The Official Graphics Card and PC gaming Thread

Good lord sam! Do all ati's run that hot? You could cook food in your case
Not really knowcking ati there. I have heard of Hot Nvidia products. One of their latest models if memory serves...

 

Your 260 will run just as hot. nvidia's temperature sensors can give readings a little on the low side.

 

Ahhh. That's rather disconcerting.

 

R.U.S.E. Beta
Minimal: Radeon HD2900 Pro/HD3850/HD4670/HD5570 or above, Geforce 8800 series/9600GSO G92/GT240 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD4700 series/HD4800 series/HD5700 series or above, Geforce GTS250 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD4870/HD5800 series or above, Geforce GTX295 or above, GTX470 (est)
Good: Radeon HD5850 or above, Geforce GTX280 Tri-SLI or above, GTX470 SLI (est)
Optimal: Radeon HD5970 or above (!), Geforce GTX295 Quad-SLI or above, GTX480 SLI (est)
Extreme: Radeon HD5970 Crossfire (!) or above

It's worth noting that as yet, there is zero crossfire scaling in the RUSE Beta, so anything that requires crossfire currently isn't doable.

 

Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising
Minimal: Radeon HD3850/HD4750/HD4830/HD5670 or above, Geforce 8800 series/9600GSO G92/GT240 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD4860/HD5770 or above, Geforce GTS250 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD5850 or above, Geforce GTX285 or above
Good M30: Radeon HD5970 or above, Geforce GTX295 or above, GTX480 (est) or above
Good: Radeon HD5970 or above, Geforce GTX285 SLI or above, GTX470 SLI (est) or above
Optimal M30: Radeon HD5970 or above, Geforce GTX285 SLI or above, GTX470 SLI (est) or above
Optimal: Radeon HD5870 Tri-CF or above, Geforce GTX285 Quad-SLI, GTX470 Tri-SLI (est) or above
Extreme M30: Radeon HD5870 Tri-CF or above, Geforce GTX285 Quad-SLI, GTX470 Tri-SLI (est) or above
Extreme: N/A

 

Metro 2033

Low Detail DirectX10
Minimal: Radeon X1800 series/HD2900 series/HD3650/HD4550/HD5450 or above, Geforce 7800 series/8600 series/9500 series/GT220 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD2900 series/HD3800 series/HD4670/HD5570 or above, Geforce 8800 series/9600GSO G92/GT220 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD3870/HD4700 series/HD5670 or above, Geforce 8800GT/9800GT/GTS250 or above
Good: Radeon HD4870/HD5800 series or above, Geforce GTX260-216 or above
Optimal: Radeon HD5850 or above, Geforce GTX295/GTX470 (est) or above
Extreme: Radeon HD5970 or above, Geforce GTX280 Tri-SLI/GTX470 SLI (est) or above

Medium Detail DirectX10
Minimal: Radeon X1800XT/HD2900 series/HD3650/HD4550/HD5450 or above, Geforce 7800GT/8600 series/9500 series/GT220 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD2900 series/HD3800 series/HD4670/HD5570 or above, Geforce 8800 series/9600GSO G92/GT240 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD4700 series/HD5700 series or above, Geforce 8800GT/9800GT/GTS250 or above
Good: Radeon HD4870/HD5800 series or above, Geforce GTX275/GTX280 or above
Optimal: Radeon HD5850 or above, Geforce GTX295/GTX480 (est) or above
Extreme: Radeon HD5970 or above, Geforce GTX285 Tri-SLI/GTX480 SLI (est) or above

High Detail DirectX10
Minimal: Radeon X1900 series/HD3690/HD4650/HD5570 or above, Geforce 7900GTX/8800 series/9600 series/GT220 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD3800 series/HD4700 series/HD5670 or above, Geforce 8800GT/9800GT/GT240 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD4770/HD4850/HD5770 or above, Geforce GTX260-216 or above
Good: Radeon HD5850 or above, Geforce GTX295/GTX480 (est) or above
Optimal: Radeon HD5970 or above, Geforce GTX280 Tri-SLI/GTX470 SLI (est) or above
Extreme: Radeon HD5870 Tri-CF or above, Geforce GTX470 Quad-SLI or above

Maximum Detail DirectX10
Minimal: Radeon HD3800 series/HD4700 series/HD5670 or above, Geforce 8800GT/9600GT/GT240 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD4850/HD5770 or above, Geforce GTX260 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD5870 or above, Geforce GTX295/GTX480 (est) or above
Good: Radeon HD5870 CF or above, Geforce GTX295 Quad-SLI/GTX480 SLI (est) or above
Optimal: Radeon HD5970 QuadCF or above, Geforce GTX480 Quad SLI (est) or above
Extreme: N/A

Maximum Detail DirectX11
Minimal: Radeon HD5750 or above
Reduced: Radeon HD5830 or above
Moderate: Radeon HD5970 or above
Good: Radeon HD5970 Quad-CF or above
Optimal: N/A
Extreme: N/A

 

god of war 3

 

I wasn't all that impressed by it; looked and played almost exactly the same as the previous God of Wars. Which isn't exactly a bad thing, just no incentive for people like me who were getting board with the series part way through God of War II to play/buy it.

 

really? I have played the other 2 and loved them. Have you played the demo? The way it goes from cut scenes to gameplay is unseen from me before and its just so epic. And IMO, The best looking game peroid. Just as when they came out GOW 1&2 were.
i had no idea the ps3 could put out visuals like these.

 

Some good news for gamers, the MSRPs of the GTX400 series have been cut (I'll choose to go with that, rather than initial rumours being false) due to the poor performance of the architecture. The GTX470 and GTX480 respectively are now likely to cost $350/£285 and $500/£395 respectively. More and more weight is being added to the '5-10%' figures previously stated, so it's a pretty sure thing that we're going to see close to direct competition between the cards.
Interestingly, the previously held rumour for the TDP of the GTX480 of 275W has actually been raised to 298W, or in other words, nominalisation of 300W (It's 300, but they knocked a watt off to make it seem lower). This therefore places the GTX480 at a very similar performance point to the GTX295, and using slightly more power, though obviously, without the disadvantages of a crippled memory system and SLI reliance. The 1536MB of memory for the 480, and to a lesser extent the 1280MB on the 470 is a potential asset, though only the 480 probably has an advantage due to the weaker memory optimisation on nvidia GPUs.
While all this doesn't make the Geforces that competitive, it should perhaps be sufficient to induce a minor price drop from the HD5800 series products, or hurry along the development of a possible HD5890.
Supposedly, nvidia want to dual-GPU the Fermi. I lol'ed. It will probably be possible with a refresh, but only using the GTX470 GPU, and by the time it arrives the next generation of GPUs won't be far away. It'd be like a GTX295, but worse, in every way.

 

I played the demo and it felt exactly like GOW II. I might get it but GOW just isn't my style of game I guess; to each their own.
Maybe I wasn't paying attention but the visuals didn't look like something I hadn't seen before if you count PC games.

So maybe the prices of ATI cards will return to where they were a few weeks ago lol.

 

Hopefully. The rise in prices has been caused by a weak GBP:USD exchange rate.

 

a bit fanboyish no sam? (youd rather belive they were cut, rather than a random roumer being correct?) and by the looks of it the GTX 270 is nicely priced. but typical nvidia, they have the best single GPU card, price it very high. no doubt itll sell though.

you know you said the same thing about a GTX200 series dual GPU card when they caem out.

 

So what does everybody think of the new look of After Dawn - or is there something wrong with my browser?

Rich

 

Not really fanboyish, pretty much every one of the initial rumours about the card has come true except for the price, which has suddenly changed recently. I have my suspicions it is due to the cut architecture, and we're not just talking about a 'it's not as good, cut the price' here. What we actually have is a GTX280/GTX285 scenario already laid out. nVidia somewhere I believe stated unofficially they cut the GTX480 to 480SPs to get the TDP into the 250 watt area. The full 512SP card (and likely with higher clock speeds, perhaps the original spec) has the 298W TDP, and is slated to be released later on (perhaps when yields improve) as maybe a GTX485 or GTX490.
Rich: I have mixed opinions, it's a much more up-to-date look, but it does seem quite cluttered, and I'm still bitter about them making it fixed width.

 

Just got my hands on Metro 2033. I must say the gameplay is tight and the graphics are absolutely SMOKING!!! Like my mind just exploded all over the monitor.

Oh yeah there is absolutely no visual difference between Dx9 and Dx11 AFAIK. Certainly aren't any changes from Dx9 to Dx10. Only a performance difference. And Dx9 runs almost twice as fast.

 

Hmmm. I kind of miss all that interesting blue background.

Also I see that quotes don't have a smaller font size, but rather just a lighter font. I think the smaller font size made for a more interesting layout.

I could see, Sam, that the fixed width, which you don't like, could correct a few of the times that somebody (usually shaff ) shoves a super big picture in, which used to make navigating the page a little interesting. So now, what happens when a super big image (say, considerably above 700 pixels wide) is added? Maybe I should try it - or better yet, shaff - would you do the honors? LOL

Wow!

"My mind just exploded all over the monitor!"

That is the most original language I have ever read!!

I don't quite know what you mean, Jeff, but with smoking graphics and exploding mind - I am VERY INTRIGUED!!

Also, I find it interesting to see you saying that Dx9 is twice as fast as Dx10 with no apparent visual difference! Are you actually running the game under XP and then comparing to how it runs under Vista?

Rich

 

Pretty sure it gets resized to a thumbnail then. Possibly have its own photo viewer in the UI like certain other forums I write in?

The models and textures are slightly above average. Like ~CoD4/HL2:Ep2 quality. Nothing too special. The characters seem a bit stiff but everything is highly detailed. All the little ammo pouches and belts and straps on their clothing are fully rendered. So the game, architecturally(ie, under all the shiny shaders and lighting), is no slouch.

But what really sets me off is the atmosphere. The lighting and particle effects are breathtaking. The soft, dappled effect as the light streams down through particulate matter in the air and the rubble around you. Silently blowing out a lantern to hide your approach and watching the last glow disappear as the wick fizzles out. The hauntingly warm feeling you get when the clouds move away from the sun and its soft glow paints everything a fiery hue. Then the inevitable despair as the warmth is covered up by a gust of wind and the world quietly falls dark, once again becoming a frozen wasteland of irradiated death.

It uses a "deffered" lighting system, ie many, many light sources. So there are a lot of small details in the light and shadows and the way they interact with eachother. Something very few games currently out can do. CoD4:MW2(basically the best looking game ever from a technical standpoint) being one of those without.

Also some of the most realistic fire and smoke effects I have ever seen. You get a zippo-style lighter early in the game and the flame kept me captivated for a while as I waved it around and experimented with it in the wind. Not only that but the first time I saw some smoke I LITERALLY looked around to see if my computer was on fire. I LOL'd.

---------------------------------------------------

I'ma give my review right now, seeing as I've played roughly ~6 hours of the campaign and seem to be nearing an end.

Metro 2033

Graphics: 9/10

(See earlier in this post)

Basically some of the best lighting, post-processing, and overall atmospheric effects I have ever seen. This, coupled with lots of nice textures and above average models makes for a great looking game. My only complaint is that the animation is somewhat mediocre and makes both enemies and friends alike seem more fake than they should be. This is annoying, but not terribly distracting, so only I docked one point. Graphical style is like a hybrid between Source 2007(HL2:Ep2) and FEAR 2.

Performance: 5/10

If there is one thing I really hate about Metro 2033 it's the performance and graphics options. It seems to be terribly crippled on most rigs. Dx9 looks almost the exact same as Dx10 except for more motion blur. Quite literally the only difference between the two is the blur shaders and the performance.

Dx11 doesn't do much more either. The only difference there is better depth-of-field(DOF) and an option called "Tessellation" and as far as I've read, it only seems to turn multi-card on and off. Turning it ON, disables Crossfire. Both cards are working to the max but the FPS is literally the exact same as a single card. Turning it OFF, re-enables it again. I can't test this to see for myself, but despite what the effect is SUPPOSED to do, tessellation doesn't seem to have the intended effect in this game. Just a performance drop.

http://www.overclock.net/pc-games/690645-metro-2033-dx9-vs-dx11-without-4.html

BTW Some retard quoted all of the main pics on there so sorry low bandwidth service users

This thread shows it fairly well. Other than some extra blur shaders to kill your performance, Dx9 looks the exact same as Dx11. All the advanced lighting and particles and everything. Tessellation DOES seem to have SOME effect, but all it does is round a few edges on the characters and make everything else slightly more blurry. If you really look close, the Dx9 shots have sharper textures!

Also, there is no way to DISABLE AA in the game(least not without an Nvidia card forcing AA off maybe). Either you use 4xMSAA or AAA(Adaptive AA, only on certain stuff). No other options unless you want to go higher using the graphics card CP.

So yeah the game runs like crap. Even more so in Dx10 and 11 with very little to show for it. Crossfire IS working though so I have it running decently. All maxed, 1920 x 1200, Dx9, AAA. Framerates are meh most of the time. Hard to give an average though because the FPS varies wildly depending on where you're looking. I can get ~30-ish in some areas and over 70 in others. Average just walking around maybe 40-45.

Not tested on an Nvidia rig yet so mileage may vary.

Gameplay: 8/10

The gameplay and gunplay are tight. There are only a few guns but they come in several different configurations. My personal favorite being a silenced .44 Magnum revolver with a stock

An interesting mechanic is using ammo as currency. In this game world, high quality military-grade ammunition(5.54mm AK-47 ammo) is very valuable. All other ammo is called "dirty ammo" which is probably hand reloaded cartridges. Anyhoo you have the option to either use the better ammo, which is more accurate and does more damage, or save it and use your "dirty ammo." You can then use your saved up high quality ammo to trade for more guns or ammo. My favorite is the exchange rates. 1 high grade round is worth 5 dirty rounds, 3 shotgun shells, 4 magnum rounds, etc. So you can either have a trump card for a tough fight, or use your trump card to buy more guns

One cool concept I've never seen before, pneumatic guns. There is an air powered sniper rifle and SMG in the game. You pump them manually and can even "over pump" the chamber for a temporary damage boost. Yeah, I dunno about you guys, but that's just fu**ing cool.

Several other interesting features as well, including having to hand charge your flashlight and NVGs with a hand crank device. And managing the filters on your gas mask, or finding a new one should your current one gain a few "holes" This is all compounded with things stalking you in the dark and enemy soldiers scanning around with their flashlights. Very atmospheric and immersive.

The tension is always up and ammo is always scarce so run-n-gun doesn't work so well here. You have to use the darkness to your advantage and make every shot count. Not only that but controlled and well-aimed bursts are important because your ammo is usually low quality. So accuracy is affected, plus the fact that some(but not all) of the guns are a home-brew creation. Some of the crappier guns even overheat.

My only complaint is the linearity. I don't mind a scripted story. Hell, done well it makes for an excellent experience. But Metro 2033 doesn't allow you loads of tactical options. Everything is scripted to a degree. Not to say that everything is scripted, but you basically move in a single direction the whole game. Most of the puzzles and obstacles are "find your way from point A to point B." "Find the explosives." "Survive the epic fight." Not bad at all, very action packed and satisfying to play. Just wish it felt like there was a bit more freedom.

Sound: 10/10

The sound is incredible. The team behind this game really put a lot of work into the ambiance. Imagine yourself miles underground. Complete pitch black darkness, moving as silently as you can so nobody gets the drop on you. Faintly, in the distance, you hear gunshots. The firefight seems to escalate to a fevered pitch and then dies down as you get closer. By the time you reach the site of the battle, all gunfire has stopped completely. As you carefully pick your way through the mutated corpses and loot the human bodies of their ammo, something makes you stop in your tracks. Down one of the tunnels you can hear a newborn infant crying, its mother desperately trying to quiet it for fear of being found. In all this nightmare-ish hell, an infant cries its tiny little lungs out. It's the little stuff like that I really appreciate in games

But yeah the surround positioning is great and the sound effects are all rock solid. The guns sound just right and everything has a nice meaty "thump" behind it. More than once I jumped out of my seat when I heard footsteps quietly pattering along behind me; coming from an area I just swept out with a 12 gauge...

Sounds fantastic on both my 5.1 speakers and headphones.

Overall: 8/10

Metro 2033 is a great game with great graphics and fun gameplay. A few technical issues kept me from fully enjoying the immersive atmosphere, but I can't fault the game itself for a shoddy port

 

Jeff, you wouldn't see any change from DX9 to DX11 as, unless there's something you haven't told me, you don't run DX11 card(s) yet!

 

Isn't Tessellation that thing gf100 cards are supposed to be really good at? No idea what it really is or does but if my memory is correct the new GTX4xx cards will be incredible at "Tessellation".