Author Topic: Throw me a bone ;) (Read 987 times)

Rocket · « **on:** August 21, 2000, 11:04:00 PM »

S!

With the insurance company breaking some money free my way I will be building a new system. Tho they aren't paying fully what I put into mine last time I think part are cheaper now so it evens out

But now I have a couple of questions/concerns. I am getting a PIII 850 on an asus mobo w/256mb pc133 ram. A Geforce2 ddr agp card

Question #1: Does voodoo still have an accelerator only card other than voodoo2? I still have a few games that run only in 3dfx and hate to really tie up 2 pci slots for SLI voodoo2 cards. I also don't need to buy a v5 card since the agp geforce will do my 2d graphics just fine.
Question #2: SBLive- Is it working well with Dx7.0a. Are there bad issues with it and gaming? Should I just stick with my tried and true Awe64Gold?
Question #3: I think that is it for now. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

S!
Rocket

Vulcan · « **Reply #1 on:** August 21, 2000, 11:33:00 PM »

- get the P3V4X, I'm starting to hear problems about 815i's and AGP video cards (ie the onboard chipset wants to make life hell for you)
- SB Live rocks, I have one, only problems relate to Windows 2000
- As for the Voodoo thing I think there are some software glide-wrappers around (especially from Creative) which emulate the Voodoo stuff, but like any emulator there are 'issues'

Rocket · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2000, 09:51:00 PM »

Ok,
The p3v4x is the board I was looking at

Asus rocks. Think I will get the Asus Geforce2 GTS DDR since it is board optimized.
I guess I will get 2 voodoo2 and SLI them for the 3dfx only stuff I still have. ( just hate to waste 2 PCI slots).

Question: Anyone out here had any issues with the SBLive platinum? (I know I know I have spelling problems from time to time, mind is burnt from this medic class I am in

). I hate to go away from my tried and true AWE64 if there is problems with the SBLive cards and gaming.

S!
Rocket
(patiently awaiting the arrival of the insurance check so he can order his new system)

DR00 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2000, 08:20:00 AM »

Have P-III and ASUS P3V4X, and have not had a problem w/Soundblaster Live X-Gamer. My understanding is all "live" cards are basically the same.
You will (if the insurance company ever comes through) have a kick-ass system. I consitently get 60+ FPS at 32 bit 1028x760.
Make sure you get the latest(8/14) drivers as they really improve performance.

SOB · « **Reply #4 on:** August 23, 2000, 10:50:00 AM »

I've got the SB Live Value running in Win98 with DX7.0a and in Win2k(dual boot) without any problems at all. I've got something plugged into every port on the back of that poor thing, so if there was a problem, I'd know about it!

SOB

Vermillion · « **Reply #5 on:** August 23, 2000, 11:08:00 AM »

I have a SB Live Value, love it and no problems, and I can't tell the difference (in a gaming environment) between it and the full Live card.

A guy told me that unless your a musician who is going to use the additional MIDI capabilities, the Value card is as good as the higher priced ones.

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure
"Real Men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires"

Rocket · « **Reply #6 on:** August 23, 2000, 08:22:00 PM »

Great

Thanks for the info on the cards guys!
My brother has an Xgamer on a k6-2 system and notices some popping and cracking from time to time. I thought early on I had read that some had the same problems here with that and thought if I was going to have problems I just wouldn't get it.
I also knew that if I asked here I would get some great feedback either way!

The company ok'd the payoff and "the check is in the mail" As soon as I get it I will be making purchases. I hope to get all the ordering done and have it by labor day weekend. (Tho I work most of it) I really hate this p133 <G>

S!
Rocket
(And THANKS!)

Skuzzy · « **Reply #7 on:** August 25, 2000, 08:11:00 AM »

Another thing to consider is the monitor. Your video monitor can and will have an impact on performance.
The CPU you are chosing will cause your system to be fill-rate limited as the CPU will be fast enough to keep up with the video card, which leaves the monitor as your last bottleneck.

I would recommend the NEC FP950 19" monitor. It has a perfectly flat screen (sony's new flat screen trinitron tube), and can run up to 160hz scan rates. This is the fastest I have been able to find anywhere.
At 1024x768 you can set the scan rate to 136hz, which (with v-sync enabled) should yeild frame rates of approximately 65. At 1280x1024 you can run at 102hz (nec recommends 85hz), which will give you about 50 frames/second (w v-sync enabled).

Just make sure your video card will support up to 160hz scan rates. A number of them do not, even the newer ones.

A note; the flat screen takes some getting used to after looking at curved screens for the last 20 years, but then when you look at those curved screens, they start to look like a movie being projected on a balloon.

The black levels of this monitor are superb and the multi-point convergence system allows and incredible degree of control on lining up the colors.
Be sure to set the color temperature to 6500 degrees as out of the box it is set to 9200, which is way to bright and casts a blue tint to b&w images.

Of course if you got the money, the FP-1350 (21" version) is out of this world. It is slightly faster than the 950.

Keep in mind these monitors are pretty heavy. The 950 weighs in at 60 U.S. pounds and the 1350 is at 75 U.S. pounds.

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Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
President, AppLink Corp.
http://www.applink.net
skuzzy@applink.net