Reinforcements is "just" a retail bundling of the two DLC packs -- British Armed Forces (BAF) and Private Military Company (PMC) -- for the existing ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead standalone "expansion". Considering how the post-v1.56 patches for OA actually work though, it's basically paying for a pair of campaigns and higher-quality sounds/textures.
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 09:10 |
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Has anyone played much Orbiter? Its a flight sim of various real and fictional spaceships, and has pretty realistic orbital mechanics, so it can take a few weeks of realtime and a few complicated course corrections to get from the earth to the moon. Its surprisingly soothing to go through a preflight checklist and carefully watch all your instrumentation. And after spending forever matching orbits to the ISS it was awsome seeing this tiny structure looming up at you.
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 18:51 |
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RightClickSaveAs posted:This looks insanely detailed and realistic. The trailer was all rendered in game according to the devs. The guys in the flight sim thread are speaking pretty highly of it too. You cant play this without a flight stick. I would actually go as far as saying you cant play this without a track IR (you can but its no fun). Its a kickass game though, took me a week to learn how to start the engines and take off
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 18:56 |
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Nearly two weeks now and my rig is fully capable of thrashing Crysis, along with everything else in my collection. Spend six days playing the original Doom trilogy.
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 18:57 |
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poptart_fairy posted:Nearly two weeks now and my rig is fully capable of thrashing Crysis, along with everything else in my collection. Just for the hell of it (no pun intended), I spent an hour or so modding the hell out of The Ultimate Doom last weekend. Doom is really a whole new experience at 1080p with high-res textures, mouselook, and polygonal enemies/items/guns.
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 19:05 |
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Parker Lewis posted:
I did this a back in 2009. Since then all my desktop PC upgrades have been going straight onto my 1080p 40" HDTV. It's completely fantastic. I've been using a standard Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse. I've been able to play and beat many games, including Mass Effect 2 Insane and Borderlands, perfectly fine just with the keyboard in my lap and using the mouse on my couch (red microfiber). With my PC now on my TV, and steam games as cheap as they are, I don't think I'm ever going to buy another console. Most of the good games are ported over to PC these days, and while I do have a PS3 to use as my stand alone blu-ray player, I haven't really played any games on it other than Rock Band since putting the PC on the TV. Plus, they look a lot better at 1080p. Edited to add: While on occasion I do find myself browsing the internet on my TV desktop, I do have a laptop by me most of the time for standard PC stuff like emails and facebook. Mostly the HTPC is used for gaming and movies. pezzie fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Apr 26, 2011 |
# ? Apr 26, 2011 19:10 |
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Devil Wears Wings posted:Just for the hell of it (no pun intended), I spent an hour or so modding the hell out of The Ultimate Doom last weekend. Doom is really a whole new experience at 1080p with high-res textures, mouselook, and polygonal enemies/items/guns. I demand a link to these mods immediately. As well as one that replaces the PC music and sounds with the infinitely superior PSX ones.
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 19:12 |
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# ? Jun 10, 2024 12:48 |
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Doom with models is Not Goddamn Canon
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# ? Apr 26, 2011 19:20 |