Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: DREDIOCK on October 06, 2007, 01:00:50 AM
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Might want to check out this $118 deal at Circuit City
http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/162880/zip/08824/originURLEncoded/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.circuitcity.com%252Fssm%252FVideo-cards-video-editing%252Fsem%252Frpsm%252FcatOid%252F-13043%252FN%252F20012961%252B20012973%252B20013043%252B5452%252B312973003%252Flink%252Fref%252Frpem%252Fccd%252Fcategorylist.do/rpem/ccd/howToGetItTab.do# (http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/162880/zip/08824/originURLEncoded/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.circuitcity.com%252Fssm%252FVideo-cards-video-editing%252Fsem%252Frpsm%252FcatOid%252F-13043%252FN%252F20012961%252B20012973%252B20013043%252B5452%252B312973003%252Flink%252Fref%252Frpem%252Fccd%252Fcategorylist.do/rpem/ccd/howToGetItTab.do#)
PNY GeForce 7600 GS AGP Graphics Card
PNY VCG76512SAPB
• 512MB GDDR2 of memory
• 8.64/sec bandwidth
• 400MHz GPU • Shader Model 3.0 support
• Integrated HDTV encoder
• Dual-link DVI support
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BTW
If you print out the page and bring it to BestBuy
they will match it.
I just picked this card up.
Probably the last upgrade I'l be able to do to this machine before my daughter inherits it and I build a new one for myself.
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The 7600GT is a faster card, and it uses less electricity. The XFX version also has a lifetime warranty (they're sending me a new heatsink/fan for free - I just asked when it started getting noisy), which is good.
And finally, newegg sells it for about the same as the GS version you're talking about.
I have one and it works great.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=7600GT+AGP&x=0&y=0
-Llama
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I have a 256mg card, would that be worth upgrading?
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LLama
If I might ask, which driver are u using with your card? I have the same card and have been using 93.71 from XFX to get the overclocking.
Thanks
Hungry
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I have the XFX 7600GT in my system (2.8GHz P4). I've used XFX 91.47, 92.??, Nvidia 94.24, and the latest Nvidia 163.71. There is no difference in performance (or stuttering) between them. 163.71, however, doesn't have overclocking settings, you have to download ntune. Nvidia control panel is much more stable in 163.71, which is good as it doesn't seem to give you the old control panel.
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Originally posted by 715
I have the XFX 7600GT in my system (2.8GHz P4). I've used XFX 91.47, 92.??, Nvidia 94.24, and the latest Nvidia 163.71. There is no difference in performance (or stuttering) between them. 163.71, however, doesn't have overclocking settings, you have to download ntune. Nvidia control panel is much more stable in 163.71, which is good as it doesn't seem to give you the old control panel.
I have a 256mg GeForce FX5700 (Not sure about the leading letters). Are their different drivers for each card? I usually go to the nvidia website to get drivers. Is there a better site? What is ntunes? Never heard that before either.
Appreciate any advice
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715
I have tried pretty much the same drivers as you, but Im using the 93.71 with Coolbits and the classic panel. OC to 600 - 1.6, it gives me the best frame rates although they all gave me the mini freeze - stutter until I tweaked the bios a bit. The one thing I still wanted to try was disabling sideband addressing thats a known cause of stutter on the older systems.
Probably because I have an older nforce2 chipset, Ntune locks up when it loads even though they say it should work with all chipsets.
Ntune ver 5.05.47 i think is the newest.
Post it if you make any miracle finds with the 7600GT AGP will ya.
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I think all would agree that this card is an upgrade form the 256 meg Radeon 9550.
Im upping the game detail bit by bit to see how far I can go.
So far Im running with the detail slider abut 85% of max and have noticed zero drop in framerates even in a large furball with bases on fire and when in a GV where I used to take the biggest hit when it would drop down to the mid to low 20s FPS
thats running at a res of 1400X1050 and using the high res pack.
Initially had some crashing probs which have since seemed to be cured by installing the newer drivers available at the Nvidia website.
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Originally posted by Getback
I have a 256mg GeForce FX5700 (Not sure about the leading letters). Are their different drivers for each card? I usually go to the nvidia website to get drivers. Is there a better site? What is ntunes? Never heard that before either.
Appreciate any advice
Nvidia.com is where I get drivers. Nvidia drivers are general, i.e. they cover all their cards.
ntunes is Nvidia's overclocking control program for both graphic cards and their motherboards. Previous Nvidia graphics card drivers would (through a simple registry change) enable overclocking control. They have separated overclocking now into ntune and you have to download the whole big thing, you cant just get graphics card control without motherboard control as well. I didn't bother with ntunes.
I've never bothered to overclock my 7600GT as the improvement would be minor (overclock range was limited). Also, with my 2.8G P4, much of the time AH is CPU limited, not GPU, and overclocking the GPU wouldn't help for those viewing/terrain cases.
715
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Originally posted by Hungry
715
I have tried pretty much the same drivers as you, but Im using the 93.71 with Coolbits and the classic panel. OC to 600 - 1.6, it gives me the best frame rates although they all gave me the mini freeze - stutter until I tweaked the bios a bit.
What did you tweak in the BIOS and was it your motherboard BIOS or the graphic card BIOS?
Thanks.
715
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Here's the driver info you requested:
Forceware version: 93.71
Video BIOS: 5.73.22.25.89
NVidea Control Panel: 1.2.0.82
The card is not overclocked (though this version is the "factory-overclocked" model) nor is the computer (3.0 GHz Northwood P4).
Honestly, I have had zero problems with the driver or the utilities. The only minor glitch is that I need to manually tell ForceWare about the projector being plugged into the second port via the taskbar tray.
Interestingly, though it benchmarks nearly twice as fast as my 9800XT card that was in there previously, the increase to framerates in AH is probably only 25%. Still, it is enough to prevent stuttering even within huge furballs over burning arifields, so that's good enough for me.
-Llama
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715
This is what works for me on this machine and this is what finally got rid of the stutters. I've been meaning to compile my notes so this gave me the excuse. WinXP SP2, I use Perf Test 6.1 to test changes, Everest and CPUZ to verify changes. Hope something in here helps someone because at one point I was spending all my time tweaking and not flying and it really took the fun out of the game which my err rank can attest to. LOL I haven’t flown with the Frame rate counter on now for at least oh 2 or 3 days.
Motherboard is an older Biostar M7NCG Nforce2, tweaked 4.12 chipset drivers (not by me) Phoenix – Award Bios with an AMD XP2400+ 2.0 ghz.
2 Gig Dual Channel PC3200. Video Card bios is stock with XFX7600GT AGP.
The Processor is overclocked slightly to 2104, ram settings are slightly more aggressive at 6-3-3-2.5 instead of the stock 8-3-3-3.
FSB Spread Spectrum is at 1 instead of disabled, AGP Spread Spectrum is at .5 instead of disabled.
Frame Buffer 32 meg, AGP Aperture is 64 but worked almost as well at 128. Fastwrites are disabled.
That’s the Bios changes, I also use PCI Latency Tool, to set the device latency timings, all are zero except the following changes,
Nforce2 AGP to PCI Bridge is now 64
Geforce 7600GT is at 128
Sound Blaster Audigy is at 64
Linksys adapter is at 80
The Monitor is a Veiwsonic G810 at a refresh of 100 (1024-768) all normal flying is at 95 to 100 fps except the furballs at the bases when it drops to the 50’s.
Video Properties
Antialiasing 2x
Anisotropic is off
Image Setting =Performance
Vsync = On
Force Mipmaps = None
Conformant Texture Clamp = On
Extension Limit = Off
Single Display Mode
Trilinear Optimization = On
All others are of except
Negative LOD Bias = Allow
Core Clock = 648
Memory Clock = 1.6
Max Frames to render ahead 2 or 3 works well so I left it on 3
To much typing I’m Hungry, No I’m really getting hungry DINNER TIME!
Good Luck
PS anyone has any suggestions please feel free.
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Thanks Hungry.
Unfortunately, I have a staid old Intel motherboard which doesn't allow setting the kind of parameters you mentioned (except AGP aperature) so I'm stuck with what I've got. Thanks though!
715
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Sorry but just wanted to make sure people saw the thread. I realize AGP is a dead or dying horse but my gut tells me that there are still alot of them still being used.
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Originally posted by Hungry
Sorry but just wanted to make sure people saw the thread. I realize AGP is a dead or dying horse but my gut tells me that there are still alot of them still being used.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, however, it is hard to believe AGP is dying so fast. I still use an AGP board, I'm not sure if it has a PCE on it. It does have a funny colored PCI slot. Still though, the comp runs pretty darn good.
I was so tempted by that post Hungry. I thought really hard about running to best buy. I calmed down, looked at my budget and said, uhg! My next purchase should really be a flat panel monitor. That 19inch behemoth that's on my desk is atrocious. I bought this huge computer desk so that I could study and use my computer at the same time and heck, I have to write on the keyboard shelf. LOL
I am getting a small bonus this month and a 20% increase in pay so I may not have to wait to long for the monitor.
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LOL like I had the wild thought to get a better AGP board with a faster CPU and Front Side Bus to go with this vid card and my other parts, thank heavens I came to my senses. The next will be a single chip dual core, single PCI express vid card with a massisve FSB number. I got about four years outta this build and its at the end of its AH life cycle.
The thing that burns me a bit is the fact that it still plays the likes of Doom3 or Oblivian like a champ, but not AH unless its overclocked, pushed, peaked, pimped and pumped.
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AGP dinosaur here, too. :)
mobo: ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe
cpu: Intel 478-pin P4 Prescott 3.2 O/C'd to 3.65
ram: 2 Gb Corsair XMS
vidcard: BFG 7800 GS (O/C'd to 440 MHz core, 1.25 GHz memory)
...all in an air-cooled full-sized SuperMicro tower case.
AH reports 110-150 FPS at 1280 x 1024.
Wow, I was just looking at my old Newegg order history. I first put this beast together back in January '04. Upgrades since initial build: CPU, more RAM, now on my third video card.
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Originally posted by llama
The 7600GT is a faster card, and it uses less electricity. The XFX version also has a lifetime warranty (they're sending me a new heatsink/fan for free - I just asked when it started getting noisy), which is good.
EVGA and BFG have the same lifetime warranty. I've actually RMA'd a TI4600 a few years back for a dying fan and they replaced the whole card with a 5900XT because they no longer made the 4600.