Frame Rate Question

[JCLerch]

All,

This is difficult question to put into words, but here goes..

Given that V-Sync is turned on in the following two situations:

Monitor refresh = 60Hz.  So Ah has 1/60 of a second to draw each video frame.  

Monitor refresh = 75Hz  Ah now only has 1/75 of a second to draw each video frame.

Question, IF it takes longer to draw the video frame than the time between re-fresh rates, does AH keep working on the next frame, or just wait until the last frame is displayed before starting on the next video frame?

I ask as I seem to get better visual performance running my system with a monitor refresh rate of 60hz than I do at 75hz.  Especially when attacking ground targets from the air using the "vis range ground" display mode.  

Anyone else noticed this?

[zmeg]

Your monitor will continue showing the current frame until a new one is completed. The differance in performance may be due to an increase in heat at higher resulution. A larger fan & heatsink on your GPU will prolly give you a little better overall performance.

[JCLerch]

Your monitor will continue showing the current frame until a new one is completed

OK, but it can't show it until the next refresh rate come by, yes?  And if so, can the GPU start working on the next frame, while waiting for the refresh rate to grab the currently finished, but yet to be displayed frame?

[Overlag]

Originally posted by JCLerch
OK, but it can't show it until the next refresh rate come by, yes?  And if so, can the GPU start working on the next frame, while waiting for the refresh rate to grab the currently finished, but yet to be displayed frame?

yes, its called buffering, Nvidia cards have something like "render frames ahead" and it allows you to choose like 2-3 or something. ATI dont really have a option like that you can manauly change, apart from triplebuffering in Opengl settings. All cards do some sort of buffering.

[DamnedRen]

You have a question that interests me too.

I'd have to ask what people are looking for. Higher FR that doesn't drop when you get into the smoke and fire, low over a field where the furballing is maxed? Or better picture quality at the cost of FR? Or maybe you want both? I kinda think I do.

At issue might be the complete setup that make its all work. In my mind it's as follows:
Refresh rate of the monitor
CPU speed
Ram Speed/amount available for the game
Video card speed (piping abilities)
Pixel setting (1024x?)

Maybe Im wrong and if so it'd be nice to get a better understanding of the way it works.
Here's my thoughts.
If the game is set for a certain pixel (1200Xwhatever) does that means its optomized it? I think this is correct so I run my video at that rate.
My monitor will refresh at a max of 75 Hz. That being the case I note the game FR = 75 average.
My CPU speed = 2.1 ghz. no issues here.
MY Ram is PC3000 = 1 gb
My operating sys is old wiin98fe but works
My vid card = GeForce4  128mb ddr ram
In the game Control I showes I'm not using max  memory.
I don't lose much in FR. The worst in heavy combat appears to have been around 60FR.

This opens up the question. Is there a way to get more out of this setup?
Note: this is my gaming computer. There is nothing else currently running in it other than an operating system, internet browser, the game, speed keys for my CH stick/throttle/TM Pedals. No other games, mail, anything is loaded on it.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions regarding this and refesh rates/Frame rates as noted by the thread?

Ren