Ultra-mode video card shopping guide
By
5th_Player,
Posted on: 2009-11-25 11:21 in Developers' Corner
Je, why do you have the world and character detail turn up pass 100%? It's kinda over kill after 100%? And you can have a better looking screen on a 250 than that.
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Fallenz: because my eyes can tell a difference past 100%. It's only in the scales beyond that, the scales that have to be accessed by command prompt, where my eyes have problems spotting the differences.|
Originally Posted by fallenz
Je, why do you have the world and character detail turn up pass 100%? It's kinda over kill after 100%? And you can have a better looking screen on a 250 than that.
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Also: Those are the settings that the GTS 250 is most comfortable at for most combat situations.
Yes, the GTS 250 can push "more" but it can't maintain a stable frame-rate.
And yes, turning down the rendering distance enables the GTS 250 to run more complex features at once. So there is a trade-off of how far you can see versus the amount of detail on objects that you can see.
Thanks for info. Ughh get back in the game big N!
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i also have an amd processor and a nvidia 9800gt card and i am getting crashes at random times, also my girlfriend has an amd processor and the same nvidia card and her game crashes too, i dont understand wht the problem is i dont know if amd and 9800gt is a bad mix or what? its really annoying to be doing missions and randomly crash... please some one help me!
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Originally Posted by Flarecrow
Am I to take this that Having an nVidia Card and an AMD processor is a bad combo?
Would definitely explain the nVidia related crashes I am subject to now. Kind of an embarrassing question to have to ask, considering I am a PC tech and have never heard of this phenomenon. |
I been running nVidia cards and AMD processorr for the last seven years with no problems. Alot times the crashes are caused by bad drivers or overheating in the case sometimes cause by wrong power supply for the system or not enough air flow in the case.
I have an ultra mode question and I know you guys are the right ones to ask! Short of buying a new computer, what can I do to get even the basic level of Ultra Mode? Here are my specs: HP Pavilion p6510f, AMD, 4GB, 250w power supply, and an RS880 in the board. Memory? Graphics card? If so what kind? Thanks for your help!
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graphics card and power supply. |
Originally Posted by Commander K
I have an ultra mode question and I know you guys are the right ones to ask! Short of buying a new computer, what can I do to get even the basic level of Ultra Mode? Here are my specs: HP Pavilion p6510f, AMD, 4GB, 250w power supply, and an RS880 in the board. Memory? Graphics card? If so what kind? Thanks for your help!
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No graphics card that will boot and run at full clocks on a 250 watt power supply is going to give you ultra-mode graphics.
According to TechReviewSource this computer does have a free 16x PCIE slot, so tell us how much you want to spend and we can point you in the right direction.
Realistically, you are looking at about $150 to get that computer into shape for UltraMode:
- ~$100 Graphics card
- ~$50 power supply
I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but my computer holds a P.C.I.E. type card, and I'm not sure quite which of the cards mentioned fits into that slot. I'm not very good with computers, folks. 
http://faces.cohtitan.com/profile/Fescu/photo/61558
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Just wondering has there been any update from the Dev team on this? Je_Saist has posted a topic on the AMD/ATI fourm (I 'bumped' it yesterday as it hasn't gotten any responses).
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Originally Posted by Positron
Also noteworthy is that Ultra Mode does not currently support SLI configured cards. Were working with NVidia and ATI about this, but you all can speed up the process by contacting NVidia and ATI about updating things on their end to get it to work.
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@EU Blue Blaze
I finally got my Radeon 5770 card! Woohoo! It can crank Ultra Mode up to the max, and even when I checked my framerates in some areas (it gets as low as 12fps in some areas!), it still seems to play incredibly smoothly with very little to no choppy framerates.
What's going on here? Is it a case of my net speed or that Ultra Mode is still kind of 'dense' to get super-smooth framerates?
S.
Part of Sister Flame's Clickey-Clack Posse
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Ultra Mode leverages more than just the GPU. The Shadow maps, for example, are extremely CPU intensive as well. |
Originally Posted by SuperOz
I finally got my Radeon 5770 card! Woohoo! It can crank Ultra Mode up to the max, and even when I checked my framerates in some areas (it gets as low as 12fps in some areas!), it still seems to play incredibly smoothly with very little to no choppy framerates.
What's going on here? Is it a case of my net speed or that Ultra Mode is still kind of 'dense' to get super-smooth framerates? S. |
The game's "architecture" also affects Ultra-Mode performance. Various zones cause massive overdraw on the system, such as the "apartment slums" in the south of Cap Au Diable, and no matter what you throw at them, it'll always be choppy and laggy there.
There's no hardware combination, that I'm aware of, that will give you 30fps+ in every single zone, in every single situation.
Okay, thanks for that....I don't find there's any issues with my gameplay at all (and now the NDA is lifted, I can say I experience the same on the Beta), so I'm pretty happy on that score.
I'll happily play under these conditions because the video card isn't even getting warm running Ultra Mode. I love the thing already.
S.
Part of Sister Flame's Clickey-Clack Posse
Also remember that world detail setting affects more than just which objects are drawn at a specific distance in Ultra Mode. It also determins which objects cast shadows and are used in reflection.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Hi
Just out of curiosity, what would an Nvidia GeForce 330M 256MB do? Could I get anywhere close to Ultra Mode with that and a 2.4GHz I5 processor?
Okay, upgrading slowly but surely. Have a 450 watt power supply and a free PCI Express x16 slot. Are the newer cards backwards compatible? And, if not, what's the best card to get? Posi's original suggestion of the 9800? Or is there something cheaper? Kinda want to stick to NVidia, too.
A 9800 is a very old card.. in fact I have one. The card plays every game I have very well.. including all new games. However, there is one game and only one, that can wreck this card. Its called City of Hero's. Currently for this halloween event I have dropped all the settings to min (on 22inch widescreen so the res is 1680 or whatever). I must say that even at min graphics settings the game still drops to 21 frames/sec which is so strange.
You can use ultramode settings in AE and on teams of 8 in regular missions and normally event free times but honestly in the open maps and for huge events like this.. my framerates are getting murdered and the lag is aweful as well and I have fios. When you attack banners or have a zombie invasion or Rikti invasion.. look out!
So there you have it.. anything less than this card would not be worth your time if you are looking to get better graphics.
Really you should hookup a new i7 and the latestest nvida card you can find if you want to see everything as nice as it can be in ultramode. Other than that you will suffer like me.
Why no FSAA?
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Yes, PCIe V2.0 is backwards compatible.|
Originally Posted by mercykilling
Okay, upgrading slowly but surely. Have a 450 watt power supply and a free PCI Express x16 slot. Are the newer cards backwards compatible? And, if not, what's the best card to get? Posi's original suggestion of the 9800? Or is there something cheaper? Kinda want to stick to NVidia, too.
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The 9800GT was for minimum Ultra Mode settings.
The important part of a power supply spec is how many watts can you get at 12 volts, in total. If it's not listing on the power supply, it should list the number of amps. It gets sticky if your power supply has multiple +12 volt rails but doesn't list the combine maximum wattage at 12 volts.
Sticking with nVidia can be a bit problematic because with their current crop you have the GT 430 which isn't very powerful (65% the performance of a 9800GT), the GTS 450 which is a bit over 30% faster than the 9800GT and the GTX 460 which is 95 to 105% faster than the 9800GT depending on the flavor, 768MB or 1GB.
The GTX 460, either flavor, requires two 6-pin PCIe power connectors, the GTS 450 only needs one.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Hey I've been running COV for about a year and 7-8months now. i started messing with my Nvidia Geforce 9800 GTX+ HDMI video & audio settings. Of course it doesn't work now... could I get some suggestions as to a subsantial upgrade from this? say 200-$600 better graphics cards. I run Windows7 ultimate on an HP pavillion Elite m9040n. core 2 quad core. I'm assuming i can get better quality than this card its been like 3-4years since i've gotten a new card. Lol really i'm just sick of dicking with the settings. yes i understand the power supply concept. I got a GX series 550watt modular power supply.. i'm open to upgrading that as well. I should mention maybe that i run my OS in 64bit tho windows7 ultimate has a switch mode setting for 32bit things... and i have two seperate HDD. one runs at 7200 rpm and the other 5400 rpm. Curious if there is a difference because I'm have a recording studio with Pro tools LE that requires a faster the one with the faster rpm's...
I'm running a Sapphire ATi HD 5850 and it runs the game pretty flawlessly at max settings @ 1080p. It's reasonably priced as well.
If you're in the states, you can get a comparable card here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-477-_-Product
I am running a 5830 at 1680*1050 maximum settings no issues at all.
I have two GTX 460 cards in SLI at 2560x1600, running with /maxfps set to 120 & /vis_scale at 4.0.
Ultra mode with all settings at their highest quality drops me to under 20 fps in most zones despite the SLI.
To be honest, I usually just play with Ultra Mode off. Better water, shadows, etc., aren't worth the framerate loss.
-- Vivian
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Vivian, can you tell me what fps you are getting without SLI at the same settings then (with everything on)?|
Originally Posted by Doctor Vivian
I have two GTX 460 cards in SLI at 2560x1600, running with /maxfps set to 120 & /vis_scale at 4.0.
Ultra mode with all settings at their highest quality drops me to under 20 fps in most zones despite the SLI. To be honest, I usually just play with Ultra Mode off. Better water, shadows, etc., aren't worth the framerate loss. -- Vivian |
I tried two GTX590s last weekend but they didn't work on my windows build for some odd reason (long story) so I returned them.
Was thinking of trying tri SLI GTX580s next @2560 but I'd like to know what kind of scaling efficiency CoX has with SLI.
Devs: When will you fix the PhysX routine? It is not available, even the latest PhysX drivers are installed. Other games are recognizing it and work perfect, only COH shows not available and does not use it.
I believe my power supply is more than enough to handle all the way up to the recommended nvidia 260/ATI 5770, but is my system going to be enough to handle say a generation lower (250/5750) and give me full results? There seems to be some negligible differences as you go up in cards, and I'm wondering where the breakpoints might be.
Any help would be appreciated.
S.
Those are the settings that the GTS 250 is most comfortable at when coupled with a Socket AM2 Athlon64 X2 6000.
Here's what the same processor will do with a RadeonHD 5770
Now, I haven't actually had hands on with a 5750. Right now they seem to be selling for around $130 - $140 : http://www.pricewatch.com/search?q=R...5750&gallery=1
1gb 5770's start at $155: http://www.pricewatch.com/search?q=R...5770&gallery=1
Now, if the 5750 was selling for around it's intended $110 price point, yeah, it might be worth looking at... since it's not... might as well spring for the 5770.
You probably also know by now that I'm not exactly Nvidia's biggest supporter on the forum... so... I'll try to keep this brief.
Yes, if you wanted to buy a graphics card that didn't do OpenGL 4.0 / DirectX 11, you could in-fact pick up a GTS 260 new for around $200: http://www.pricewatch.com/search?q=G...+260&gallery=1 If shopped carefully, you could only pay around $180... and you'll pay a lot less on the used market: http://hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17
But if you didn't care about OpenGL 4.0 / DX11 support, you'll find that some RadeonHD 4890's still exist in that $200 price-point. You just probably won't find any on the used market...
Personally, if I was buying new, now, I'd be going for the DX11 / OpenGL 4.0 options.
I've got my own reasons for considering the current entire Nvidia line-up a rip off, but since I've already detailed most of those reasons before, it's really up to you.
Right now the RadeonHD 5770 is the best performance / feature / buck you can get, and it's the one that I, and probably many other posters, would be pushing you to look at.