There are a lot of other independent driver modifications. Most have no real impact on frame rate. I have found that the x3dfx drivers add a setting for v-sync that trades frame rate stability for max peformance:
i.e. if it is enabled, I get 25 to 37 fps in 2x FSAA (mostly at 37 until near bases or smoke), whereas I get 25 to 70 fps with v-sync disabled (almost any variation in control inputs and terrain causes frame rate to change from its normal value of 52 fps). The Voodoo seems to run faster at either 1024x768 or 1280x1024 than at any lower resolution. 2x fsaa doesn't seem to cost too much fps, but 4x just doesn't cut it for me in AH (though I agree it sure is beautiful).
Try this address if you don't mind messing with betas:
http://pub43.ezboard.com/bx3dfx The x3dfx 1.08.00 beta works great for me, but the current 1.08.02 drivers aren't supporting 32bpp color in 3dfx. Hopefully, within the week the 1.08.03 beta will come out and regain the compatibility of 1.08.00 while retaining the new 1.08.02 features.
e-mail me if you have any questions about settings, I have tried them all in my quest for superior AH image quality and frame rates. I don't have time right now to list my current settings (and I am running a mix of 1.08.00 and 1.08.02).
Generally, the 1.04 or 1.04.01 beta from 3dfx work great. If you don't have any compatibility issues, you will probably be just as well off using those drivers. You just don't have the ability to tweak as many settings.
Oh, there is an exe that was made by 3dfx to enable the overclocking setting in the tools window. It automatically comes with the x3dfx drivers, but if you want it separately, I can email you a copy.
I personally don't use the overclocking. Any speed which was stable, was too low to make any noticable differences.
You will find the primary limit of your frame rate is your cpu. Voodoo 5500 works much better with faster processors. Mine runs AH at about twice the speed as my dad's (he as celeron 600 MHz). I am probably going to go to a PIII 1 GHz as soon as the prices roll down enough. I am hoping to get steady 50 to 70 fps with 2x fsaa.
P.S. I forgot to mention: the AGP setting is about useless. The Voodoo 5500 AGP is really a PCI card in disguise. You will notice that the framerate is not affected at all by the AGP setting even when disabled, the card always works at a PCI 66 MHz (same speed as AGP 1x). No big loss though, I never saw AGP 4x on my old card have any significant impact on framerate either.
[ 09-04-2001: Message edited by: streakeagle ]
