The Official Graphics Card and PC gaming Thread

Yeah, depending on the music, I'm finding it highly challenging! LOL!
Hope you had a merry christmas as well. And a happy new year!

 

Oh wow! Check out this track! That is the most INSANE track I've seen LOL!

 

Anything with variable tempo and volume that's that expansive, it will get pretty nuts. I used to like Audiosurfing to long post-rock epics. Not because it was challenging but it was just a fun chill out thing to do for 20 minutes or so with a bit of interactive 'on your toes' action in the middle.

 

I definitely dig that game. Good fun way to kill some time

And now I'm digging my 3D monitor. Took a bit of tweaking, but finally have a rudimentary understanding, and process to make BD3D's run properly on Powerdvd. At first, there was virtually no 3D affect. Discovered I had to enable Stereoscopic 3D in the Nvidia control panel. Which basically allows communique between Nvidia, and the player to properly display the 3D. With respect to hardware anyhow. Apparently with my current configuration, I'm limited to 24Hz 3D playback. Which is fine. TOTALLY respectable! I don't know about gaming that way though...

My eyes are a bit tired after watching Avatar. Incredible by the way! So, even if I find 3D to be exhausting to my eyes, I have found this display to play my Star Trek BD's WAYYY better than the Dell U2410. Whether that's because of proper aspect ratio/size, or default color/brightness scheme, I do not know. I just know that it looks noticeably better

Icing on the cake? The wattage on the Dell is roughly 56W, the wattage on the LG is 29W while watching movies. Just comfortably browsing the web, about 18W!!! I'm astounded!

 

That's LED backlighting for you - if I recall, the U2410 is still CCFL? My LED-backlit Dell U2312HMs use probably 20W if that - they are literally still cold to the touch in every area after having been on all day.

 

Haven't done the math for our area, but Dell seems to think the average annual cost, is $17 to run the U2410. Rather trivial cost if you ask me. So according to that, switching to the LG is a rather marginal savings. I know where we'd really save though. My jaw dropped when I tested our 50" plasma screen. Rated at 500W, our panasonic is typically pulling 450W!!! That's more than two of our heat lamp bulbs combined :S My folks aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to technology. But it's not hard to understand, that the 50" tv, pulls a stupid amount of electricity. Certainly this day in age LOL! It's a 2007 TV.

 

Plasmas do use a lot - I suppose for 50" that makes sense. Our 2009 42" Regza LCD used around 200W I think.

 

Ugh! Plasmas should be outlawed LOL!

 

Question regarding steam. New years eve, I'd like to introduce my brother and some friends to audiosurf. On HIS computer. Provided my PC is not logged into steam, I should be able to login on HIS computer, and play Audiosurf under my account, via a backed up version of Audiosurf, right? Further, would it only run under my login? Not attempting anything illegal, this is a serious question. I tried backing up steam on my last Windows install, and only half the games didn't need redownloaded. The thing is, my brothers ISP is only giving him 1.5MB. It would take some time to even download audio surf. 400+MB. He's lucky to get 150 kB/s!

Could I backup to a flash drive, and then have steam use those backups on his computer? I really want this game for new years eve! LOL!

 

Generally speaking, if you install steam, log in and then copy the steamapps/common folder for the relevant game to that PC's install, doing 'install game' should theoretically recognise the existing content - it's not a 100% exact science though, I think it depends on the title. Steam logins can supercede those on other PCs - while your home PC may get signed out, it being left signed into steam will not prevent you logging in elsewhere.

 

Thanks Sam! Seems logical

 

Responding back to you guys from a few days ago - before Kevin got 3d working on his new monitor - and watched Avatar again (Sam are you ever going to watch it?):

I had a great Christmas/Hanukkah/Ramadan/year of the pig/anniversary of the date cannucks drove back the finnians/anniversary of the date the finnians decided never to get so drunk as to go that far north again - COLD!!

Then I read this:

Is this one of those Canadian tricks?

".....you can't go any further north...."

THEN .... HOW DO YOU GET HOME EACH NIGHT?

See you all next year!

 

Nice! Wish I could ride my bike to work and back. Honestly! But 20 miles round trip? I don't know about that :S And certainly not when it's dipping below freezing. Substantially!

 

You sir, are hard core! lol

 

OMG - bike riding out at colder than -20???

If you think about it - as if -20 wasn't bad enough - now you're scooting along on a bike and you have to add chill factor - (although I guess if no part of your skin is exposed to the wind, you wouldn't have to do that - but surely some part of your face is going to get some wind on it.)

Ok, mountain man DDP - I'm impressed. You cannucks are a hearty breed. So what kind of windbreaker plus p0lar bear skin do you dress up in to survive a bike ride like that?

 

I'm playing Far Cry 4. After Jeff's review I couldn't wait any longer - now I'm hooked.

Kevin - I know you like to run around New York in GTA. How about running around in the tropics - Far Cry 3, or running around in northern Pakistan close to the Himalayas - Far Cry 4. I have the feeling you'd also get hooked if you tried it out. I would start with Far Cry 3 first - probably for under $20 by now.

For Far Cry 4, as opposed to Far Cry 3, I now cannot get crossfire working despite running the latest catalyst as of 12/11/14. Occasionally Arma 3 drops the 2nd card, but I jump out to desktop, run Furmark in crossfire, and that always starts up crossfire in Arma and gets my fps back up to 30.

But that trick is not working for me in Far Cry 4.

However, I am getting 40 fps at ultra settings with 99% load on one overclocked 7950, so I can't complain. Like I say, according to fraps I get about 40 fps, except when I first respawn after getting killed, where it starts out at 5 fps in the safe house or at the outpost attack position - building up to regular 30 fps and then higher in about 30 seconds.
Would that be my hard drive - somewhat full and perhaps in need of defrag. ????? I'm thinking it's still reloading the textures for the first 20 seconds or so.

Anybody have any comments?

(DDP I imagine your comment would be "'I'm freezing my butt off up here - just north of the north pole - errrr - just south of the north pole." Believe me, we feel for you, but we can't decide if you want Kevin to come rescue you or not - and then of course there is that potential problem of smuggling somebody with a thick Canadian accent across the border. Come to think of it, Kevin could probably wait for you at the MacDonald's while you side-tracked the Mounties by cutting through the woods. )
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I am taking lots of screenshots. Occasionally a scene is especially beautiful and worth of a "photograph." It's not a more beautiful game than Far Cry 3 which was absolutely gorgeous in my book. Far Cry 4 is probably just as pretty - but they eliminated the waves pushing out from the front of the wave runner, which might be more realistic, but has the effect of eliminating the spectacular water reflections of Far Cry 3.

In Far Cry 4, when you back up a boat, the waves rippling out in front of you as you back up, are buttery smooth perfection of colors and angled reflections. Breathtaking. But otherwise, you are cutting through water on lakes and rivers that is as smooth as glass. There are some nice water reflections of colorful trees, but no waves to give those reflections real pop.

If you look behind yourself - which you CAN do as you turn to shoot - you'll see the waves, but how often do you drive and look the other way?

(DDP - don't take it personally, because I know that in Canada you guys drive and look the other way all the time - but I am mostly talking stateside.)

Far Cry 3 was stellar, and 4 is a worthy continuation with some interesting twists - such as what I just mentioned - wielding a sidearm while driving - and your sidearm can be the uber powerful grenade launcher! Launch a grenade straight out your front window at that enemy pickup coming toward you and watch it explode in stunning fiery glory!

Here's another fabulous Far Cry 4 twist - this game features flying! It's a little kit-version one man helicopter held together with duct tape and bailing wire. Let me say this: Crazy fun!

Rich

 

Perhaps one day I'll be able to play all the far cry games. At the moment, can't seem to find any spare time