Back_Blast
-
Posts
451 -
Joined
-
This is a regular monthly column with some pretty good info: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...card,2569.html *Right now* and purely for CoH, one could say that Nvidia is best since ATI cards have more 'issues' with CoH's graphics. This is a legacy of the old partnership they had with Nvidia in the early days of the game. With I17, those issues should vanish, evening the field. At the present and in a general bang-for-the-buck manner, ATI has the better cards. So that's what is generally recommended. Nvidia does have some new top-line stuff coming out which may shuffle the field some and influence pricing but you'd have to wait a bit longer and see. Assuming you don't want to wait, that article should give you some good ideas and price points.
-
Well I have two monitors but I've never considered trying to have CoH on both at once. The second one is more for a place to have up useful web pages or other such things while I play if I need them. I suppose depending on how it works, I might have a look and see if I like.
-
I hate to recap but let me be sure I understand the problem. The device is seen and working, all drivers installed and no issues in Device Manager BUT won't see or connect to any wireless networks in range?
Also, have you checked your Network Connections to make sure it is there and it is Enabled? -
Basically, a card's memory isn't the end-all be-all of a card's performance. There are plenty of other factors in card performance. A card could (hypothetically) have 1TB of memory on it but if all it's other specs compare unfavorably against the speed of an anemic snail, then that big 'wow' of the memory spec is quite meaningless. A rather extreme example but you get the idea (I hope).
Anyways, based on what is publicly known, yes you can run UM. The 9800GT is listed as the starting point of UM compatibility. Can you run it maxed out? Not unless you'd like to play City of Slideshows. Basically, expect to be able to do 'minimum' UM settings. What is minimum? We don't know yet. More info coming 'soon'. -
Well since you use the word 'died' I assume it has been replaced? If not, it may still have issues of some sort that is causing problems. I do say 'may' there. So that's something to consider.
Also you might look at what else you have running on the machine while you play. Try turning uneccesary programs and services off. Especially anything you didn't have running before the crash. Freeing up resources may help.
Get the latest drivers from ATI and try using a driver cleaning program to make sure you get the currently installed ones scrubbed off good. A good clean install of the most recent drivers might work. -
Well as you only want to get by for a year, I'd say enjoy your new video card (I have one of those, they're nice) and just leave it at that. No sense spending money on a processor you're just going to dump in a year. Save the money towards a really kicking mobo and processor when you do your big upgrade. What you have now ought to do reasonably well until then.
-
It could be your drivers indeed. I've heard there were some issues with them that caused games to act up. I have a friend who got into CO (boo!) with a new rig and a 295 and had a similar-esque problem. Though in his case it made all the grapics kinda color inverted. Not exactly like a photo negative but close. He had to roll back to older drivers for awhile to fix it.
-
I'd have to concur. I deal with Dells at work all the time and they're just not built to be upgraded. Certainly not much in any case. I'd definitely say just abandon the idea of making your current box better and save up for a new machine. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration and largely wasted effort.
-
Quote:Well my Google-fu says that video card is a 280M. This an Alienware laptop? That seems to be the big hits I found hunting for it. Anyways, the first news is that the SLI will do you no good as there is no multi-GPU support for UM as yet. So your performance will be based on a single 280M. The 280M itself is essentially just an 8800GTS 512MB rebranded and made for laptops. The minimum card listed by Posi is the 9800GT. Based on that, I'd expect you could generally get UM to run at about minimum specs but likely no better. If they get SLI working, it may improve some but how much is open to question. The rest of the specs look fine but that mobile graphics chip is going to be your main shortcoming. Mobile chips are never as good as their desktop equivalents, despite the fact that manufacturers love to name them similarly to try and make you believe otherwise. Laptops just don't have the same power and cooling capabilities and thus cannot run the top-end chips like desktops can.Originally Posted by Thaumator
I'd like to know if this will play Ultra Mode well? Yes I understand that we don't have the exact specs for UM yet, but...
Intel Core2 Quad Q9000 2.0GHz (6MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz 2 x 4096MB
SLI Dual 1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA GeForce (NB10E-GTX1)
512GB (256GB x 2) Solid State Drive - RAID 0 -
Quote:Until SLI is fixed, I'd say yes. The 295 is effectively two GPUs in SLI so it's not gonna give you the full value until SLI issues get resolved.Originally Posted by Agonist_NA
Quick question I didn't see an answer to...
The GTX295 is a two GPU solution, right? Two GPUs on a single (big ol' brick of a) card.
As I understand how these dual GPUs work, they are internally connected via an SLI bridge. Does the statement from Posi above indicate that, until they fix the issue, a one-card, two GPU solution won't be any different than a single GPU?
Depends on your actual power needs and the strength of your 12V rail(s). Check this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...card,2544.html for some good info on video cards. Right now you generally get better bang for the buck by buying ATI Radeons. And I believe they also are less demanding in power needs too.Quote:Originally Posted by EmperorSteele
I already have a 650w Antec power supply i got last year, so I'm presuming that'll be adequate for any power supply needs i may have.
But the 240 is LOW? Dang, from what I've read it blows my current card out of the water and runs modern games great.. I would hope that it could run an old game with some modern bells and whistles good, too!
Hmm, if i get some cheaper memory, i can probably slide with getting a slightly more expensive GPU (a 250)... won't give me EVERYTHING, but i won't be on the low end fro ultramode anymore, so that'll be good =) -
Quote:Well the system specs for CoX do mention DX9 but those specs are pretty old. Also, I think it has been mentioned they are using OpenGL in order to support Mac clients since they don't/can't use DX so far as I know. So I'd expect OpenGL is the key tech for CoX now and for the future GR and UM stuff. But I can't prove any of it.Originally Posted by spice_weasel
just wondering, has it been confirmed in some way that directx 10+ are not used in ultra mode? a forum search suggested opengl was being used to implement it, but nothing redname popped out at me.
i only ask as i idly consider upgrading from xp and dx 9.c to win7 and dx 11 with a 5870 (that will likely be cheaper in 4-6 mos/rogue range for this and other games).
thanks for all the info spread throughout the thread so far. -
Quote:I'm not so sure. The base card for UM Posi states is the 9800GT which according to Tom's Hardware is generally equivalent to the 4830 and 5670. A 3850 comes in at 2-3 rungs below that in their rankings depending on the card's memory. So unless the specs for UM come down, I'd say you *might* do the bare minimum settings but I wouldn't count on it. And you'll likely have low FPS if you do. My advice? Scrape some cash together and go upgrade if you want UM.Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
I have to admit, I am really curious to find out how the Radeon 3850HD will handle UM.
Based on what we've been told so far, I'm thinking it might be able to handle medium-lower settings, or simply just really low settings... However, the card seems to have always performed better than I've expected, so who knows.
I could also be wrong and it won't handle the new settings at all!
Thus, why I am eager to find out, hehe.
I'm not too worried. Just curious (And ever more-so as the day gets closer and closer to when I can find out).
Excelsior!! -
I suppose you could try nuking the test install and redownloading from scratch. Sounds about the only other thing to try. You could also put in a support ticket and see what they suggest. But...unless you have an invite to the Beta, the whole thing is moot right now since you won't be able to get in anyways. Just sayin'.
-
Quote:Well I've no idea of your specs but this thread:http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=200245 should give you a decent idea of how it will work for you. At least based on what is publicly known.Originally Posted by Astroburn
I'm just hoping that Ultra-Mode runs on my comp. I can run CoH currently on max settings with little to no lag even in full groups.. so hopefully Ultra-Mode will run for me..
-
Quote:I'd agree there. From what I've seen of the 'NDA', it looks more of a set of rules they want you to abide by to keep others not in the beta from being highly jealous of your access. And since most of the major changes I think tend to happen in the CB, it also keeps unintentional misinformation from being disseminated. My CB experience is limited but it does seem to me that by the time OB hits, the new content is pretty well locked down and it's just a matter of banging out the last minor bugs and stability issues that OB is for.Originally Posted by Necronous
Since I sense an incoming semanics debate, here's the best answer:
Yes it is against the NDA to say you're in beta and he can indeed be removed from beta for posting that he's in beta.
But since I'm going to bring semantics into this, theres technically not an NDA for closed beta. An NDA is technically a signed agreement that is reached BEFORE accessing a beta and is legally and contractually binding. For these closed beta's players are selected in some random/semi-random fashion and are given access to content and are only presented with a set of rules AFTER accessing beta.
It's a subtle difference, but the major things gained from this is:
A) Its not a binding agreement (thats irrelevant to this answer)
B) It means the devs can enforce or ignore it at will. Hence, they can let this guy slide and nothing needs to occur. Regardless, its in his best interest to cease speaking about beta anymore. -
Well a statement from them would end the speculation and such and clarify that "Yes Loyalty folks will get in the CB at some point." or "No, we're using our usual unspecified criteria. See you all in Open Beta."
-
Quote:http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...card,2544.htmlOriginally Posted by Alexandria2000
I was wondering if ATI was worth getting.
I could get a NVid 9800 fairly cheaply (I've had an 8800 for a while) but I don't know a thing about ATI cards or what I should be looking for there.
The issue will probably be memory more than anything else.
This should give you some good info. It also has a ranking chart at the end that gives a fair idea of what cards from ATI and Nvidia (relatively) match up with each other in performance terms. Right now ATI is generally considered the leader in graphics as you tend to get more performance for less $$ from them than Nvidia. Either brand should do fine in CoH really once I17 removes the issues it has with ATI cards but you'll get more bang for your buck if you go ATI right now. -
The confusion over I17 and Loyalty folks I think stems from the fact they moved UM and DS into I17 from GR. Thus some feel they should have special access to I17 since it now contains what was GR material. I got into the DP beta but I don't honestly know if that was due to the Loyalty deal or if I just got lucky. I don't recall if anything was ever stated about it's criteria. But I like many others am not in this CB, at least not yet and maybe not at all. But I'm not sweating it either. I just got my new rig going and I'm having fun on Live so I'm coping just fine. But I see no real problem with a Dev clarification here just to set matters straight. It would certainly put a lot of the speculation and such to rest.
-
Enough with the angst guys. Lots of folks didn't get in, you're hardly alone in that. I figure a couple weeks of CB and they'll open it up and we can all go see the new toys. And they might go and do some extra CB waves or open it up to Loyalty folks first before making it a full OB. Chill and have patience. I'm dying to see how my rig will do UM too but it's not like there's anything I can do to get in till they let me. So go play that Live version, hang and commiserate with the rest of us who didn't get in, beat on some mobs if it makes you feel better, and just have patience.
-
Quote:Well it's all speculation to me as I said. But if they do have UM in the CB, one would assume they'd want to have a decent slate of folks in there that can run it to some degree. If nobody in the CB can run it, what's the point in testing it? Which brought me to wondering what they knew about us concerning our systems and whether they could/would use that to pick invitees. No prior issue that I can think of depended much, if any, on user hardware for testing. Certainly not to this degree. So, idle minds wonder...Originally Posted by Psyte
I certainly hope that testing Ultramode will be part of i17's CB. Kind of counting on it. Right now the only reason I have to upgrade my video card is Ultra Mode... every other game I've tried recently (since upgrading my CPU) has run quite nicely at default (or better) settings... Batman, Mirror's Edge, etc.
Anyways, it certainly sounds like you expect an invite for some reason. So I'll just wish us both luck on that and leave it there. And then scurry home in a bit and try to get my new rig finished up in the unlikely event I do get lucky somehow. -
With I17 about to hit closed beta, I have to wonder if that includes testing UM. One would assume so but perhaps that will be later in the open. I suppose it's possible they know who has a rig that can run it and can factor that in their invites but I dunno. Not sure if that sort of info gets transmitted to them and the legalities of it being done so. Privacy issues and whatnot. Anyways, idle speculation and all.
-
Quote:Well those who can't afford a full new box or those with already decent systems will likely go the GPU route and maybe bottleneck the processor. The rest will either not run UM, can already run UM well with no upgrades, or will buy a new rig that can run UM with no issues. That's my guess anyways. As for the price points Posi uses, keep in mind the original post was done in November. Markets and such change so it shouldn't be too surprising his numbers are off a bit.Originally Posted by DJ_Shecky
Hmmm.. well this is going to be interesting to see how many people only upgrade their video card and wind up bottlenecking in the processor. I know that will more than likely be my bottleneck as I am using a 4 year old Athalon x64 4200+ dual core machine.
That being said, I am curious to see how different machines take to the Ultra-Graphics Mode overall.
After re-reading the post from Posi, there are some cards such as the GTS250 which has a price point in the mid $100's that seem to defy the scale Posi set up (as the 250 is basically a 9800) and the 260's are running just over $200 right now. So price points are a little off.
The best thing for anyone looking to upgrade to do is to figure their budget and then do some homework. Find whatever gives them the best performance at a price they can afford and buy that. Plenty won't and will end up disappointed but really, think before you spend and you'll do fine. -
Quote:UM is entirely optional. If your system has the power to run it, you can get the new eye candy. If not, the game continues to look basically the same. There's something said somewhere in this thread that they are tweaking the regular graphics but it's mainly just to fix the issues folks have had with ATI cards from the beginning of CoH. So those with lesser systems *might* see some small improvement depending on what all the lesser fixes are but should essentially see the game just as it is now. Those with good systems or the $$ to upgrade will get to savor UM at some level.Originally Posted by Crayne
It seems that with all the concern about getting a new video card, no one seems to have asked the question, "Is the Ultra Mode a graphic option, or will competely override the current graphics option choices?"
If it is a complete override, then it will alienate many people who cannot afford a new graphics card, or a new computer for that matter. Many new graphics cards are configured for the PCI express slots on the motherboard. If you have an older computer (2yrs or more) you may only have the PCI slot, and the video card options for it are slim. I suggest taking a closer look at your video card to see which slot it has BEFORE rushing out to buy the new ones mentioned here, which I believe are PCI express slotted(I could be wrong.) If you are still unsure or uncomfortable then have a knowledgeable friend or a professional look at it for you.
If it isnt, then there is no need to go out to buy a graphics card if you have an older computer. All you would have to do is not play in Ultra Mode untill you can upgrade your hardware. Personally, I hope this is the case.
I'm pretty certain all the UM-level cards are PCI-e exclusively. AGP is very much a thing of the past now. So yeah, those thinking of upgrading just their video do need to take note of what their mobo will take if they're using an older machine.
There may be a little envy from those who can't do UM, but nobody is going to be required to do an upgrade just to play. UM is 100% optional. -
Quote:It's Blueberry-Lime Jello I think. Next time you fight one use a spoon, they hate that. But avoid the crunchy bits, they're not so tasty.Originally Posted by Xandor
Yeah, I don't want to be a blob of...whatever they are made of.
-
Quote:Well if you get an upper-end ATI, by the time you're seriously wishing you could Crossfire, it may well be time to get a new system. So I wouldn't sweat it too much.Originally Posted by Mezzosoprano
Thanks for the info.
From all the discussion here, it certainly sounds like buying a higher-end ATI card would be a better eye-on-the-future purchase, other than the fact that I can't go crossfire further down the road.